Benjamin Franklin Statement

I was watching a broadcast on the BYU channel and Elder Edgley was the speaker and he presented what I thought was a profound statement from Benjamin Franklin and I wanted to pass it along:

We stand at the crossroads,
each minute,
each hour,
each day,
making choices.
We choose
the thoughts
we allow ourselves to think,
the passions
we allow ourselves to feel,
and the actions
we allow ourselves to perform.
Each choice
is made in the context
of whatever value system
we've selected
to govern our lives.
In selecting that value system,
we are,
in a very real way,
making the most important choice
we will ever make.
Those who believe there is one God
who made all things
and who governs the world by his Providence
will make many choices different
from those who do not.
Those who hold in reverence
that being who gave them life
and worship Him through
adoration,
prayer,
and thanksgiving
will make many choices different
from those who do not.
Those who believe
that mankind are all of a family
and that the most acceptable
service of God
is doing good to man
will make many choices different
from those who do not.
Those who believe
in a future state
in which
all that is wrong here
will be made right
will make many choices different
from those who do not.
Those who subscribe
to the morals of Jesus
will make many choices different
from those who do not.
Since the foundation of all happiness
is thinking rightly,
and since correct action
is dependent on correct opinion,
we cannot be too careful
in choosing the value system
we allow to govern
our thoughts and actions.
And to know that God governs
in the affairs of men,
that he hears and answers prayers,
and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him,
is indeed,
a powerful regulator
of human conduct.

[Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living, ed. George L. Rogers, 3rd ed. (Eden Prairie, Minnesota: Acorn Publishing, 1996), 88­90]

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Happy 38th Anniversary Mom & Dad!!!

Today my parents have been married 13,879 days,

David and I have been married 306 days.

I can't even fathom the difference there.

I remember not being able to imagine being married to the same person for that long,

but now it's hard to imagine NOT being married to David for AT LEAST that long!!!

Can't wait for all the adventures the lie ahead!

Showering Katelyn with Gifts!

Wow, I feel like I've already had a baby shower because of all the wonderful gifts Katelyn has been given. After last night's deluge of clothes from Grandma Stiles and Aunt Shelli, adding to what she already had, Katelyn now has 48 outfits!! This picture doesn't tell you how cute they are, but I don't have room on my blog to take a picture of all of them :)

Also, Katelyn's Great Grandmother made her four beautiful blankets! My favorite is the one on top that says "God Loves You".

How do you know you have a wonderful husband?

Happy Anniversary to us! 10 months today!! Can you believe it?! Of course, for us it seems much longer than that. (In a good way!). Anyway, back to the heading of this post... Last night during the night, my gorgeous hubby was snoring a bit, so I nudged him a little to try to get him to turn onto his side to help alleviate the beautiful noise. Well, instead of turning away from me like he usually does, he turned towards me and started rubbing my back!!! I guess he thought I was bugging him to rub my back (like I always do). When I asked him about it this morning, he said he doesn't remember any of it, but what a great response/reflex he had. It stopped the storing AND I got a free backrub (as I was giggling the whole time at my "accomplishment")!! Yup, he's wonderful!

Baby Appointment #Something

Katelyn and I went to the doctor today (not that she had a choice). Doc said all my symptoms are normal. I guess I'm supposed to be relieved/happy that they are normal, but don't you sometimes want to to hear, "No, that's not normal, here, have a pill and it will be all better in an hour". :) 26 weeks and 3 days along. My next appointment is 3 weeks from today (Sep 14) and then we will start going every 2 weeks as the big day approaches. Tomorrow I work at the Temple, then afterwards hopefully David and I will work on getting the nursery cleaned up, then Sunday off to my mom's for her belated birthday dinner, and then Monday David and I celebrate our 10 month anniversary and Wednesday Mom and Dad celebrate their 38th (year, not month) anniversary!!

Fun Home Ownership

One of the fun things about owning a home is the "courtesy" letters you get from the HOA describing "opportunities" for you to improve the value of the neighborhood. We received such a letter while we were on vacation. Most of you will be grateful that we were told to take down the wreath from our front door (I guess they think Christmas is over). We also need a paint job and a nicer lawn. Note to the ladies: When you ask your husband to fertilize the lawn, it's probably not a good idea to lock him out of the house! I was pulling out of the garage on my way to work this morning and my husband was working hard on the lawn. Now, every other morning when I leave the garage, I close the door behind me, so why would today be any different??? OOPS!!!!! Can I blame it on the pregnancy brain?? Pleeeeeease.

