Current Affairs

Good grief, I haven't even looked at this ol blog in forever. Instagram has officially taken over. But had to post these amazing shots that Jill took the other day. I did get attacked by stinging nettle and Phoebe poked my eye pretty straight on, so needless to say I wasn't at my best, yet it didn't even phase the master of photography. She made us look real good :)

In other news, I am 8 months prego and getting humongous. Each day adds another few pounds and inches. But baby girl's gotta grow so its all part of the plan. . .probably shouldn't have eaten those cookies tonight.

Phoebe is an absolute delight. She is full energy all the time and her favorite phrases are:

"Go Disneyland!! Okayy!"
"Where papa go?"
"Carrie, Ham, Pat, Nana's house!"
"Put swimsuit on."
"Help you" (help me)
"I love you too" (I love you)
"Animals bath"
"Go see Belle, Jazzy" (Papa's horses)
"Good nie nights" (when she wakes up in the morning)

Her favorite toys are:

Pony in a Purse
Toy Story toys
Puzzles
Horses
Doggie
Minnie
Scooter

Her favorite foods are:

Cereal
Beans, Rice, and Cheese mixed together
Carrots
Broccoli
Fruit
Alphabet cookies
Pretzels
Smoothie/Juice
"Dilla" (Quesadilla)

Her favorite shows are:
Ariel
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Favorite rides at Disneyland:
Little Mermaid and the carousel

Our day pretty much looks the same with a few variations. Phoebs wakes us up at 6:30 am, comes storming into our room and says "Good nie nights!!" "Daddy come on!!" "Cereal!!" Dave then gets her breakfast (cereal) and. . .I stay asleep til 7:30 or so. Then I slowly get out of bed and groggily make Dave a lunch and send him off to work. Phoebs and I do various activities, play group, park, pool, blade, beach or just stay at home and play or clean. She naps at 1 or 2 and I nap also. Wake up and make dinner. Take a bath, read scriptures pray and go to sleep. I work on Wednesdays at Mission and Carrie watches Phoebe, which is a major blessing. I also work on Saturday at the Ritz and Dave has a little play date with her then.

Pregnancy wise, Sunday is growing nicely. She moves a ton. I'm carrying her low, so I got some major pelvic pressure goin on. I sleep alot or just lay down alot. It's the only way my pelvis likes me.

Some things I wonder are: what she'll look like (obvi), how I am going to do 2 kids in 1 room, or just 2 kids period, how phoebe will react to sharing the spotlight, will my hips ever be the same again, and will I love her as much at first as I did phoebe.

This pregnancy has been so different. I forget I'm pregnant all the time (except for the giant pumpkin in front) I feel very disconnected with my body. Only at night when I'm trying to sleep and she's moving around do I remember I'm making a human, and that she's coming in less than 2 months. 2 MONTHS! Can't wait for this lil bundle to get here. I know its going to be a huge adjustment, but I just want to see our family grow and grow. I've been the happiest I've ever been being Phoebe's mom, so I figure more children = more happiness right? At least in the long term. (I am not so naive as to think there will be days I'll wanna pull my hair out, but overall it'll be worth it.) I'm really banking on God's promise of, a quiver full of children = being blessed.

The latest and greatest from Speed The Band.

Enjoy!

Fall so far.

October was a very up and down month for us. I was sick the first 3/4 of it. But we managed. Towards the last half of the month I started feeling better. I'm now 17 weeks and most of the nausea is gone, {YAY!!!} but I'm already feeling some heavy pelvic pressure and I have an ovarian cyst on my left side that causes pain from time to time {BOO!!!}. I'm just so grateful not to have nausea anymore. That takes the cake on prego woes. And having more energy is a plus.

