Be Prepared

So here I sit...early in the morning and I can't go back to sleep. Jed already left for work and since he left, I've just been tossing and turning in bed. My mind keeps wondering back to a blog that I read last night. It pretty much puts into reality the importance of being prepared for everything and anything. I ask myself, "Are we prepared?"...I think not!

While I was home a few weekend ago, I attended Relief Socitey with my mom. I had to laugh because everytime I do, they are always doing some activity with food storage. I had mentioned to my mom and dad that the R.S. activities in this ward would drive me crazy after awhile. But they did do something that I thought was extremely helpful. The food storage person gave out a handout that had a list of about 6-8 items on it you should buy in the month of February. I really liked this idea because it included items like hand soap and laundry detergent. Those kind of items I never think about because it's called food storage. Buying everything on the list would have been between 10-15 dollars...not to shabby!

Sometimes I feel that the subject can be beaten to death, but my dad brought up something that I hadn't thought about. He said "being prepared is a principle of the gospel, just like paying your tithing. As leaders (he's in the bishopric) in the church we're suppose to teach the correct principles, but than the people are free to govern themselves. Just because we know how important it is to pay tithing doesn't mean we write the check out for those who don't. They have to choose to do it." The same would apply to those of us who have slacked in the area of being prepared! It's overwhelming when someone tells you how much wheat and rice you need for every person. We do owe a big thanks to Jed's parents because when they moved, they gave us their food storage. We have quite a bit now...especially wheat. The only problem is that I haven't got a clue what to do with it. Apparently I need to get a grinder! For Christmas they also gave us a nice 72 hour kit for Jed & I and one for Lucas. Paulette is the Emergency Prepardness Coordinator for Southwest Utah. She has always said that it is not if but when the Bird Flu gets here. There are only so many stages that the virus has to go through before humans can contract it. I don't remember the exact number, but it is definitely coming closer to reaching that point. The scary thing is that there is nothing you can do about. Some people will be able to fight the virus on there own, but lots will die from it. I was looking at her website and I found these checklists for anyone who is interested.

This brings me to my new coupon system. With the help of coupons and the website you can stock up on regular food such as spaghetti sauce, noodles, refried beans, pizzas, etc. when they are at a really good price. You'll slowly build up a supply of food that will allow you to mix some good food with the canned food and have a decent meal...when the time should come. My other worry is our water supply...which is at zero! What I thought I would start doing is buying bottled water when it's really cheap. Last week, Macey's had 24 for 2.99 which worked out to 12 cents a bottle. I figured I'd start storing it like this until we figure out another system.

So today I resolve to be better at preparing our little family for the worst. It's not something I like to think about, but by thinking about it, maybe I'll be able accomplish this huge task!

Count My Blessings...

I've had a bit of an emotional weekend and needed to write down my feelings. On Saturday was Carter Sperry's birthday party. He turned one. He is such a doll! The party was held at a condo clubhouse down by UVSC. While we were all sitting around one of the side doors got opened. One of the people standing by the door told us that our boy had gone out the door. I hurried out the door to get him. By the time I turned the corner he had already ran down the side walk and was standing at the edge of the road. I started screaming at him to stop and started running after him. I then tripped on the sidewalk and fell. I quickly got up and saw that he had also fallen in the road. I ran and picked him up and as I was walking back to the sidewalk, I mouthed "Thank You" to the Black SUV who had stopped for him. Pretty soon Jed came out the door and I started sobbing as I told him what had happened. I was crying because I was scared for what could have happened. I was crying because I was still holding my little boy in my harms and thankful that it wasn't worse. And I was crying because I was in so much pain. When I had fallen, I had scrapped up the left side of my body...my elbow, hip, knee, and I couldn't stand on my right leg because that knee was in lots of pain. Jed wanted to take me to the dr., but I figured it was just bruised. Eventually I was able to hobble around. I'm feeling better today although it still hurts a lot to stand up and go up and down stairs.

So today I count my blessings...
1. For the driver of the SUV that was paying attention and stopped.
2. For the cowboy boots that Lucas was wearing. They may have looked funny with his outfit (he put them on himself), but I KNOW they made him trip.
3. That I didn't land on my stomach when I fell and that since the fall, I've still been able to feel the baby move.
4. For a little boy that melts my heart and gives the best hugs and kisses.
5. For a husband who was concerned about me.
6. And most of all...for a Heavenly Father who protected out little family.

