Merry Christmas Everyone! :)

Priorities

DISCLAIMER:  I've said a couple times that I started a blog mainly so that I would be better at keeping a journal.  I'm sorry for the lack of fun family facts and pictures (I do have alot of those that I need to put on here...I will hopefully do that soon).  Alot of what I put on here are thoughts that I have and things that I hope will help me to be a better person.  Take what you want from it, and have an awesome day!

So I was looking at my friends blog today and she had a post titled "Exhausted."  It reads "I'm Exhausted."

I completely understand!  I've felt completely exhausted and overwhelmed lately.  Sometimes I feel like I would be completely fine if I stayed in bed all day! (Not such a good thing...)

I learned an awesome thing.  I was talking with my young women while driving them home one night after mutual.  That night we made a goal for all the young women to read the BOM by Young Women in Excellence.  It seems a little daunting, because that is only 3 months away and school just started, and they have to do stuff at home, and sports are picking up and finishing the BOM by then means like 3 whole chapters a day, and ... 

Anyway, one of the girls was complaining about how much harder 9th grade is than 8th grade and we were talking about the goal.  So I said to her "I promise that if you make time to read the BOM everyday that school will go much smoother."

That got me thinking about my own priorities and the way I'm living my life.  You know that object lesson where you have a whole bunch of rocks and a whole bunch of sand and a jar and the only way the rocks and sand fit is if you put the rocks in first?  Then you learn that the rocks are the big priorities and the sand are the little things...  I decided that I need to figure out my priorities, then I think I will feel better about the way I am living my life.

So, after talking with my young women, this is what I've decided:  if I put spiritual things and my family first, then Heavenly Father will bless me and help me through everyday's trials (like today when Jaylee falls of my bed head first and gets a giant goose egg and cries for 10 minutes I can feel really bad that I let her fall, but instead of sulking in how stupid I was, I can learn that I need to be more careful.)  To help me keep my priorities in line, I am going to make daily goals, things that I will do every day strengthen myself spiritually.  A goal isn't a goal until you write it down, right?  So, here's a shot at it:

DAILY GOALS

1. Pray sincerely morning and night.
2. Read scriptures and learn something from them ... I should write something in my journal everyday about what I read that day or mark it in my scriptures and make a note of it.
3. Clean my kitchen before I go to bed (doesn't it always feel great to have a clean kitchen??) :)
4. Think good thoughts!  I need to not think mean things about other people ...  Also, I have a tendency to analyze every little thing that people close to me are doing (and the closest is Jordan).   I always think that they are mad at me or that they think something about me and that makes me in a bad mood.  I can't do that.  I told my mom the other day that the only person that we can change is ourselves.  I need to have a better attitude.  I was thinking about that.  If someone does something that I don't particularly like, I need to change my own attitude.  If I do this I think that I will start to think of how I can help the other person.  Isn't charity the pure love of Christ?  I need to work on that one.

WEEKLY GOALS

1. Have FHE with a lesson (and a treat!) :)
2. Write in my Journal.
3. Go on a date.

MONTHLY GOALS

1. Go to the Temple

Life

There isn't an easy way to deal with hard things. The best way that I know how is to write in my journal. I have been trying to keep this blog as a journal, so I figure this is the best place to think and write my thoughts. Just to clarify, I'm not trying to write this for pity or anything like that. I want to remember the things that happen to me and I don't have the energy to pick up a pen right now, typing is much easier.
This morning we were out on the boat with my dad and Blake. We were enjoying the lake and dropping off a few people on the shore. I moved to get out of the way for someone and my brother said "are you bleeding?" Sure enough. I was. As soon as we got home I called my OB and she said to go to the ER as soon as we could. I felt like I needed to ask my Dad, Jordan and Blake for a blessing. In the blessing I remember hearing that Heavenly Father is proud of me for the faith that I have.
We got to the hospital around 12:00. I was still bleeding. After blood work and ultrasounds and 6 hours of waiting, the doctor told us that the baby stopped growing around 7 weeks. There is no heartbeat and my HCG levels are extremely low. I will miscarry anytime now. Not the best thing to hear when you are so excited for your daughter to be a big sister!
I told Jordan that he needs to help me to remember that Heavenly Father will NOT give us anything that we cannot handle. He knows our strengths, and he knows that we can grow closer together as a couple and as a family through our trials. Everything will be ok. I know it.
I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know He has a plan for me. I know that he will not give us more than we can handle. I know that I was on the Lord’s side in Heaven, that I told Him I would do what He needed me to do on this earth. I know I was excited to come down and experience the awesome, amazing things that are here for me. I know I was willing to go through trials and tribulations so that I can have an eternal family. I know that my family is eternal. I know that my Heavenly Father knows me and that He loves me. He watches over me. He puts his loving arms around me and strengthens me when I can’t stand.

