Six Months!

3 months to go! I love feeling the baby move and so does Brent and Danielle. Hannah has yet to feel the kicks and rolls and it makes her so mad! The baby does move around alot enough to make my whole belly move. Sometimes it feels like she's dancing inside because I will feel her top to bottom and side to side all at the same time. I am also experiencing some sciatic nerve pain already which started much earlier this time around but I'm seeing a massage therapist who helps me with some stretching to aleviate some of the pain. Everyone tells me how cute I look right now but WATCH OUT, I'm going to balloon here at any moment! I've gained 10 pounds already and with the other girls I didn't put on any weight until the last trimester. But then again, this pregnancy has been completely different from the others. I feel as though my body has been taken over but I'm trying to enjoy every moment!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...Minus the Snow! The girls have been begging for a blow-up Christmas decoration to put out in our yard so I found this one and we LOVE it! Since we live on a corner lot everyone who drives by gets to see it! I hope they all are reminded of the true meaning of Christmas and it's nice to reflect what is in our hearts in our Christmas decor!


Hannah (9) found out about Santa this year but is being so wonderful about playing along. Our neighborhood had a Christmas party and had Santa come visit. She even sat on his lap and told him what she wanted...a dog!


Danielle sat on Santa's lap too even though she knows this isn't the "real" Santa. She believes Santa is at the North Pole getting ready for Christmas Eve and that these "dressed up" Santa's are only his helpers. She asked for a dog too...Sorry girls, we are getting a baby this year.


This picture was taken before we left to go to Brent's work Christmas party and we had to dress up. Aren't we a handsome couple? It was an adventure trying to find a modest maternity dress that would be appropriate for this occassion. I finally found this one and I felt so beautiful in it! (even with my growing tummy!) It was pricey and I have only worn it twice but it was worth it! I wish I could wear it everyday!

Baby number three is.......

A GIRL!!!!!!! We are loving the thought of ALL girls! When we were told we were having a girl, every desire of having a boy disappeared! We already know what to do with girls and I have to say we make pretty cute ones at that! Lucky for Brent, he will have four women who LOVE him more than anyone and four women who will happily spend his money! We are very excited to have her come...now for some shopping!

CLOSE CALL!!!

On Tuesday, I had been out all day and came home for about an hour in time for my girls to get home from school, eat a snack, and then take Hannah to piano lessons. About 5 minutes before we were to leave the house, I started smelling gas or something that may be burning. I knew it was in my kitchen but I couldn't figure out what it was. I checked EVERYTHING! I started to worry knowing I was leaving the house and because I was breathing in something that I knew was bad for the baby, me, and the girls. I sent the girls out to the car to wait while I called Brent. While I was on the phone I started to see smoke coming from behind the refrigerator! I heard sizzling coming from the bottom of the refrigerator so Brent told me I needed to pull it out to see what it was. This was not easy in my condition! But I did it. I couldn't see anything so I finally unplugged it and the sizzling stopped but the smoke kept coming! I called My friend Rene, she came right over to help and within minutes, another friends husband knocked on my door saying he heard we needed help!(I had called his wife too!) He found we had an electrical fire in the bottom of the refrigerator! Some of the insulation was burned and we think the compressor was what was burning. I was heartsick knowing I had just stocked my freezer and refrigerator and it was all going to go to waste. Ben and Rene were nice enough to take the majority of the food and store it at their homes for me. What a blessing! We aren't sure if it can be fixed or if we will need to get a new one! I didn't realize just how much I depend on my refrigerator and how much I use it until now! I feel like the kitchen has been shut down and am limited as to what I can make. To top it all off we were having family come stay that evening and for the remainder of this week. Sorry guys! Another aspect of all this was that I was so panicked that I was crying and didn't know quite what to do, I often went to call for help but couldn't find my cell phone. After I had calmed down and I got my brain working again, I realized it was in my pocket the whole time! This could have all taken place while I was gone and then my home would have had serious damage, possibly caught fire! One of the thoughts I had through all this and the potential harm that could have been done was that all the Christmas presents I had just bought could have been lost and a friend of mine had just dropped off a Christmas gift for her daughter for "safe keeping" maybe 45 minutes earlier and that that gift could have been lost too! But, the greatest blessing of all is this: The Lord is always here to help, guide, and protect me! Sometimes I don't realize it as I should but this time I really felt him there with me and that he made sure everyone and everything was safe. I got the help I needed, just everything fell into place and all is good now. Needless to say, Hannah didn't make it to her piano lessons and that's OK!