And now I ask for advice. How do you teach a two year old that the road is a dangerous place? It's the first place he runs to whenever we're outside.

Finished Product

I know that most of you are tired of hearing about my bag project, but you'll just have to deal with the posts! I finished my bag today. I'm quite impressed with the way it turned out considering the measurements were a trial and error thing. So here's what it looks like...there are a few things I would change the next time around, but all in all...I couldn't be happier! Happy Early B-day Tawn...you said you needed a bigger one!

First Things First...

I have been waiting for Shara to finally post her ultrasound pics so that I could do this post! There are several first that are happening in our life.

This is my first sister to have a baby. Which automatically will make Jed and I an aunt and uncle for the first time in September...which I couldn't be more thrilled about! This will be Lucas (and the new baby's) first cousin on either side. I've been waiting for this day a long time! Hopefully they'll be more on the way in the near future! :)

I have finally been able to feel the baby for the first time these past couple of days. I love that feeling. It's always reassuring when you can finally feel their movements. Our first (and only) ultrasound is coming in about a week and a half. I'm excited. Jed thinks the baby's a boy which automatically makes me think it's a girl. One of us needs to be right!!

I always hear how good "Grey's Anatomy" is, but have never seen an episode. I watched my first (rerun) episode the other night. I enjoyed it, but Jed wasn't sold on the show. The funny part was that while I was talking to Shara today, she told me how much she loves the show and all about the last episode. I just might have to start watching it more often.

I stayed up last night to attempt to make my first bag I was talking about in the previous post. I'm not posting it for everyone to see since I had to make it without any pins (I couldn't find them anywhere) and didn't bother ironing the seams. Needless to say, the bag has some quirks, but everything did turn out how I was thinking...just not very pretty. Maybe I'll try again today with some minor adjustments. I'll first have to go buy some pins!!

While at playgroup this week, a couple of the girls were talking about how much money they save doing the coupon thing. There is a website that you can go to and it tells you the best deals for the week and which coupons to use, etc. I've decided that I'm going to try it. So this will be my first Sunday that I get the newspaper (3 to be exact) with the coupons. I need to go get a tackle box to store them in and than hopefully I can convince the girls in my ward to help me out! Wish me luck!

I think that's all my firsts...

Fabric...

This past summer we (my mom and me) learned how to make these really cute scripture bags. They are the perfect size and sooo cute. We'll...I've decided to venture even more and try to make them larger and more of a diaper bag type thingy. Today I stopped at JoAnne's to look at fabric. They had some really cute ones to choose from, but these just kept popping out at me. Now I know they are a bit girly...but they were too cute to pass up. Besides, if this baby is a girl than that bag will be perfect. If not...oh well...it's me who carries the bag around, and I think it's cute!! Of course, I'm not going to try my new invention on this material until I have it perfected. I have some random fabric that I'm going to use. If it should turn out, I might post a picture for all to see!

Now for something completely off subject. Since we have started eliminating Lucas's daily naps, he's had trouble keeping his eyes open past 6 or 7. It's been kind of nice since we can put him to bed and he falls right asleep. He doesn't even move a muscle. Even though he goes to bed early, he still sleeps until 7 in the morning. On Valentine's Day I could tell he was getting sleepy really early. I finally called Jed around 4:45 and told him that if he didn't hurry home, he wouldn't get to see Lucas. I tried as hard as I could to keep him awake, but he still fell asleep before Jed got home. This is the picture of him that day. We tried to wake him up to have him open his little valentine's gift, but he wouldn't budge. He must have been really tired because he slept clear until 7 the next morning. Maybe it's a growth spurt!!??

Happy Valentine's Day

Yesterday Tawnya and I spent the afternoon making a little something that I saw on Martha Stewart, mini conversation heart cakes. They were a lot more work than I had thought they would be. On TV they make it looks so simple!! Oh well, it was still fun to make them and hopefully they taste good too!

I also want to tell my 2 Valentine boy's how much I love them. They are a real blessing in my life and I'm so glad that we will be a family forever and ever!