Moving on, let's chat about Phoebs. She is a classic 2 year old. Full of energy and personality with the occasional/daily tantrum{s}. She loves animals, going on outings with us and family, being outside, and playing with friends. She's obsessed with Zoomar's (our local petting zoo) and has a daily request to go there. It comes in the form of "horsey, train, bunny." Her word associations are classic. Whenever we get into the car to go somewhere she starts spouting off "horsey, bunny, train, piggy, nana, papa, granma, carrie, pat, hAM, hILLy (Philly), dallin, dane, miley, taylor, friends, trick o treat, park, beach, show, dickey mouse (mickey mouse, aka disneyland)" and then repeats. Sometimes she gets stuck on one thing and repeats it over in various tones. For example: "Horsey, HOooORSeeeee, HORsey, HORSEYY!!!."

For Halloween we were Grecian gods. Phoebe LOVED trick or treating. The concept of going door to door and getting candy was mind-blowing to say the least. Our festivities included going to our ward's trunk or treat and trick or treating with a group of friends in Dane's new neighborhood. Sweetest little mermaid QuincyBuzz and Hermes {pre-candy}

Snow White and Hermes {post-candy}

We also ventured to the Irvine Regional Park last week. It had all of Phoebe's favorite things, a zoo (she LOVED the snakes), a playground, a train, and mom and dad! We brought the bikes and went for a ride around the park and became part of the cross country finals for several high schools in the area. Nothing like being cheered on, photographed, and video taped by proud parents. Pretty sure we ruined some good footage.

Playing soccer with a volleyball. In other news, we got a horse! Meet Jazzy. Actually, we got two! Our other horse is Belle. I foresee many trips with friends/family to ride them. Phoebe is one stoked grandchild. Papa Mike is one awesome PAPA! That is all.

Leslie.

This is my good friend Leslie. She is an amazing songwriter and I am obsessed with her music. She is seriously so talented.

Have a listen and prepare to have your ear drums tickled with delight!

A good watch.

I really hope all who watch this and read this will become organ donors. I still think about Ruby all the time. Watching this I can't help but feel that there are so so many in greater need than ourselves. And I truly believe it is when we serve that we can be lifted from our own trials. I love getting a note in the mail, or a surprise visit from a friend, or phone call, text, house cleaning, babysitting etc. It just makes my day, knowing someone is thinking of little ol me. That's part of the reason why I love doing these things for others. And the other part is that the effects of giving never ceases to amaze me. It blesses the giver and receiver equally, even if it is sometimes hard or inconvenient for the giver. There's been times when I've been asked to do something and I haven't wanted to do it, but once I am there and go with an open heart, a listening ear, and working hands I return home with a fullness I honestly can't get anywhere else. Like a service high, or something. Lately, I have just been praying to be guided to anyone who needs me. And wouldn't you know it, I get little promptings every so often to go visit a certain person, or call a friend, start up a conversation with a stranger, or just randomly smile at someone. It doesn't even have to be a specific prompting, it could just be living your life thinking more about the person your looking at (unless it's a mirror) than yourself. Putting yourself in their shoes may not be enough. You really have to wash away any stereotypes, bias-ness, and prior knowledge about that person or family to be able to really "see" them as God sees them. Even if you have known a person your whole life, I don't think it's possible to really know them like God does, but it's worth a shot to at least try and with that understanding meet their needs the best you can.

Going Private.

Last call for emails!

And yes, Christie I am 12 weeks prego!

Good times are ahead with two right?

To Do List

Well now that conference is over and I'm high on life, it's time to make some improvements on my already totally awesome life. {Disclaimer: I don't think anyone will care to read about this except me, so don't waste your time, in fact, make your own "better yourself list" and we can compare notes. . .it feels good to write it out.} So here it goes.

#1 It's time to stop complaining. Now, being sick all the time is horrible, but Dave has a very good point that it is worse being the one who has to HEAR about it ALL the time. I even complained about MO-Tab's color choice for their choir frocks today. (But even my mom thought they looked awful, so I didn't feel so bad. Really though, 80's pepto-bismol pink?!). Ok I'm done, for real! From now I'm adopting the old adage "if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all." Instead of complain.