How to Make a Pregnant Woman Scream

Today as I opened my overhead shelf at work, I noticed some old frosting that had been left in there for a while. It had 3 dime-sized holes in it, so I figured I must have a little critter in there at one time. No big deal, right? Well, as I went to pull out the frosting tube to throw it away, some of the frosting had hardened and fell out of the tube, which of course I imagined were bugs, so I screamed (louder than you should in an office) and threw the tube across the room as fast as I could!!! Three of my co-workers came running over to my desk to see what was the matter!!! I then proceeded to laugh so hard that they then began worried that I would go into labor right then and there. It was definitely a fun time for all!

Happy Birthday Shelli!

Today's blog is dedicated to my favorite sister's birthday!!

Double Digits!

This week we are down to double digits for our countdown to Katelyn!! On a different note, I finally was able to get my wedding rings off today, which brings mixed emotions. I have been trying to get them off for a week now, but wasn't able to due to their new fun size. I've heard about women who have to have them cut off because of the swelling, and since my engagement ring belonged to one of David's grandmothers, I couldn't bear to have that happen. So, I poured on the lotion and pulled and pulled until my finger was red and sore, but finally got them off. I look forward to Katelyn's arrival for yet another reason :)

PICTURES!

Click to View Pictures

What's good for the goose is not always good for the pregnant gander

I was so excited that David was desirous and willing to go on a hike without me!! I had been feeling bad that I was keeping him from something I knew he loved, especially in a place like this. For me, a "hike" was just walking from the car to the lookout points. It was just hard with this extra weight and the lovely swelling that the weather and walking has brought into my life. We left the hotel this morning at 5:15 to make sure he got to his starting point by 6. I was thinking I was going to wimp out and just drive back to the hotel and sleep for the 4 hours, but luckily I came to my senses and remembered that this was my last day! So, after dropping him off, I DROVE (my kind of hiking!!) to some various look out points and took some pictures while the sun was rising. It was nice and quiet because the crowds had not yet arrived. Then I went back to the hotel for some continental breakfast (I'll have to look up later why they call it that) and then I came back into the park to do one of the shuttle routes. When I finished it was time to pick up David and we exchanged stories of how much we enjoyed each of our "hikes". Then we drove down to Mesa to see the Temple and then watched a movie. It was a wonderful trip, but I'm still a firm believer of Dorothy's motto "There's No Place Like Home"....especially when you're married to the cutest most lovable man in the world :) Come on, you knew I couldn't do too many posts without putting my mushy stuff in. Our 10 month anniversary is only 8 days away!!! ...but who's counting??

Finally!

After 3 days of "traveling appetizers", it was finally time to partake of the main course. David and I were both in awe of the majesty of the Grander than Grand... Grand Canyon. It was so perfect and spectacular that it almost wasn't believable. At times it felt like I was looking at an artificial backdrop of scenery. I thought to myself that it would make a terrific puzzle. But, alas, later when I viewed some of the pictures I took, they just pale in comparison to what it was really like. I can still picture it in my mind vividly how it seemed to just stretch on forever. And then there was the helicopter ride. It started out "bumpy" when the receptionist asked me to step on the scale. I guess she saw me coming and wanted to make sure I wouldn't keep the helicopter from liftoff :) The ride was indeed an entirely different experience as you were able to better view and appreciate the grandeur of this wonder. It's amazing how 50 minutes can seem so much shorter as you didn't want the ride to end. Then we went on the "Spirit of Sunset" narration as we tried to watch the sunset. Rain took over and we headed for the hills. It was quite chilly. When we upload the pictures tomorrow, you will get to see all the animals we saw. We saw mule deer, bucks with very large antlers, a desert mouse and even a coyote that came right up to the car!!

Off to the big GC

Before we headed to Arizona, we decided to embark on the "Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive". After getting there, I realized that I had been there before, but it was still beautiful and I think David even mentioned he enjoyed the drive more than seeing Vegas. I like Vegas just because of all the lights and cool hotels. Excalibur is my favorite, though I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because it looks like a castle and I've been feeling very girly lately...which reminds me.... Katelyn was very present on our trip with us. She reminded me often that she was "alive and kicking". I had read that between 24-28 weeks is when the kicking can be felt the most because she is bigger now and has the most room, so I'm trying to enjoy it because I might even miss it :) Anyway, we drove over the Hoover Dam and then headed for Flagstaff to relax for the night before our big day at what I viewed as the most important part of the trip. I have been wanting to see the Grand Canyon in person ever since I flew over it once. Some say "grand" doesn't even begin to qualify as a descriptor.

Oh Darn!

David wanted to go to the "Star Trek Experience" this afternoon, and I can't say that I was even the slight bit interested, so I just HAD to find something else to do. This is what I found....Ultimate Foot Relief - A soy-based gel is massaged into the feet followed by a gentle exfoliating scrub. Then, a callous treatment is applied and your feet are inserted into heated warmers. Hands are massaged. Next, your feet are repaired with a shea butter cream containing alpha hydroxyl fruit acids. Finally, a soy and algae oil moisturizer is applied. An ankle to knee massage completes this treatment. Rough life, eh?