I LOVE YOU!

Act Like a Puppy...

While Jed and I were in Salt Lake, Lucas was up in Honeyville. He had so much fun that he didn't want to come home with us. He kept telling us "Bye" instead of grandpa and grandma! Nappy likes to have him play like he's a puppy so that's what the video is. The best is the end though...he's so funny!

Valentine Getaway

Jed and I went on our second annual Valentine vacation to Little America. This year we decided to stay in one of the tower rooms. It was so nice! The rooms are so big and spacious. They had chocolate dipped strawberries and a bottle of grape juice waiting in our room. We also received a key with the date and a yellow rose!

We went to dinner at Z'tejas in the Gateway. Niether Jed nor I had eaten there, but we gave it a try. I was a little nervous since there was nothing normal on the menu. I ended up really liking my dinner and Jed really liked his. Mine was a chicken, artichoke & mushroom stack and Jeds was a pork tenderloin wrapped in sausage. The best part was that we got there just at the right moment. We had about a 10 second wait to be seated. Right after that, there were tons of people who came through the door.

On Saturday we did a session at the Salt Lake Temple. Jed had never been through that temple. It's always such a nice feeling to go to the temple and forget everything that's happening in the world. We also ate breakfast at the Little America buffet. They such a yummy breakfast...we always get really stuffed!

Thanks honey for a wonderful weekend. You are the best and I love you so much!

Hair 'n More

Last night I had my hair cut by my favorite hair stylist, Whitney! She's is Jed's cousin and is going to beauty school at Paul Mitchell. She actually finishes in May, which I am extremely sad about since she hasn't decided what to do after finishing. I can not tell you how much I love it when I finally find some that I LOVE to have cut my hair. She always listen's to me and does exactly what I want. She spends lots of time making sure it looks good, etc. She's the best!

As a little side note...
Jed and I are off (later today) for our second annual Valentine's getaway. Since this is OUR holiday! We don't venture to far, just Salt Lake, but it's still really fun. We stay at the Little America (which has an amazing breakfast buffet) and visit the Gateway and whatever else we feel like doing.
I met my Mom in Bountiful on Wednesday afternoon to drop Lucas off. It worked out nicely since she had to take a couple days off to stay home with Nappy who had her Wisdom Teeth pulled yesterday. Hope your feeling better soon!

All that "Jazz"

Jed and I were able to go to the Utah Jazz game on Wednesday night. Shane & Talease gave Jed tickets for Christmas. We had a great time. They played the Spurs and WON!! It was a really good game and it came pretty close at the end, but it was nice to have the Jazz finally win a close game! Tawnya & Landon watched Lucas for us. Thanks Shane & Talease for our fun date night!
We parked on the very top level of the parking garage, so we of course had to wait quite awhile before we could move. We had a great time watching the different personalities of the drivers. It's so funny how we can all be in the same boat, and yet NO ONE is going to let a car pull in front of them! You can sure tell who you would want as your friend and who you wouldn't!!

Yesterday was our second Dr.'s appointment. The baby seems to be growing and everything looks good. Our ultrasound is scheduled for the first part of March. I am 16 weeks along. I made a deal with myself that I wouldn't wear any maternity clothes until at least my second appointment. Most of my levi's are getting just a little too tight, but my other pants are still okay. Since I have maternity clothes this time, I figured there is really no need to use the rubber band to do up my pants!! Why be uncomfortable...so I'm officially going to wear my maternity pants with pride! The shirts will have to wait...they look more like a tent than a shirt right now!

2 Years Old...

I haven't taken any pictures of Lucas since he turned 2 and now it's almost 2 months past his birthday! I decided to take him out today for some snapshots. We had some fun playing on the toys just down the road from our house. Although the pictures aren't that great, and I'll probably try again later, I figured you could still see just how adorable my little boy is!!

14 Weeks...

I told my friend Katie that I would post a side profile, if she would too. We are about 3 weeks apart. She's due the end of June with her first baby. I wanted to see her cute side shot and her growing belly (which I'm sure is hardly showing)! Since this is my second, my tummy just seems to be growing super fast!

As you may have also noticed, I took the little countdown off my blog. It definitely was not moving fast enough. We might try it again when we're on the downhill side.