Best Friend's Sister-in-Law

Just wanted to promote this...Natalie has been fighting cancer for a while, and this is a benefit concert for her. Share with everyone you know! Hope to see you there!

. . . March 1, 2011 . . .

Well, I wonder how many people read this...March 1 Jaylee is going to be a big (well as big as an 18 month old can be) sister! Congrats us!

West Yellowstone & Stuff

OK...since the last post...

We ran the half marathon on May 15th (Wahoo us!) We ran it in 2:29. My goal was to finish under 2:30... Jordan was so awesome! He ran with me the whole way, even though I know he could've gone faster...he is SOO supportive! My dad ran the last 5k with us. He was signed up to run the full marathon (this would have been his 5th or 6th marathon) but he had pneumonia a little while ago and blood clots in his legs about a month before. It was fun to run with him...it was a good boost at the end!

Kinda funny, the night before the marathon, Jaylee started screaming/crying around 7:00 pm. She didn't stop until 5:00 am! We tried everything! Orajel - it wasn't teeth, Tylenol - it did nothing, Food - not hungry ... we tried everything to calm her down! My mom watched her while we were running, and I think she was so wore out from the night that she just slept the whole time! So after the half we took her to the doctor and it turns out that she had 2 ear infections! Yucky stuff! She is doing much better now, except one ear infection won't go away. It doesn't seem to bother her though, so that is good.

So over Memorial Day we went up to West Yellowstone with Jordan's parents, his sister and her family. On the way up, we stopped in Tremonton to eat ... and we probably won't EVER eat at this restaurant again! We both got food poisoning! So the whole first day I was sick and the whole second day Jordan was sick! :) Luckily Jaylee didn't get anything! Besides the throwing up, we had a blast!

We went into Yellowstone one day. That was fun. Our goal was to see a bear...and...we did! We saw a cute little black bear! They are cute!

So, the day that I was sick, Jordan and Jaylee and Marla (Jordan's mom) went to feed the horses at the place we were staying. While they were feeding the horses, one of them sneezed all over Jordan! Eeeewe! :) Some of the sneeze juice got in Jordan's eyes...so when Jordan came back to the cabin his face and eyes were all swollen! Apparently he is allergic to horses! It was kinda funny, but I felt bad for him, he looked miserable. The day we left we went on a horse back ride.

I haven't been on a horse since elementary. In elementary I watched my best friend (Ellen) break her collarbone falling off of one, and I haven't been on one since. It is on my list of goals for my life to get back on a horse...well, I rode one! His name was Doc and he was a really pretty white horse. Him & I were buddies...he listened to me and sometimes he told me to listen to him...he knew what he was doing and I was going to be fine. I LOVED it though! I told Jordan that I want a horse now - but we would have to get like 10 that are already trained trail horses that follow each other...I liked that.
So, it is summer, and I got to go boating a few weeks ago...and I surfed! (It has been 2 years since I've been able to do that! I didn't get to last year because I was pregnant.) It was so fun! The water was freezing though!

This week has been pretty busy and eventful!

The busyness ... Saturday was Blake's birthday...he got some sweetical sunglasses! My parents bought him a hamburger & french fries cake. It was pretty funny. Sunday was my newest nephew's blessing. (Mitch & Amy's son Ty). He is such a cutie...he smiles alot! Monday was my 26th birthday! I don't feel 26...it is weird to say that! We went to Sonora Grill and ate for my birthday. It was good times! Tuesday was Marla's birthday...we had dinner with the family. The Avner's are so fun!