Love is in the Air (In Vegas)

We arrived around noon, checked into the hotel, and then drove by the Temple, then headed to have dinner with one of my most favorite missionary companions. Her daughter took this picture of us with her cell phone. :)

Traveling while pregnant

I was researching yesterday about traveling while pregnant and you just have to laugh. I read about keeping my feet propped up so that they don't swell on the flight. So, I took a look at my feet to see the "pre-flight" look, and my feet look like I took two trips last week. So, I'm not sure how much more swollen they can get. Also, it says to "drink plenty of water" on the flight to avoid blood clots or something like that. What a great idea!!! Let's have a pregnant woman drink lots of water where the bathroom is the size of a catbox and she can barely fit through the aisle as it is!!! Great advice!!! sheesh! :))))

108 Degrees

This has to be a joke. Someone must have hacked into weather.com because they knew I would be looking at the weather today in Vegas since David and I will be heading there in less than 24 hours. They say the high today is going to be ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT degrees!! Tell me that is a typo!!! 108 + 6 months pregnant = 125, right??? Oh my!! Hopefully we will spend most of the time inside!! Wish us luck!! Hopefully hiking in the Grand Canyon will be much cooler... no worries, I don't actually believe that!

My Mommy Birthday!

Today is MY Mommy's birthday!! Happy Birthday to my favorite Mommy!

Katelyn's Aunt Rosie & Mommy

A Toy for Katelyn

We have been getting mostly cute clothes for Katelyn as gifts, but recently a dear friend of mine moved to Colorado, but didn't forget Katelyn before she left and got her this cute crib toy! I will miss her terribly (already do actually), but hopefully she'll come back and visit so Katelyn can thank her in person someday :)

I have a question

Do people really think that people that have gained weight don't notice it themselves? I mean, do you think they really need other people to point it out to them? Last night I went out and I ran into some friends that I haven't seen in a while (they are in their 80s, but I'm not sure if age has anything to do with it). One of the ladies says to me, "Hey Fatty". I couldn't believe it. Then the other guy thinks he's coming to my defense and says, "She's not fat, she's 'pleasantly plump'". I gasped and said, "Excuse me, the keyword here is "PREGNANT"!!!! I mean, sure I gained some extra weight, but I certainly don't need to be called out on it. Sheesh :) My many thanks to the other 99% of you that have been nothing but supportive and quiet :) HAHAHA!!!

More Presents

Last night we received some gifts from Aunt Patsy and Ruth. I'm not sure if you can tell how cute this outfit is from the picture, so you might have to click on it and take a closer look at the big picture :) The others are cute little books.

Testing

Well, David got a new assignment today at Church. I'll let him put it on his blog so as to not steal his thunder. http://davidpulver.blogspot.com/ I'm trying to be open to the idea of this new "opportunity", but I'll admit it isn't easy. I'm looking forward to seeing the many blessings that I'm sure will soon follow for his willingness to serve :)

Bragger Rights

I hope you never get sick of reading how wonderful my husband is, but I have to share this story. This morning I was called at 4:45 with a work problem. So, I got up and answered the phone, then went into the computer room, fixed it, and then came back to bed. When I got back to bed, David put his hand on my head and stroked a little bit like he was comforting me. It was so sweet. I took a moment to reflect on how happy I was to be married and to be married to such a compassionate man. Then later when we were talking (around 7:30) I was mentioning the call, and he said, "What call?". I said, "The call I got this morning from work." He said, "Wow, I must have slept right through it". I said, "No you didn't" and relayed to him the story of how sweet he was. He started laughing and said, "Man, I'm even good in my sleep!!!!". :)

You can't make this stuff up!

Ok, this really just happened, I'm not making this up. David doesn't like to watch scary/thriller movies, but I've been wanting to see the movie "When A Stranger Calls" for a long time, so I checked it out from the library and figured I would watch it by myself. No biggie right? And since David was home tonight watching one of his movies, I figured I would take the opportunity to watch it and then if I got too scared, I could just run and jump in his arms. So, there's a part in the movie where the girl is really scared and she hears the water running, so she goes upstairs where she thinks the housekeeper must be taking a shower, only to realize that the shower just happens to be running with no one in sight. Pretty freaky, eh? Well, anyway, I was getting a little scared, so I thought I would do some ironing and put some lights on. Well, I had been hearing water myself for a while, but I just figured it was the surround sound speakers that were behind me because it seemed like there were a lot of water scenes in the movie. Well, when I went to plug in the iron, I heard the water running much louder and not from the direction of the speakers, so I followed the sound and no joke..... the sink faucet in the guest bathroom was running... not "dripping", but RUNNING!!! I RAN into the bedroom and jumped in bed where David was and told him the story. He thought it was "funny". I did NOT!