I also have to mention that Lucas slept in his big bed last night for the first time......ALL NIGHT! He is such a good little boy. Now if we could get the potty training started. I've tried a couple times, but I just don't think he's ready. Hopefully soon.

Now for the bad news of the weekend. I HATE car problems! I know hate is pretty strong, but I think car problems qualify for such a harsh word. I had noticed that my brakes were getting harder to push in. We finally took it in to our favorite Bless Auto repair shop on Saturday. Lucky for us, the master cylinder has gone out on the brakes which will only cost us lots of money to fix! It's too bad we can't all live without a car.

On a bright note...we went to the mall on Saturday (before we knew we would be spending money on brakes). We found some awesome deals which made me extremely happy! I am also extremely excited for my ModBe stuff to come. I ordered a swim top & two bottoms for $28! That's a killer deal for a modest swimsuit. I may not be able to wear them much this year, but next year I'll get my moneys worth out of them! I also ordered a few other things, but won't bore you with the details.

Happy Monday to you all!

Milestones...

We had a major thing happen at our house yesterday. Lucas took a nap in his BIG bed! The best part was that he didn't even fight it. The first time I checked on him he had gotten a book and was reading it on his bed, the second time...sound asleep! Happy Days!

Photoshop and more...

I really enjoy taking pictures, but i'm not all that great at it...yet! Tonight I start my first photography class! I was going to take it through UVSC, but than decided that I didn't really want to be graded on it. Spanish Fork has a community course that starts tonight so I decided to sign up. It only goes for 5 weeks one night a week and it's all for fun. The guy teaching it is the same one who is also teaching the UVSC course at Spanish Fork High.


Since I got my Photoshop Elements for Christmas, I have wanted to also take a class on it. I have lots of books, but I think a class would be helpful. Unfortunately, that class filled up way fast and I was put on the waiting list. They did say that the lady teaching it is thinking about doing another session later on. I hope so. I would really like to know more about editing photos.

What I have created on Photoshop has been lots of fun. This is a couple of the announcements that I made. As you can guess...if it's a girl this will most likely be her name. As for the boy names...we still have a hard time agreeing!

As a side note, it has been a year (in a couple of days) that I started blogging. I have Karli to thank for showing me this cool way of journaling and keeping others updated on our lives. I love that I have family and friends that are doing this! As I've been able to "Blog Surf", it's been fun to read other blogs and find some that I love to visit quite frequently. Thanks for making my blogging experience one to laugh and cry about! Now...I have finished printing out all my entries from 2006. It may not be as fancy as Shara's little book, but if blogger was to ever go away...I would not be happy!

Our Snow Angel...

Jed was out shoveling the snow on Saturday and Lucas wanted to join him. Of course, Lucas doesn't like to stay in one place so I also had to brave the cold to watch him. Despite the cold weather I actually stayed quite warm thanks to the coat my mom & dad gave me for by b-day. I love it!! It keeps me might toasty during these cold spells!

We had Lucas make a snow angel. He wasn't to thrilled with the idea, nor did he understand why he was having to wave his arms and legs like a maniac! His angel turned out perfect so I thought I would share it with you!

My Posterity!

I figured if I didn't write just a little bit, my future posterity might wonder what really happened during this past week! :) Fortunately for them, they wouldn't have missed much. Besides going to the grocery store Wednesday night, Lucas and I have not left the house the whole week. You might say that I am experiencing cabin fever which is pretty unusual for me since I'm such a home body. I had planned to do a few things yesterday (Roberts Craft), but by the time I could go it was like a blizzard outside my front door. For those who know me, I'm not one to purposely go out into such driving conditions. I would also have deliberately made myself cold, and why would I do that??!! So...here I sit, day 5 of my lock down!

I have been able to accomplish a few things while sitting at home.

1) My home is clean (for the most part). I could be mopping the kitchen floor, but then you wouldn't be getting this really exciting post!! :)

2) The laundry is all caught up (or at least it was).

3) I've seen "Cars" (currently playing as I write this), "Baby Einstein", & "Madagascar" at least a hundred times each!