#2 It's time to stop comparing. There will ALWAYS be someone more talented, more awesome, stronger, richer, more spiritual and more totally awesome than me. I'm pretty good about this one, but there's times when I wish I could have more $$ to spend mindlessly at Target or more talent in a certain area or visit the Holy Land, but when push comes to shove everyone has there own unique abilities and its best to just excel in the areas you've been blessed with and then enjoy what others have to offer.

#3 I have to be better at studying the scriptures. It is such a challenge for me to STUDY the scriptures. I read them, but rarely do I cross-reference, or write notes when I'm studying. I just feel like I can be better in this area over all. I loved Elder's Scott's talk about scripture study, especially memorizing scriptures. Right now I only have one memorized, back from seminary days. Helaman 5:12. And I don't even think I could recite it perfectly. Here it goes. "And now my sons remember remember that it is upon the rock of your Redeemer who is Christ that you must build your foundation. And when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea his shaft in the whirlwind, yea when all his hail and mighty wind shall beat upon you it shall have no power over you because of the rock upon which you are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if you build you cannot fall." I'll have to check it later to see how far off I am. He even said if I am more diligent in scripture study, I'll be a better mom. And who can't use help in that area!?

#4 I am a hoarder. And super sentimental about everything. All Dave wants for Christmas is a dumpster size load of crap thrown away. Good thing my sister just moved here and she is 100% opposite of a hoarder. I don't know what the word is, but its the opposite.

#5 Once I get rid of everything, I will be ready to cutesify my house. Paint, re-decorate, craft, etc. I am needing ideas, so if any of you are still reading this, and are gifted in interior design, HELP ME! I promise I won't compare myself to you. Just read my #2.

#6 I am devoting 1 hour a day to speaking Spanish. Every day. IT is ridiculous I've been in the Spanish ward 5 years now and still can barely give a talk. It's embarrassing. Especially because my husband is a Spanish teacher and the Obispo! Oh if only I could live in Mexico for a year. I'd be rapping in Spanish. I need it to for visiting teaching. Two of my ladies are less active and only speak Spanish. I feel foolish only understanding 50% of their needs.

#7 Family history. Stake Prez wants every individual in the stake to have 5 names to go to the temple with by the end of the year. So time to start praying for the spirit of Elijah, because for sure, I don't have it. And let's face it, family history takes a back seat to life every time. But I did some research today and yesterday and our family names are pretty awesome. Cleatus? Roscoe? (As in chicken and waffles.) Barnabus? (As in the villain from Toy Land) Benjamin Franklin Speed? (As in the first electrician). I'm thinking Roscoe Cleatus might have to be the name for our next babe.

#8 I'm making the blog private. Dave is making me. I don't really think anyone reads this ol thing anyways. But he's a private kind of guy. If you care to keep up with us let me know. I'll privatize in the next day or two.

#9 I have to get my HAM radio license. Dave asked me to for our ward. I guess every ward needs at least one person who has it in case of an emergency. So I'll be pretty cool with a huge antenna on my car and a walkie-talkie-like system inside. I'll check in with the truckers and my other HAM peeps. I know all of you reading this will want to get your radio license, so we can radio each other when a big natural disaster comes. So go here and be prepared!

last but not least #10 Writing things down things I want to remember forever.

For example, today my sister Carrie and I were performing "Edelweiss" for her husband Pat (who has NEVER seen Sound of Music, gasp!, but we watched it soon after our duet). Anyways, we began singing "Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning. . ." I glance at him, and he has the most perplexed look on his face and said "huh? What are you saying?" So we begin again. "Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning. . ." Again, same look and question. We stop the song and say loudly "Edelweiss, you know the small white Swiss flower?!?" Like duh of course you should know this. He then laughs uncontrollably for a solid 30 seconds, gasping for air and says between breaths, "I. . .thought you said "Anal-vice." I don't think I've laughed like that for a long time. We then began singing the parody "Anal-vice, anal-vice, every morning you greet me. . ."