HE'S BACK!!!!

My younger brother Michael is HOME!!!! He came home on Wednesday May 19th from his 2 year mission to Orlando Florida~Haitian Creole Speaking. I can't even say how excited I have been the past few months knowing that he was due home soon and now that he's finally back it's so fantastic! I have to say that with him being gone a real part of our family has been missing-though we couldn't have all been more proud of him and his decision to serve~it is obvious that he was an awesome missionary and truly loved by the people he served, he's such an example of goodness to me and I'm so proud to have him as my brother and dear dear friend. I Love You Michael and so glad to have you home!

She's alive

Ok so I went swimming today and can't help but share this~
I had just completed my sad little 'work-out' at the local pool and in an effort to take advantage of the unpredictable sun as well as recover from my effort to 'exercise', I layed down on the pool deck....literally for about 7 minutes. A few minutes into my 'beaching' I hear a conversation that was destined to go down in my post-athletic history.
Little girl about 5 years old: "Do you think that girl (me) is dead or alive?"
Mom: "Well, I think she's alive..."
Little girl sounds doubtful....
I get up, chuckling to myself thinking, oh dear...but the redeeming comment came as I was trudging to the locker room.
Little girl: OH! She IS alive!

Needless to say, I'll be taking a few days to recover before going to swim again.

MAY 17th~HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ok so it's no longer May 17th but I didn't want to post something else and 'fretend' that Brigg's birthday was not post-worthy....I mean come on, it's not every day that you turn 24 years old-really only once in a lifetime you could say.
Just a side note: personally I hate it when people write sappy things about their loves but I think that a birthday is a day where this can be excused, with this being said, I'll keep it to a minimum.
Happy Birthday! In your honor Brigg, here are just 24 things that I love about you, in no particular order of course.

1. You make me laugh, sometimes until 'my eyes are crying'
2. You can appreciate my crazy hair for the masterpiece that it is and the effort that it takes to create it (a pregnant's night sleep)
3. You work harder than most everyone in the entire world
4. You are so easy to please, "cereal, again?"
5. You are a good compliment giver
6. You are competitive-very refreshing-even though I kick your trash in most everything:)haha
7. You are an optimist
8. You are 'unique' in your crazy psycho ways:)
9. You wear socks to bed:)
10. You are willing to go just about anywhere and do just about anything with me, Joann's fabric, running, swimming.....the list goes on.
11. You're willing to try my creations-what a gem:)
12. You sing your lungs out in the shower
13. You make up your own words to songs while singing them-I swear you're the best impromptu singer that I've ever met
14. You have a deep voice, perfect for being a dad:) and being an intimidating scripture reader
15. You are fun to be with pretty much always even if we're just 'vedging'
16. You have the best beaver pelt in the world
17. You are a confident person, but always the first to claim fault-even if it really isn't yours to claim
18. You tell it how it is-also very refreshing
19. You love 'playing'....I married peter pan-which I LOVE
20. You allow yourself to be my pillow for my ever growing body and belly-I'm sure you don't sleep well because of it, but you never complain~thanks love
21. You always have been the king of leaving me sweet surprises, all growing up and that hasn't stopped even though we're old and married:) The surprises just get better:)
22. You are one of the only people that I know of who always writes in cursive, oddly impressive
23. You are truly my best friend
24. You are my better half
Here's to another year of 'days of birth' babe, I love you!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I first of all want to say how grateful I am for my mother as well as mother-in-law. They are two amazing women. Thank you mom for all those late night projects including but not limited to; science fair, honors history, the ALL class, Halloween costumes, social studies, english papers, quiz and test reviews, as well as getting things together for various holidays for various people....oh yeah, and a wedding:) I love you so much and am so grateful for all you do and have done.