Gavin Patrick Cronin

This little guy is my newest nephew. He arrived yesterday, the 23rd of November weighing in at 7 lbs. 7 oz. He is such a cutie and looks like Sarah did when she was a baby! He certainly does take after our side of the family with that perfect little head and cute features. Good work Sarah and Ryan! His aunt Laura loves him already. Now I can put his cute face with those adorable little noises I heard over the phone yesterday. How I wish you didn't live so far away!

Halloween 2009

Baker & McKenzie had a Family Halloween party and this was part of the decorations there in the hallway. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this but at the same time was kind of sad. I think it represents exactly how much time these Attorneys are spending at the office. I joked with Brent that this is how he was going to look when he died. Doesn't seem too funny now! On average (since July of this year) Brent bills over 250 hours a month. Before this summer his goal was to bill 170 hours a month...needless to say, we don't get to see much of him!

The Girls LOVED going to Brent's office! They didn't want to leave! He does have a pretty cool view from his window of one of the skyscrapers in Dallas. It was even cooler at night when all the lights were on!

Hannah and Danielle OR ("Pippi Longstocking" and "Super Girl")had three night's of trick-or-treating! First night at Brent's office, second night at our ward's Halloween/trunk or treat and then of course Halloween night in our fabulous neighborhood! We have candy coming out our ears! By the way, these boots Danielle is wearing caused an awful lot of tears and frustration, I'm so glad Halloween is over and this costume will never be worn again...at least not by this child!

Brent and I don't usually dress up but I convinced Brent into it just this once!

Since we are having a baby I wanted to highlight the fact.

We got a lot of good laughs and we even shocked a few people!

"The Bun Maker" and "The Bun in the Oven"!

Good Times!

Poor Danielle!

Poor Danielle! Yesterday I took her into the Dr. thinking she had a bad cold and maybe needed a breathing treatment. She was complaining that her chest was hurting and that her throat hurt when she coughed. When we got there she was tested for strep throat and also the flu. Tests came back positive for Type A flu which is well knows as "Swine Flu". I've been dreading this illness mainly because I've heard terrible things about it and MY child now has it, and with her asthma it really can do a number on her. Luckily we were able to catch it early and she is on Tamiflu. With me being pregnant the Dr's were concerned about me enough to put me on Tamiflu as well even though I am not having any symptoms. It would be very bad if I were to get it. I am very conscious of what I touch and my hands are drying out so much from washing them that they hurt. Anyway, it has been really nice to have Danielle home with me for these past few days. It feels good to have her around, I wish I could hug her and kiss her! She told me that she is happy I can stay at home and take care of her when she's sick instead of needing to go to work. I feel very blessed that I can stay home and care for the kids when they need me the most! I don't see how Moms who do work can do it all! Thanks Brent for allowing me this privilege!

A day of 1st's!

Today is the 1st day of Fall. Every year I look forward to this day because it is my all-time favorite season! There is something about the crisp air and watching the trees change color and how beautiful it all looks. I also love the relief from the heat and wearing long pants and sweaters. For the past nine years of living in Texas, we don't get "Fall" until late October or November so right now is when I really start getting homesick for Utah weather. So to ease this feeling, I always make pumpkin cookies and decorate my home for Fall regardless of the 90 degree weather! My friends and family love this tradition because they benefit by eating those cookies! But, today is different. With a temperature of 68 degrees, it actually feels like Fall.

But a better feeling than all of that is something Brent and I got to experience today...we got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the 1st time! The heart rate was strong and the Dr was able to find it very easily! What a great sound...one we haven't heard for over 5 1/2 years! We didn't have another ultrasound like I thought but we did get something we weren't planning today...flu shots! (Brent too...his 1st at the OB/GYN's office!) Our next ultrasound will be right before Thanksgiving! As much as I love Fall, I hope the next eight weeks go by really fast! I'm dying to know what this baby is!

Here's a sneak peak of what my tummy looks like at the end of my 1st trimester!

1st picture...August 25, 2009

My first Dr's appt went really well...Here is the first picture of our little peanut and I have it hanging on my refrigerator! (Actually it's only the size of an olive right now.) The Dr. calls it an embryo but it's more than that to me. The Dr. said it had great cardio activity and that it looked really good! Looks like the "tail" is gone or close to being gone now. She also took some blood to test my progesterone levels and I just got a phone call saying they were high so I could stop taking the progesterone supplements. It's a good thing because they made me so tired! Food is tasting good to me now and I am not throwing up anymore unless I take my prenatals on an empty stomach. I'm not completely in the clear I know, but, I am hopeful and in good hands! 31 weeks to go!

