Introducing...

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...the new Brendon!

I was a little sad when Brendon wanted glasses over contacts, and even a little more sad when he told me he bought really thick, dark frames. They grew on me. I love them now. Brendon can pull off anything. Who couldn't love that adorable face, with or without glasses?

Good Article on Health Care

For anyone interested in the health care debate, here's a great article, written by a surgeon. I would say it's the best analysis of the current situation I have seen thus far. It's a bit lengthy for an online article, but worth your time.

Christmas in California

Our ten day trip to California was a little too short this year. We had so much fun visiting with family: mom, dad, siblings, in-laws, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, grandpas, & friends. I love the holidays!

We shopped a lot for maternity & baby clothes. I've never been much of a shopper & clothes shopping has definitely lost its appeal with a prego belly, but I found a new love for shopping...baby clothes. I think I'm going to enjoy the aspect of shopping as a mother.

Christmas Eve was spent with the Holmes family, which is a family I adore! There are so many fun people to talk with & I love the relationships within the family. We spent the night eating & talking, building gingerbread houses, singing, updating each other on our lives, & eating Grandma's delicious chocolates.
The night was spent with the immediate family opening our matching PJ's (love them!), exchanging gifts, & reading the Christmas story.

Christmas Day was filled with gifts & more family. We ate with the Pitt family & enjoyed each others company as we caught up with everyone.

Adoring Hannah & Warner via pictures

We LOVED seeing, holding, & playing with our nieces & nephews. I love these pictures of all the babies.

Two-week old Warner - Giving me a wink & a smile

Brendon & Hannah

Daphne -- always in somebody's arms...
we couldn't get enough of her

It was fun to meet seven-week-old Kennedy for the first time

Our trip ended with a baby shower. That was SO much FUN! I can't wait to use everything we got: clothes, blankets, shoes, toys, books, etc.I love these ladies!

Growing by the Minute

Picture taken at 30 weeks

Only 9 more weeks to go...I can't believe it! I'm so excited!

Went to the doctor today & had my last ultrasound. Baby Holmes is a busy-body; he moved to much to get a good picture. He is pretty big. The doctor said he may come early based on head & stomach size, but didn't want to change the due date. I can't wait to hold him in my arms!!!

Angel Tree

The past few months have been filled with
busy lunch hours,
a lot of driving around town,
a messy house,
stress,
planning,
worry,
and restless nights.
I have never been so busy in my entire life...seriously.
If you would've asked me three months ago, I would've told you I failed more than at any other time in my life. I would've told you I should have never taken on the responsibility. I would have told you this project was more worry than it was worth.

Angel Tree is a service project the SAA (Student Advocate Association) has been doing for the past five years. This is an opportunity for members of our club to serve the community, as well as a means for members of the community to serve others in the community. Children in local schools are selected by school counselors to participate in the Angel Tree program. Parents fill out sizes of clothing along with a "wish list" of what their children would like for Christmas. The childrens' information is written on an angel card and placed on a Christmas tree at local stores where members of the community adopt an angel and purchase gifts. We (SAA) organizes, wraps, and distributes the gifts. This year we provided gifts for 110 children.

Now, in the middle of December, my perspective has changed.
The past three weeks has been extremely fulfilling. Now, I realize my time has never been used as well as it has been the past few months. I have never felt so much love for the people I know...and the people I don't know:
those who give,
those who offer their time,
those who are given to,
and those who are always there (those who you realize you would have failed had you not had them around).

I have never felt so "filled" day in and day out as I have the past few weeks...did I already mention that?

There were, in my eyes, a number of small miracles (...actually, no miracles are small).
The not-so-small miracles:
(1) At one point, I was nervous about having enough wrapping paper. The next day, someone had donated three rolls of wrapping paper.
(2) Another time, I was concerned that not all the angels would be adopted. An email went out to students and faculty and all the angels were adopted.
(3) During another point in time, I wasn't sure our financial situation would allow us to provide for angels who were selected, but gifts were never returned. A grant was given to our club that made it possible to purchase gifts for every single angel.

You know, I prayed a lot about this project during those moments of worry. I may not have realized it at the time, but a lot of prayers were answered.

My life hasn't been dramatically changed with this project, but I have come to a better understanding of the greatest gift resulting from service: love. I could even break out into song with,
"What the world needs now...is love, sweet love..."
But seriously, I don't know of any greater feeling than love.

"We can do no great things;
only small things with great love."
-Mother Teresa

BYU wins 26-23 in OT

The Cougars came away with it this year. BYU was up 20-6 going into the fourth quarter, then Utah came back with 14 points to tie it up. The defense held Utah to a field goal in overtime, then QB Max Hall found tight end Andrew George for this 25 yard touchdown pass to seal the game:



It was an ugly game at times, with lots of penalties and faltering offenses, but the W is what counts in the end.

What To Do...

Finals are over. My eyes are burning from not getting enough sleep. I don't feel like sleeping, though, because I get to do what I want for the first time in 3 weeks. So instead I've been watching Drive Thru New Zealand on Hulu, dreaming that I could be doing the same. Enjoy.