4) I have taken it upon myself to memorize the theme song to every disney cartoon that comes on! j/k...I didn't do it on purpose! Not only that, but I wake up in the night with at least one of them in my head. When "It's the Mickey Mouse Club House...come inside, it's fun inside" is playing over and over in your head, it does not make it easy to go back to sleep!!

5) I've designed our baby announcement on my new Photoshop Elements software. I had way to much fun that I might be designing a few more. Of course the one I designed is for a girl and just in case, I better have a boy one ready too!

6) I finally figured out how to do those dumb banners on my blog! It took along time, but it worked and I'm not changing it anytime soon!!

7) I've seen almost all episodes of the first 2 seasons of "Smallville". Of course this one can only be accomplished at night. This is Jed's favorite show ever. Due to mother & wife responsiblities such as dinner, relaxing in the bathtub, and sleeping, I have missed a few episodes. Jed on the other hand just pauses or stops it when he needs a break!! He got the first 4 seasons for his birthday/Christmas. Believe it or not...Lucas actually will sit through an episode. He must already know that his favorite super hero is going to be "Superman"! Don't tell Jed, but I too am actually enjoying them!

8) I've come to the understanding that I enjoy the end result of being pregnant, but I'm not the biggest fan of the months in between. I don't enjoy this sharp back pain that I get on my lower left side. Sometimes it hurts so bad that I can't move. I would be worried, but it was the same thing with Lucas. With Lucas I was able to hide my growing belly for a long time. I didn't start wearing maternity clothes until mid-September, and I actually had one person at work ask me in November if I was expecting a baby...Lucas was born December 6th. With this pregnancy, I don't think I'll be able to make it through tomorrow without busting out the maternity clothes. Okay...that's a little overexaggerated, but still. I know that with the second, third and so on you start showing/growing a lot earlier! At my first appointment, my doctor came in and said "I think things are looking good for this pregnancy, you've already gained 5 lbs!" Just what you like to hear!! :) I guess it only means the baby's healthy! Don't get me wrong, there are bonuses for being pregnant... I love being able to hear the heartbeat, see the ultrasound, feel the baby move, etc., I guess despite all the things that I'm not to fond of, there are those miracles that happen during pregnancy that make it all worth it in the end!!

**To my future posterity...if you finished this post, you really do love me!
***To everyone else...you can wake up now...my rambling is finished...at least for now!

2007 Here We Come...

Out with the OLD! What a year it has been. My sister Tawnya got married. I quit UVSC and became a stay at home mom. We built a new home in Spanish Fork. Jed graduated with his Bachelor's Degree. We made our first cross country flight to Boston to visit Shara & Aaron. Lucas turned 2 (which automatically implies that some days are terrible!)
We spent the last few days of 2006 up in Honeyville. Both the Valentine's and the Nicholas' has their family parties after Christmas. It's always fun to get together as family.

In with the NEW! For the most part of this year, we have been cooped up in our home because some "bug" decided it wanted us to feel miserable! It started Tuesday with Lucas, Me on Wednesday, and yesterday Jed didn't feel to good! Lucas has been sick the longest though. For some reason he can't keep any solid foods down. He woke us up last night crying cause he had thrown up all over in his bed! (sorry for the details). Hopefully this all passes really soon!

In other NEW news...Lucas is going to be a big brother! I am officially 12 weeks pregnant! We had our first doctors appointment on Jan. 2nd and everything is great. We heard the heartbeat instantly, which was such a relief for Jed and I. I can finally relax. I've been a bit uptight and anxious for this appointment. That fact that I'm getting fatter was a good sign that things were okay!! The baby is set to arrive sometime around July 18th.

I close this post with a couple pictures and a video of Lucas up in Honeyville. Grandpa Nic bought him this cowboy hat for Christmas. He wouldn't take it off.

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Christmas in the "South"

And of course, by South I mean 4 hours down I-15 to the city of St. George! We had a great time spending Christmas with Jed's family this year. We missed having Nathan & Mariann there too. (They stayed in Price with his family.) We left Thursday afternoon after Jed got off work. We went out to dinner at Applebee's for Jed & Talease's birthday. They had DVRed the BYU game so they could watch that after dinner. Thanks to the TV's at Applebee's, I was able to see who was going to win! :)

We went to Tuacahn to see the Nativity Play. Lucas also got to visit Santa. The picture makes him look unhappy, but he was actually extremely excited! He chased Santa down, just so he could say "Hi"! The Nativity was really nice. They even had a real Camel! Talease had the right idea for staying warm!