Hannah's newest addition!

From now on you will see Hannah showing off her most expensive back to school accessory she has ever had in her lifetime! Over the summer, I've been catching her squinting so much that I made an appointment with an eye doctor and she clearly did not pass! So, she has joined the club that so many of us are in. She is afraid of what others may say. I told her that if she liked them and they helped her see better then it doesn't matter what others think. She is beautiful with or without them!

Ist day of school...2009!

The first day of school was an exciting day for my girls! Hannah started 4th grade and is really happy with her teacher this year! What a relief! She was hoping to get a good teacher and from what I've seen and heard, Mrs. Laabs is wonderful!

Danielle started Kindergarten and she has been looking forward to going to the "Big School" like her sister for years! When we got the teacher letters, the girls ripped them open and Danielle started reading the long letter all by herself from the back seat of the car. I was shocked that she is reading that well! She is so ready for this! Me on the other hand...not so much. But, I have a lot of preperations to make as I get ready for the arrival of our last child. I'm sure I will learn to enjoy the alone time! Girls in front of the house before we set off for school!

looking all grown up!

Danielle going into her new classroom! She loves her teacher already!

Positive results!

We are having a baby!

I found out I was pregnant the night I arrived in Utah (July 22) I was shocked by the results for a couple of reasons. #1) I wasn't late and #2) the positive result showed up really fast! I've never had a result show up that quickly! I had a hard time sleeping that night because I was so excited and couldn't wait to tell Brent! So, early the next morning I called him with the great news! He asked if I was going to tell everyone and I said that I was because I've never been able to tell Family in person before. It was so fun seeing everyone's expressions! The next day Brent sent me a bouquet of flowers to tell me that he wished he were there to celebrate with me. He is very excited! The girls say they want a little brother (because they already have a sister!) At this point I will be happy with either. I told the girls that Heavenly Father will send which ever He thinks is best for our family! My due date is April 3, so that puts me at 8 weeks this Friday. My first appointment is on the 25th and I'm starting to get very nervous. My Dr. did put me on Progesterone pills so hopefully it will help me keep this baby. I am very tired and feeling yucky! But this is good news!

Happy Birthday...to ME!

What can I say... I LOVE my birthday!

A day just for me! I don't like a lot of attention, but, on my birthday it's different! Growing up I didn't have parties every year like kids do these days. Infact, because my birthday is in the summer we were usually on vacation. I got use to having a candle stuck in a Ding Dong instead of a homemade cake. But I do remember every year at 3:46 pm (the time I was born) my Mom would sing "Happy Birthday" to me. I remember few gifts that I received growing up but the BEST birthday gift I have ever been given was 10 years ago today while vacationing in Las Vegas. I found out I was pregnant with my first child! Nothing has ever been able to top that! No monetary gift can stand a chance compared to the life of a child! I'm happy to be spending my birthday with my Mom this year. I don't think I've shared this day with her since before I was married! Thank you, Mom for bringing me into this world and allowing me to do the same for my children!

What an adventure...

We spent another full day at the airport on Wednesday. The only way we were going to get seats was to break up and send Hannah alone. I was surprised that she wasn't nervous at all. In fact, it made her feel so grown-up. It was nerve-wracking to send my 9 year old on an airplane across country with hopes of someone on the other end to get her. I got a call a few hours later from someone who said they were holding her for ransom. Luckily it was my Mom who had her and to tell me she was safe! What a relief! Danielle and I did get seats on the very last flight of the day so I was happy to finally be on our way! As I was staring out the window of the airplane I noticed the Mountains that I have missed so much. They seemed bigger than usual. What an amazing world we live in!

12 hour Vacation!

