Every Day

Well, today has been a really good day. Chad's niece, Harlee, was baptized today. Chad requested work off but he didn't get it off so I thought I was going to have to go to Blackfoot all by myself. Luckily, Chad was able to leave early so we went to that together. We missed the baptism but were there for the confirmation. It was so nice. Harlee looked so pretty in her baptism dress. I was so happy for her. And very happy that she decided to take such an important step in her life. How wonderful it is to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! Laney gave a wonderful talk about the Holy Ghost and I came away feeling so grateful that I have such a precious gift. It was really great! :) What an awesome afternoon!

And tonight we get to feed the missionaries. I love having the missionaries over! They always bring such a sweet spirit with them. And then later, all of Chad's siblings and parents are getting together for dinner. I know two dinners sounds crazy but Brandon and Melissa are here from Utah and it's always nice to spend time with family. I am so grateful that both Chad and I were raised and taught that family is so important and that you always make time to spend time with them. It's so great that we don't have to argue about not wanting to spend time with either family. I really love both of our families!

I have been listening to Pandora radio a lot lately and this song came on that I really want to share with you. It's "Every Day" by Rascal Flatts. I don't really like them all that much but this song really struck me.

You could've bowed out gracefully
But you didn't
You knew enough to know
To leave well enough alone
But you wouldn't
I drive myself crazy
Tryin' to stay out of my own way
The messes that I make
But my secrets are so safe
The only one who gets me
Yeah, you get me
It's amazing to me

How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life

I come around all broken down and
Crowded out
And you're comfort
Sometimes the place I go
Is so deep and dark and desperate
I don't know, I don't know

How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life

Sometimes I swear, I don't know if
I'm comin' or goin'
But you always say something
Without even knowin'
That I'm hangin' on to your words
With all of my might and it's alright
Yeah, I'm alright for one more night-
Every day
Every day, every day, every day
Every day, every day
You save me, you save me, oh, oh, oh
Every day
Every, every, every day-

Every day you save my life

I just want to say how much I love my husband. I have had my fair share of struggles since we got married. It's been hard not being able to find a job and being away from family and things like that. And every time, without fail, he is there to pick up the pieces when I fall apart. I don't know what I would do without him. Looking back, I can't stand to think that I almost gave all of that up. I love him soooo much! I am so grateful for all he does. And I can't imagine life without him! :)

Things I miss about Minnesota

1. Mi Familia

2. Mis amigos

3. Old Dutch potato chips

4. Top the Tater

5. Kemps Ice Cream

6. Sebastian Joe's...gotta love the raspberry chocolate chip!

7. The Suburbs...It's such a pain to have to drive 30 min to the nearest city.

8. Noodles and Co.

9. Target...with a nice selection, esp clearance items. And if you can't find it at one Target, the next one is just 5 min away!

10. Not being the only person with liberal views.

11. The snowplowing.

12. Potbelly

13. The lakes! And walking around them with mi madre.

14. The shopping selection

15. Ice skating at Centennial Lakes

16. Chillin at the Spyhouse

17. The Walker Arts Center and the Sculpture Garden

18. The Guthrie

19. The Original Pancake House (mouth watering as we speak)

20. The rainy season and the storms...gotta love it when the sky suddenly turns pitch black in the middle of the afternoon

21. The diversity...going anywhere and seeing people from all walks of life.

22. Como Park

23. Duluth and the North Shore

24. Going to Minnesota Blue gigs at Dulono's Pizza

25. The moisture making everything all green and beautiful

26. Summer bonfires with friends

27. Cities 97 and the Current...haven't found a decent radio station in Idaho yet.

And despite the fact that I miss home and how much I complain about Idaho, it does have some good things about it...I guess ;)

1. The mountains. Chad always has to point out how small they are every time I comment on them but they are still beautiful.

2. Enjoying the scenery on the 30 min drive to the next city

3. Living down the street from the temple. What a lovely daily reminder it is of what is most important. And it makes it that much easier to attend on a regular basis.

4. Rupe's Burgers

5. Rush hour is non-existent!

6. Our apartment. It's not much to look at but it's roomy; we actually have a dining room and our kitchen, bedroom, and living room are a very nice size.

7. Our ward and my calling

8. Living close to Chad's family. It's given me a great chance to get to know them and become more than just an in-law.

9. Wal-Mart. They're much nicer here which makes it easier to get over my bias against it because there's nowhere else to shop.

10. Winco. Greatest grocery store ever.

11. Harper's Homemade white bread. Greatest bread ever.

12. The Greenbelt. Makes me not miss the lakes TOO much :)

13. Rhode's Rolls

14. Craigo's Pizza

15. No humidity!

16. BYU-Idaho campus, esp during the summer.

17. The small town charm. It's nice to live in a place where nobody is really in a rush to get anywhere.

18. I live 15 min from the city where television was invented. I know...who woulda thunk that tv was invented in Idaho?!

19. Playing Glow-in-the-Dark Hide-and-go-Seek in the caves outside Rexburg. It's pretty awesome :)

20. Who doesn't love potatoes?! But it really is unfortunate to live amongst so many potatoes and not have Top the Tater.

21. Living in a place that is so different from the place I grew up. It's always good to experience new things :)

22. Hastings Bookstore

23. Deseret Book everywhere! Have I mentioned that I love bookstores?

24. People here don't look at me funny when I tell them I'm LDS.

25. The weather here is very similar to Minnesota. It's nice not to have to get used to that along with everything else.

I really do need to stop complaining about Idaho so much. I have a lot to be grateful for. :)

And Then There was Three!

Most of you already know...we're expecting a baby! Our first prenatal appointment was on Monday where we got the first official picture!

Chad and I are very excited! It's still a little unreal for me though. I think that is mostly because it was so unexpected. I never thought it would happen so quickly after we got married. I feel so young and unprepared. Luckily, I still have 6-7 months to prepare myself for what is to come.

The emotions I have felt through this whole thing have been interesting. From the very beginning I have been excited. I have spent my whole life preparing to be a worthy wife and mother. I love little kids. I have always loved babysitting. Screaming kids don't really phase me anymore. Like most women, whenever I am playing with young kids and babies I have always longed for the day when it would be my child. And that day is finally arriving. I can't wait for the day when I feel the baby move for the first time. I can't wait to find out whether it is a boy or a girl. I can't wait for the day when I will be lying on my back watching my stomach moving like crazy. And I can't wait for the day when I will finally be able to hold my baby in my arms. I already love this baby with all that I have and I haven't even met him or her.

And yet it has been really hard to enjoy all of that when I know that there are people that think we're crazy for having this baby so young. I understand their concerns....I have the same ones. The main one being school. I have always planned to finish school and I still plan on it. I know it won't be easy. I'm sure being a mom and getting through school will be one of the hardest things I will ever do. But I know I am strong and I can do it. It will most likely take a lot longer than originally planned but I can do it.

I don't want people to think about all of the things that we will be giving up for this baby. When Chad and I kneeled across the altar in the temple of Lord, we made a covenant that we would "multiply and replenish the earth." And the Lord didn't put a time limit on it. He didn't say when it was most convenient or after we finish school, He just had us covenant to do so. And I know that we will be blessed for fulfilling that covenant. The Lord will not leave us alone as we struggle through the financial and time burden this baby will be. The Lord is bound when we do what He says. I am so grateful for that knowledge and that testimony. I am so grateful for this baby and the wonderful blessing that he/she will be. And I am very anxious to feel the love that this baby will bring into our lives. :)