We also went and saw the lights at the St. George Temple. Lucas tried to sneak into the Nativity set so that he could pet the animals.

The Beatty family had their Christmas party at Grandpa & Grandma's. We had a fun time visiting with family. Some of the grandkids performed the Nativity. Lucas was a little lamb. He looked so cute. He wasn't to sure about it though! We played some fun games and laughed a lot.

In between all of the fun activities, we found time play "Settlers of Catan". I had bought it for Jed for his birthday, but we didn't know how to play it. I had just heard lots of people say that they liked it. Once we figured out how to play, we were all addicted. (Even as I'm writing this blog, Jed, Landon, Tawn & Nappy are in playing it!)

More Christmas Pictures

Christmas morning was a lot of fun. We took turns opening our gifts. Lucas was interested at first, but then he just wanted to watch the "hippo" (Madagascar). Eventually he would open another one. Some of the things he opened were a tool bench and tools, a potty chair, and a bed rail.

The girls and Lucas went to "Charlotte's Web" and the boys went to "Eragon". Charlotte's Web was so cute. Lucas almost made it through the entire movie. He feel asleep right at the end. That night we played lots of games and enjoyed being together as a family.

We left Tuesday evening to head back to Spanish Fork. Jed had to be back to work on Wednesday.

It's amazing how much preparation and time is spent for Christmas, and then all of a sudden it's over. It comes and goes so fast. Christmas is one of those times I look forward to ever year, and it's no exception that I'm looking forward to the next holiday season. I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday was well!

let's back up...

My previous post I wrote about the tree that fell. This post is to let you know about the entire weekend. Not that many of you care, but I want to write about it anyways! :)



On Friday Steve & Paulette came up from St. George. They had a wedding to go to on Saturday so they stayed the night with us. It worked out nicely because they were able to watch Lucas while we went to Jed's work party in Lehi. The work party was really nice. The food was yummy & Jed learned that he DOES like Wassil! Mariann & Nathan also came and stayed the night on Friday. It was fun to have them all here.



Saturday we woke up to lots and lots of snow. We were leaving to go up to Honeyville so I could help my mom with some pretzel dipping! Jed got up and shoveled the driveway and walks. After he finished, he got a call from his boss saying he could borrow his snow blower!! Once we started driving, we realized that the snow cloud must have been directly over Springville & Spanish Fork. The farther north we got, the less and less snow. Once we got to Honeyville, the sun was shining with absolutely NO snow! Lucas enjoyed spending time outside with Grandpa. He rode the tractor, fed the animals, and rolled in the dirt. I brought all of his snow stuff so he's staying really warm! That evening Jed and I went in to his cousin Tanae's wedding reception in Brigham.



Now for Sunday... read the previous post for the exciting event during the day! As Jed and I were packing up that evening to leave, he asked if I wanted to stay up here for a few more days. My mom is going to Salt Lake airport on Wednesday to pick up her sister Jeanie and brother Kent. (They are coming from Arizona for a funeral.) I wasn't sure if I should stay, but I did. So that means I'm still here in Honeyville. I know that Jed was prompted to have Lucas and I stay here. On his way home he called me and was in an accident in Salt Lake. The freeway was horrible and he hit black ice and started to spin across the freeway. He hit another car, but luckily everyone was okay. Our car only has a cracked bumber and the other car has a dent where our bumber hit it. Even though it ended up with everyone being okay, you just never know. I am grateful for a husband who listens to the spirit.



That brings us to this week. I received a call from my boss, Danielle, yesterday. My job won't be ending at the end of December. She's not sure how long it will last, it could be February, or it could be June. Whatever it is, I'll take it. I love working for her.

Today Lucas and I are going to go visit Grandma at work (she feeds the kids at elementary) and than hang out in Brigham until she gets off work.

Once I get back to Spanish, I will be packing again. We are leaving on Thursday for our St. George Christmas. I can hardly believe that Christmas is less than a week away. I'm looking forward to watching Lucas enjoy it this year. He's already tried opening presents that DON'T belong to him!