Today was suppose to be the beginning of our two week vacation in Utah. Brent dropped us off at the airport at 7:00 am in order for us to catch an 8:30 flight out of Dallas. We were flying stand-by so of course we had to play the waiting game. We were so excited when they called our name on the first flight but it happened that they only had two seats available and we needed three. So, we waited for the the next flight out at 12:40. Bumped. 2:20, Bumped. The last flight out was at 5:42 and we were told that Hannah was old enough to fly unassisted so that was our next plan. If we couldn't all fly together and there was at least one opening, Hannah could fly and meet up with Grandma Becky and Carl and we would catch up in a few days when the flights looked better. They did have one seat open and our name was called. When they asked how old Hannah was they told me I had to fill out paperwork and they didn't have the time to do that. So.....she didn't get on! Both girls started crying! The girls had been pretty patient all day and they just couldn't stand the thought of going home. So, we go get our luggage. Surprise! It's already in Utah! So, tomorrow we get to do this all over again and hopefully today just wasn't our day!

My new calling...

This weekend I was given the call to be 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency! I've always thought that this calling was for "older" ladies, like my Mom. Then it hit me that I was probably my daughters age when I first catergorized it this way and now I'm the Mom. So, really I should fit in to this role very easily. With my youngest going into Kindergarten, people have been asking me what am I going to do with myself...now I know...I'll be taking care of the sisters in my ward.

She wanted it shorter...

Danielle has a new summer hair-do! She didn't cut it herself this time, she waited for a professional to do it. We cut a good 6-8 inches. I was sad to see so much curl be cut off but it's still pretty curly. She is such a cutie!

Our Trip to Idaho

Brent and I were in need of a vacation without the children. Our friends Donnie and Rene' were kind enough to watch the girls for 4 days while we took a trip. We miss the mountains so we wanted to take a trip back west. Neither of us had been to Idaho except Bear Lake so we decided we would try some place new. We flew into Boise which is called "The city of Trees." It was very green and there are trees everywhere! The weather was in the 70's and 80's and not a hint of humidity in the air. We saw 4 different Temples on our trip as well. They are all so beautiful! It felt like we were in Utah but on a smaller scale which was nice. I told Brent that we were only 30 minutes away from the Oregon border and that I wanted to drive to the border so I can say I've been there. Well.......he promised to take me to Oregon another time. I'm looking forward to it.
We met up with friends of ours, Ben and Laura Harmer who live in the Boise area. Brent and Ben went to Law School together here in Dallas and we haven't seen them since. It was great to spend time with them. They haven't changed a bit!
Brent and I drove to Idaho Falls as well and our Hotel was right on the Snake River. (We have both been canoeing on this river but not on this trip. That was when we were much younger and it is a dream for Brent to do it again!) When we went into our hotel room we looked out the window and there on the other side of the river was the Idaho Falls Temple. It was gorgeous! We could not have had a better view! We took a walk along the river where the waterfalls were. It was peaceful and relaxing! But that was about all we liked of Idaho Falls. From what we saw of Idaho, we really like Boise the most! It was a great vacation and so nice for us to give our full attention to each other. We need that every once in a while!

Hannah has her own set of wheels!

When it comes to teaching Hannah to do things, there are two things we have struggled with the most as parents; potty-training and teaching her how to ride a bike. They have both taken a very long time for her to learn. I even asked a friend of mine to teach her to ride a bike because it was so frustrating! Turns out we didn't need her help after all. Hannah figured it out, and after about 30 minutes and some help from Brent to get her going, she was on the go! She did take a good fall but after she bandaged up her knee, she got right back on. When I saw her riding all by herself, my eyes filled up with tears...I was so proud of her! Now we need to get her to wear a bike helmet!

Preschool Graduation!

On Friday, May 15th was Danielle's Preschool Graduation! It was a fun day! St. Mark's Preschool has been a great school for both of my girls and the teachers have been wonderful! Danielle loved going to school each day and I love these ladies for making school such a positive experience for her. I love watching my girls grow and learn. At the same time it makes me sad to see it all go so fast! Preschool is a thing of the past now for our family. It's so weird! But on the other hand, we don't have to pay the tuition anymore!

I made this cake for the Graduation party! If you can't tell what it is; it's a chalkboard! This is Danielle's teacher, Mrs. Schnurr. We will miss her so much!

Danielle trying so hard to not smile at me while I take a picture during the program!

Danielle showing off her ABC book that she's made this year to her Dad!

We love you, Danielle...keep up the good work, you are going to love Kindergarten!

