changes ahead

I don't know if you know, but we will be moving this coming summer to somewhere overseas. We haven't gotten our official orders just yet, so I can't tell you where, but it is coming. And fast. We will be spending the next two years overseas, and after that, I guess we will see what happens. The closer the time comes to this baby's arrival and our impending move, the more anxious I get. Seriously. Sometimes I lose sleep over it. I don't know how much we can take with us, what it will be like in a different country, and if we will ever get to visit the U.S. after we're there. So nervous! I do know that we report in June and our baby is due in March, so the thought of having a newborn on an all day flight makes me break out in a nervous sweat. Let's hope this kid is NOTHING like Evie as a baby. Maybe, just maybe, he will be a good sleeper and he won't cry all the time. Fingers crossed.

I am going to miss America. I love all the freedoms we enjoy and all the great shopping, if I'm being honest. We have a fairly good idea about where they're going to send us, and I'm pretty certain it won't have all the things I've grown up accustomed to, like target and wal-mart. So, my plan is stock up on clothes and things for both kids, so then maybe I won't have to worry about trying to find them clothes while we're there. What about me, you ask? I have no idea. I might just wing it and hope that I can find clothes and shoes that fit me and look good. We'll see.

I am going to miss our house. We have been so lucky to have this big, beautiful house while we've lived here. I honestly don't know what we will do if we have to go back to a 2 bedroom. Evie share a room with a newborn? I dunno...

I am not looking forward to not being in the states where we have good doctors and medicine. My limited experience with army doctors has been horrendous. Seriously. It's made me lose faith in the medical profession all together, and my poor baby boy is going to have to go to them for every one of his check ups. Ugh.

I'm nervous about the different culture and language. I know I'm not going to understand anything that is going on 90% of the time. I'm hoping against hope that we will be lucky enough to live on an army base, which is like a little America, cause if we have to live off base, what the heck am I going to do?

Seriously friends. I'm terrified. Whose idea was it to join the Army anyway? Oh yeah, Dan's. Well, at least we have no debt, so I guess it is worth it in the end.

catch up

This Thanksgiving Evie and I went to Wichita to spend some time with my family. Unfortunately, Dan couldn't come with us because he had to work, but he played football, basketball, and went fishing, so he did okay without us. It was so fun to be able to see everyone and spend some quality time with my family, especially since we will be living overseas next year and there's no guarantee we will be able to come home for holidays.My only regret is that Evie wasn't feeling well the whole time we were there, which made her super grumpy and a bad sleeper, and as you can imagine, in turn made me grumpy and zombie-like. I wish things had gone a little smoother for us because I think we would have had more fun, but overall it was a good trip. On my first night there, I got to go to a movie with Jill and my mom. That was a lot of fun because I definitely needed a break from Evie, and I got to have some quality time with my oldest sister and my mom. The next day we went to Red Lobster for lunch, where Evie threw the world's biggest tantrum about who knows what, wouldn't eat anything, and then fell asleep in my lap. Seriously Evie, what was that about? I felt terrible because she is seriously NEVER like that, especially not in public. She loves going out to eat and she loves people, so this was super out of character and I didn't know what to do about it. Oh well. That night, Justin and Melissa got there with their girls, as well as Lianne, Derek, and Calvyn. It was super funny and cute to see Evie's reaction to seeing Justin, because she was so excited to see him for some reason. I don't know if she remembered him from when we were in SLC over the summer or what, but it was pretty adorable. As you can imagine, with that many people in one house, things got pretty chaotic and crazy, but fun. On Wednesday, us girls went shopping for fabric for Blaire's baby blanket and started getting ready for her baby shower. We wanted to do a little something over Skype for Blaire even though she wasn't there. That afternoon we went to the zoo, and later that night everyone except my parents and me went to see a movie. Evie by this time was crazy grumpy and sick, so I didn't feel comfortable leaving her with my parents when they had 4 other kids to take care of. Sei la vie. Thursday involved lots of cooking, eating delicious food, and taking a family picture. Let me tell you, trying to get yourself and a whiny toddler ready for a picture is SUPER stressful. My life is so much easier when Dan is around. But overall, I think the picture turned out pretty well. And that was the end of our trip, unfortunately. We were sad to leave, but excited to see Dan. I wish we could have stayed longer and maybe did a couple more things, but Evelyn was a stinker, so I'm happy that I was able to do the things I did.

On the way home, we flew threw Atlanta. I noticed on the flight from Wichita to Atlanta that Evie was starting to feel really warm, but I didn't think much of it. She slept the whole flight, so I just counted myself lucky. I started to get a little concerned when she didn't want to eat anything and her breathing sounded funny, but we were still doing okay. Then, out of nowhere, she started throwing up all over everything. So, I ran to the bathroom and tried to clean her and the stroller as best I could, but there really wasn't much I could do. I called Dan in a complete panic, and he managed to calm me down somewhat. So, I went to one of the gift shops, bought a couple little shirts and a blanket, and changed her clothes. I had to throw her blanket away cause it was just covered in vomit and I had no idea what to do with it. Poor girl. She spent the rest of the time in the airport with no pants on, trying to sleep in my arms. I remember just praying that she would make it through our next flight without throwing up, and she did! She made it all the way to the car when we got to Norfolk before she threw up again, so it could have been worse. Not my favorite.

Needless to say, our weekend didn't go exactly the way we planned, but she's feeling better now, so that's all that matters really. Hopefully our trip to Utah goes better.

p.s. anyone know why blogger won't let me upload any photos? Annoying. 

November

I love the month of November because it's the month of Thanksgiving, which means that all month long I get to reflect on what I am thankful for. My life is so incredibly blessed, so I have no end of things I am thankful for; from my family to hot water. As most people do this time of year, I am doing the thing where you say one thing you are thankful for every single day, which has been a lot of fun. When I start thinking about things I am thankful for, I start thinking about all my blessings, and sometimes it overwhelms me.

I can't believe how blessed I am. What have I ever done in my life to deserve what I have now? The more I count my blessings, the more I feel unworthy of having them all. I was thinking about this while I was sitting in church on Sunday and I just started crying. (Dang pregnancy hormones) I have the most amazing husband who loves me unconditionally, even when I'm sure I don't deserve it. He makes our marriage so fun and almost effortless, feeling, because he is so positive and humorous about things. I also have this adorable daughter who brings more joy into my life than I ever thought was possible. She brightens up rooms by her cute little personality and smiles, and I can't help but wonder at my good fortune that Heavenly Father would entrust her sweet little spirit to me. Knowing that makes me even more excited about this little boy in my belly.

I am thankful for my home, that we can come home and feel the spirit and be uplifted.
I am thankful for my country
I am thankful for the Army because they provide Dan with a stable job, which is more than most can say.
I am thankful for modern technology that helps me keep in touch with family.
I am thankful for my friends and family, without whom I would be lost.
I am thankful for the church and the absolute truth it provides.
I am thankful for the priesthood and the First Presidency.
I am thankful for forgiveness.
I am thankful for sweat pants (less serious, but just as important in my opinion)
....

The list could go on for days. So, count your blessings and I'm sure you, too, will be surprised.