Mother's Day has a new tender spot in my heart especially this year. As our family and many of close friends know, our little boy Bridger passed away this past October after complications due to an uncommon disease known as Amniotic Band Syndrome. A one in a million situation involving a very unique spirit. It is my personal opinion that we all have unique spirits that are very individual and can be apparent even in the womb. Without getting too personal (luckily I know that it is basically only family that reads this) I would like to say how tremendously blessed I have felt to have enjoyed having his distinct little spirit with me, I feel as though he has been a guardian angel/shadow of sorts while going through the past several months of ups and downs; and never before have I felt such a unique feeling of complete love and adoration for someone as well as from someone who I have only seen once. The Savior has truly lifted all of us and given us all the hope and strength and peace necessary to live and I look forward to when I will get to hold little Bridger again. We are presently expecting another little boy who is due in August and just know that his older brother is giving him pointers and is looking out for him...as only brothers can do.:)
My sweet sister Marianne took a picture of Bridger's resting place in the Angel Gardens-something I will cherish forever as a connection to this Mother's Day when I was a state away from Utah and most especially, his little grave.
His headstone will be completed soon, in time for Memorial Day.

I've found it...

This is a post to all of those people who have had an 'inny' belly button all their lives-I have found that there is in fact an end to the folds of a belly knot. How do you ask have I made this discovery?
My belly button has nearly completed the transformation (much to the shock of all those who see it-namely Brigg and myself) from an inny to a very pronounced outty. Before you think that this is a random occurrence and that your belly button is in danger of some random metamorphosis, don't worry, it's pregnancy related as far as I can tell. I've officially got a button for a belly button.
I'm reminded of the song...
I've got a button and it's not on my shirt!
dadadada
I've got a button and it's not on my skirt!
dadadada
I've got a button and it's a part of me!
dadadada
It's in the middle of my bel-l-y!

side note: The humiliating story of how I learned that song was in swimming practice when the coach offered if I were to sing a song of his choice to the people in the hot tub then we could get out early. The belly button song was taught, was sung, and we got out early.:) Abbie is my witness:)

Fish

Oh and don't forget to feed the fish:)

Once Upon a Time........

Well I'm not entirely sure how to start one of these things, I have to admit that I've started a blog to avoid death causing boredom so I'm not claiming to be dedicated or even really good at this...:) And I would equate to starting a blog like picking up your dusty journal that you haven't written in for 5 years and just starting up again....you have to 'fill yourself' in on so much that by the time you catch up to your current status, your hand is about to fall off and your good intentions are lost somewhere on page 14 where you're describing your wedding cake .....it's too much so you have no other choice but to stop and hide it away until that next time you feel an urge-most likely 3-5 years away....as you can see it's a vicious circle and therefore you can guess how much of my life has actually been documented:) Needless to say, I'm not using this to document my life but our life though those of you who know Brigg will be be able to guess how much input he'll be giving so I'm sorry if this has more Melynneish overtones:)
The past nearly 2 years of our married life have been wonderful and eventful, we've experienced more than what we'd imagined was really hiding in those cards....such is life:) But I feel like we've been blessed to have learned and continually learn from those experiences. Here are just some of those lessons;
Angels come in all shapes and forms
Though it seems like things sometimes get chaotic in our lives, I believe that God sees and knows it and doesn't stress-in comes the phrase, "Mom, my room is messy I know, but I KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS!" Neat and tidy and picture perfect isn't always picture perfect and I've been told that I tend to lose many things for many people when I do 'organize'.
Everything really does have a time and season
People mourn in different ways-and that's OK....really it is.
People show emotion differently-and that's ok too....really, it most of the time is:)
"The worth of a soul is GREAT in the sight of God"
Our spirits reside in our bodies, but can have entirely different day.
Heaven is closer than we think
Here's an interesting one-though we pray for certain things, we don't always get what we want...and that's ok...cripes.:)
Families are Forever-ok already knew that one, but we've come to hope and believe in it more than ever
Everything works out, it's hard and stress filled sometimes but so it goes.
Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks:)
Love is what makes the world go round.
And cost-co's churros may just be the best things in the world. :)