David L. Alldredge

Last April, Brent's dad passed away two weeks before his 65th birthday!
On May 8th, it would have been his 66th birthday.
I am dedicating this entry to him!
**********************


Dad, we miss you more than we ever thought possible. I miss your excitement, your stories, "guacamole live" at On the Border, the way you love your grand kids, seeing your smiling face, your great big bear hugs, and just having you around. Danielle misses putting puzzles together with you and having you play with her, Hannah misses your face, giving you back massages and talking to you about whatever it is that smart people talk about (like China), and Brent misses talking to you and being with you the most. We all miss you because of who you are. You're a great man! Even though you are Brent's Dad, you are just as much my Dad, and I am lucky to have spent the past 10 years getting to know you. We have so many good memories of you and we talk about you a lot! So, on your birthday, we have decided we are still going to celebrate because it is a day that is just for you! Last year we celebrated with one of your favorites, brownies. That is all I could do. This year I am going to make you a cake. The last time we all saw you was at our home for Hannah's 8th birthday dinner and I had made her a white cake with white frosting and covered in coconut. I remember you sitting across from me at the table, and you said that it was the best cake you had ever had. I thought to myself that I would make it for you on your birthday! That never happened, so I wanted to celebrate your memory and make it for you. I wish you could have some...I would even give you all my frosting!

We love you, Dad and miss you.

We hope to be with you again someday!

Summer has begun!

For the past 9 years, Brent and I always ask ourselves "why do we live here?" We really miss the mountains and the four seasons. We don't get much of that here. It's either really cold, really hot, or really windy. Thursday we got both HOT & WINDY! It was like being in front of a blowdryer. I took the girls to a local park and let them enjoy the beginnings of what summer has in store for us. WATER! Lots of water! Something we cannot live without in Texas. Summer has begun for us and will last well into October. Anyone want to come visit?

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Hannah is 9! Since she didn't have a birthday party this year, I decided to surprise Hannah and I took her and her best friend, Micayla to see the new Hannah Montana movie which was so cute and she loved it! And then my Mom was kind enough to make the trip out again for Hannah's big day (April 16) and we are so glad she did! We had a great time with her! Hannah also had the privilege of having her Dad come to eat lunch at school with her which was special since he hadn't done that before. It was a great day!
Hannah has been begging for years to get a pet so this year we decided she was old enough to be responsible for one. Since we are new to the "Pet World" we thought we would start with something easy so she picked out a Betta Fish that she named "Percy". It's red just like Percy Weasley. She loves it! Danielle thinks she got the better end of the deal, she gets to enjoy Hannah's fish too but doesn't have to clean the tank! She is a smart girl!

Happy Birthday, Hannah! We love you!

A year ago today...

A year ago today was a dark and depressing day. It was raining. I real down-pour. I know this because the weather was a symbol of what was going on in my heart. My heart was aching terribly because that was the day we lost our baby. I had gone into the Doctor's office to have an ultrasound and excited to see our baby and finally get a due date. But, instead, I walked out knowing I'd never get to hold my baby in my arms. I was heart broken. My dear friend, Rene was with me. Thank goodness! I never thought this kind of thing would ever happen to me. This past year has not been easy. I'm not sure why it happened but it did and I have a little angel up in heaven waiting for me. That brings me peace and makes it a little easier to go on especially when I see little babies that should be the age of mine right now. I look in their eyes and hope that they know who my child is and that they were friends in heaven.

Health update!

To sum things up, the "magic pills" that Dr. #5 gave me didn't do a thing for my chest pain. So, today I went to a Reumatologist and she did an exam and didn't see any problems with me other than my chest pain. She drew some blood and gave me another medication. This time an oral steroid instead of the shots. She is checking to make sure I don't have any autoimmune disorders, specifically Pleurisy or Lupus. I go back on April 1st when she has my blood results.

The Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess.

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny

And tidy up the house.

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.

That really did the trick....

I was just admiring my work...

I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops...

I found A real absorbing site.

That I got SO way into.

I was into it all night. <>

Nothing's changed except my mouse

It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess....

While I sit here on my hiney.

Thanks, Brenda!

Danielle's visit to Care Now!

This is a result of running in the house and hitting her chin on the wood floor! She was so brave! (much better than Mom who almost passed out when she saw what was going into her daughters skin!) She gets them out tomorrow and has taken very good care of her wounded chin!

Happy Birthday, Danielle!

