Family photos

Almost 2 months ago, one of our good friends who just graduated from Weber Art Department volunteered to take our family photos. She has so much talent and is so amazing and did such an incredible job! There's a little preview in the header, but to get a look at all my favorites go to my Flikr. And to get a look at her other work, check out her Facebook page. Thanks so much, Ruth!

Swap Meet Up photo's

There is proof! I did end up going and it was so much fun! There better be a 2012! I think my favorite photo is the group shots with Jonah photo bombing them. I got to meet new people, meet others in real life (made them a little more real to me, rather than just blog stalking them), and scored some really awesome stuff, which you'll get to see later. Maybe much later, considering some of it doesn't quite fit yet. But it will! I got lost and ended up getting there late and had to leave early to get the car back to Derek for work. So I was only there for 45 mins, so I didn't get as much time as I had wanted. So 2012 will be better! Better planning for sure. Maybe a baby sitter. And if you go to this post of mine, you'll get a list of all the other bloggers who were there. I recommend at least glancing at all their blogs.

Thanks again for putting this on! And I seriously can't wait for another one!

Scripture

My husband and I teach Sunday School for the youth in our ward and in today's lesson was a verse from the New Testament. And it just made me so happy to read and feel so right in my decision to have a baby naturally.

St. John 16:21: A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

And of course this doesn't only apply to having a boy, but just the joy she feels to have this child and the immediate love you feel for this little miracle. I mean, there has been so much research and study done that shows that having a baby naturally increases your bonding and your success at breastfeeding, which also increases the bonding with your baby. It's just such a wonderful thing to know that I made the choice to do it the right way.

Headband anyone?

Made this in a little over a half hour with the remnant of a skein of yarn. What do you think? Do you like it? Hate it? Not the most flattering picture, but it was seriously the best quick pic I could get. You can find the pattern here

Fashion blogger swap?

Found this through another fashion blog I follow and I kinda want to go. But it's hard to look at non-maternity clothes and gauge what size you may be after you have the baby and how long it would take you to fit into it again. And Provo is kind of a trek for me. It's over an hour away. Also, a few of the fashion bloggers I follow are going to be there, and it would be cool to say to them "Hi! I love your blog and your style. Do you have any tips for me?"

So should I do it? Should I go?

How to?

I'm trying to compile a playlist of songs which would be good to listen to while in labor. I really have no idea how to do this. Do I want relaxing, calming songs for the whole labor process and more upbeat music for the pushing? I'm just taking in any suggestions I can.

Also, today when we dropped Jonah off at nursery, one of the leaders says "Oh, he got a haircut. How adorable! He looks like a mushroom!"
HA!

Life resolution

At the beginning of the year I made my New Years Resolution like everyone else. It wasn't to lose so many pounds, or to learn to cook something really well. It was to stop talking about people behind their backs. I'm not like a huge gossiper or anything (in my own opinion), but when I had frustrations, I would go to another person and just vent and that would bring all the bad feelings up to the surface. And I was doing pretty well too. I wasn't even saying anything to Derek in my frustrations. But I had an experience the other day that made me realize that not saying something wasn't good enough. Because I was still thinking these thoughts, just not expressing them. And in a way that could be worse to just let it build up inside and simmer. So I realized it needed to be more, be bigger! And it could definitely not just be this years resolution. It needed to be a life resolution. I realized I needed to find a little bit of love for everyone. Especially those I felt wronged by or always found irritation toward. Because in doing so it would be that much easier to say nothing, because if I found that little bit of love and saw the good qualities in them, I wouldn't think mean thoughts to begin with. This realization brought tears to my eyes. Or maybe it was the crying that started it, I don't know. But being like Christ is our main goal in life, isn't it? And we know that we can not reach perfection until after this life, but it doesn't give us an excuse to not try. That would be giving up. And once that's done, it's so hard to get back on track again. If I can find that little bit of live for those people, I can find more love for them over time, making being like Christ that much more realistic.