The eventfulness ... On Thursday Jaylee got her first tooth! She was just a little ornery until it cut through...then after that she was good! It was one in the middle on the bottom. Then on Friday Jaylee got her second tooth! It was the other one in the middle on the bottom! So now she has two little teeth and she thinks she is pretty neat! So then Saturday night at Blake's birthday party, Jaylee decided that she wanted to crawl! So now she is crawling, scooting, and pulling herself up on everything! She learned that she can pull herself up on the side of her crib, so instead of going to sleep she will grab onto the side, pull herself up and bounce! And if we don't go to get her, she eventually starts to cry, sits down in her crib, puts her head down and pouts. She is such a silly girl!

Since it has been warmer weather, we have been playing outside more. The other day Jaylee was sitting on the lawn, I was checking out my awesome garden that my mom and I planted that is starting to sprout little plants... (OK..not so awesome, just a few rows of corn, sunflowers, beets, onions, spinach, and a pepper plant and a tomato plant!) ... and I looked over at Jaylee and she was holding up a leaf and had the biggest smile on her face...she found a prize! It is so fun to watch her grow and learn new things!

Life is good!

Wow...

If you can't tell, I'm really bad at this. I originally started a blog so that it would be like a journal. Then, with everything that has gone on I just forget! I have a new goal...I am going to try to update every month...hopefully I can do that! I'll post some pictures as soon as I can (hopefully next week)
Just a few things that have gone on over the last 9 months (it sounds so long when you put it that way!):
Jaylee is growing so big! She is probably around 15 lbs now (k...so she might be small, but she has about 5 rolls from her knees to her hips!)
A few months ago we had a little scare. She just wasn't acting normal so I took her to the doctor. The doctor felt her soft spot (that was bulging out) and in less than 3 hours we had been to the hospital, she'd gotten a spinal tap, blood drawn and a urine sample taken and were admitted to the hospital. They were worried that she had meningitis. After 3 nights of hospital, Jaylee broke out in a rash (which meant no meningitis, just roseola - baby measles) and a kidney infection! That meant that we had to do more tests to find out why. After all was said and done, she has an enlarged right kidney, but nothing else is wrong. She hasn't had any more infections and she isn't acting like she is in pain, so we don't need to worry about anything!
She says "momomomomom" and every once and awhile she'll say "dadadadadad". Dada was her first word, but then she learned mom and dada is a rare occasion now. :) She gets to spend Monday's and Wednesday's with her daddy while I am at work. She loves her dad! They play all the time! Tuesday's she gets to hang out with her cousins (Konley (4) & Kru (1)). She loves to watch them and Kru is a good helper...he always tries to feed her cheerios. She has just figured out how to pull herself up on things, and she LOVES to stand up! I'm sure she will be a little gymnast: She always has her feet in her mouth. Her favorite food is bananas, or whatever is on mom or dad's plate. :) Basically, she is a perfect little almost 9 month old!
Jordan got put in the bishopric in our ward...yeah, he's a little busy...enough said.
After I had Jaylee I decided that I wanted to run the Ogden half marathon in May (that is this month...ah!) So, I signed up, paid the money, then slacked off on running. I decided that I didn't want to waste $50, so I started to train about 3 months ago. About a month and a half ago some people in our ward asked if we knew anyone who needed a pass for the marathon, they had comp passes. Well, Jordan decided that if he didn't have to pay, he wanted to run! So, we have been having lots of family running outings the last couple months. The half marathon is on Saturday...good luck us! I also was called to be the stake choreography director for the 2010 Youth Spectacular (ariseandshineforth.com). It takes up alot of my time, but they youth in our stake (Rockcliff) are awesome! I really feel so blessed to see how Heavenly Father loves all of them and is giving them an opportunity to feel that love and to see the power that the gospel has on this earth.
I am so lucky. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful baby girl and so many blessings in my life. What else could I ask for?!