Danielle's birthday was on Sunday, March 1st! She started off her birthday weekend by having her Grandma Becky come from Utah to help celebrate her special day with us! This was the first birthday that Grandma has spent with Danielle and that made it extra special for her! On Saturday, Danielle's worlds collided as she had invited almost all her friends to her birthday party! I had to tell her twice to stop inviting people because we couldn't invite them ALL! Sorry to those who didn't get an invite. We just couldn't have everyone. We had the party at Allen Bowl where the kids and Brent too, went bowling! They had so much fun! She had a bowling cake and had lots of fun with her many, many friends! Thank you Grandma Becky for being the Photographer and her loaning us her camera because we had lost ours...temporarily! On Sunday, we had Danielle's family birthday dinner. In addition to Grandma and at Danielle's request, we had the Halls over as well since they are practically family to us too! When I first asked her what she wanted for her dinner, she said she wanted cheese sandwiches, then it was spaghetti (which would have been the 3rd time that week!) She finally decided (and a little coaxing from me) on my Lemon Chicken. It was a great day! Her favorite gifts this year were her 3 webkinz...she is obsessed with them! Thanks Rene' and Teri! I can't believe my baby is 5 years old!

My Dental Experience!

I had some dental work done today! When I heard it was going to take 3 hours...I knew I wanted the nitrogen! So, I'm laying in the chair and they put the mask on me and start it up. I could feel it go from my head to my fingers and all the way to my toes. I was floating and not having a care in the world! I imagined this is what it feels like when our spirits leave our bodies! Although, I was very aware of what was going on around me (voices, music, the drill). I also had the thought that a full body massage while breathing in nitrogen would be "The Ultimate Spa Experience". If there is such a thing, let me know, I'd love to try it out! I love the dentist!

I'm a "freak" patient...I guess!

I went to see Doctor #5 today regarding my chest pain. This time a Thoracic Surgeon. He asked me a series of questions, asked me to point to where I was hurting and then told me that he wasn't the Doctor I needed to see. He too wants to "pass me off" to someone else. This time a Rheumatologist. He said they are the ones who handle "freaky inflammation". He also said this kind of Doctor could explain why I had Acute Pancreatitis and also the Bell's Palsy. All of which are "unexplainable" by the Doctors I've seen here in Texas. On a good note: he did give me a different medication that he claims is a "miracle drug" and it should take care of my problem in one to two weeks. If it doesn't then I should go see Doctor #6. I'm crossing my fingers!

Unsupervised again!

My sweet Danielle got in big trouble yesterday! She cut her own hair! Her bangs use to be as long as the rest.

This is what happens when I spend too much time on Facebook.

Lesson learned here: spend more time with my kids!

"Lessons Learned"

Everyone says "Attitude is Everything." I completely agree with this statement. I've been thinking about the trials our family has had to face this past year and as serious as it has all been, I know everything is going to be alright in the end and that there is nothing I can do to change anything. We've all heard the statement that the Lord doesn't give us things we cannot handle. I know that I can handle so many more things that I ever thought possible and I've learned alot of lessons as results of these trials! The words to "lessons learned" by Carrie Underwood mean so much more to me now! Brent came in this morning to tell me that the chicken I had put in the refrigerator had leaked out of the bag and dripped all over the refrigerator contaminating everthing! I found myself laughing over it. Of course, this is something minor but a bad attitude could have made the clean-up very unpleasant. I was actually happy this happened because it made me clean out the refrigerator and now it's CLEAN! Lesson I learned was not to put a bag of chicken in the refrigerator without putting it in a bowl first!

The Black Cloud!

There is literally a "Black cloud" following Brent these days. First, there was his accident on Sunday (read last post) and yesterday, he was caught in a Tornado up in Oklahoma City! He's fine but said he has never been in such a terrible storm before in his life! He says he even thought he saw a funnel cloud. Scary! He was with one of the partners from work and they were driving home in the storm. (they thought they could beat it!) Well...the hail was so big and coming down so hard that it cracked the windshield in two places. The storm actually followed the path they were driving and he got home just as this storm hit Allen. Luckily the strength of the storm had died down a bit when it got to us so the rest of the night we were safe! They say bad things come in 3's. Is that 3 in a week? 3 in a month? or 3 just whenever? Over the past year we have had like 5! What is up?

"Tender Mercies"

We thought we were at the end of this whole "moving" thing with the "Drive Mom's Car To Utah" task. Brent left Friday afternoon for Salt Lake. I really wanted to go with him so he didn't have to do the 3-day drive alone and so we could have some "alone time". But, there was no room for me in the car and now I'm very grateful I didn't go with him! This morning I tried to call Brent but only got his voicemail. I was concerned so I called his sister in Utah to see if she had heard from him. She had not. At about 12:30 pm he calls me. He had been in a car accident! He was near Richfield, Utah and it had been snowing! The car lost traction and it fish-tailed so he was facing backwards on the freeway and proceeded to flip over upside down! The sunroof shaddered, the windshield spiderwebbed and the car was filled with dirt and sagebrush. (By the way, the airbags didn't go off!) He said if he turned his head, his cheek touched a bush coming up through the sunroof. Luckily, there was a woman driving behind him that saw the whole thing. She pulled over, called 911 and within 5 minutes the paramedics and police showed up. Amazingly, Brent only suffered a few scratches! I'm sure he will feel the soreness tomorrow though. Not possitively sure the car is totalled yet, but Brent says the pictures look pretty bad! The reason I say I was glad I didn't go was that the passenger side of the car was damaged pretty badly and that is the side that got the most impact when it crashed. Heavenly Father was watching over us this weekend! He was protecting us from something tragic! I can only imagine what could have happened and I'm very grateful it didn't turn out that way! I will be so happy when Brent is back home, where he should be, and that I can see for myself that he is really OK. Brent is disappointed that he will never get to hear the last 30 minutes of his audiobook, one that he had spent the last 10 hours of his drive listening to. Oh, his Blackberry needs replacing too! He did mention maybe getting an i-phone?!

The Tooth Fairy is coming!

Hannah came home from school today in tears because she had a tooth that she had been playing around with for months and it was just hanging there. She is quite the Drama Queen in our home so she has made quite a lot of fuss about it. I finally had to pin her down on the couch tonight to get her to let me look in her mouth all the while she is crying her eyes out. I couldn't pull it out with my fingers so I tied dental floss around it and pulled. It popped out so easily! NO TEARS! She was more upset with the anticipation of it hurting than the actual release of the tooth. The Tooth Fairy brings her a $2.00 bill for a lost tooth. Thank goodness she has a whole stash of them!
And all I got was .25 cents for mine!

To my Friends!

I have to tell you all that I love my friends! There are so many of you out there and you have touched my life more than you will ever know! Whether you have been my friend for years or just a few weeks, there is a reason you are in my life. Thank you for your friendship and everything you do for me!

I NEED relief!

Brent's Mom left Texas on Friday and I feel a total weight lifted off my shoulders! I still need a full body massage to relieve the stress from my body though. The moving is almost done so it will have to wait.

My current obstacle is my costochondritis (chest pain). I'm feeling frustrated with the fact that my medication isn't working anymore. In fact, it's getting worse. I'm worried that this is going to be a constant struggle as it has been for 3 years now and my Dr. says I should consider getting a partial sternectomy to remove the inflammation. That is major surgery. Aside from getting rid of the pain, I am feeling a sense of urgency in getting this medical condition under control and hopefully get rid of it as I would like another child. I always thought I'd have all my kids by the time I was 35 and that time is quickly approaching. I will be 34 in August. I'm on my 4th Dr. concerning this condition and none of them know how to help me. Is surgery the only answer?

I can't sleep!

It is 12:50 am and I cannot sleep! Brent is out of town and I just can't get myself to relax and go to sleep. It's amazing that when he is home and 9:00 pm rolls around I cannot keep my eyes open and when he's gone, I can't get them to close! He says it's because I'm partying while he is gone. You know, "when the cat's away, the mice will play!" That is not it at all. I think it's that I feel safe and secure when he is with me and when he's gone, my safety zone is missing! Good thing he doesn't travel too often!

OH! The Draaama!

This year was suppose to be better than last year. We are not off to a great start! I feel like I'm in a Soap Opera. Maybe take a huge part in "Days Of Our Lives." During my childhood I felt as though I was raised in a "dysfunctional" family and always admired those families who were "perfect". 11 years ago I found such a family and was so lucky to be marrying into it! Over the years I have come to realize there is no such thing as a "perfect" family. Everyone has "dysfunction" to some degree or the other. Between my family and Brent's we have our own Soap Opera well staffed and feel we have reached "dysfunction" at its greatest. And after yesterday, a new season has just been written, I just wish I new the plot and the outcome of it all.
Stay tuned......after all, these are the days of our lives!

"BE GRATEFUL"

Now that Hannah is in Activity Days I wanted to focus on doing the "Be Attitudes" with her. I thought I'd focus on one of the ATTITUDES at a time so the girls would remember them more fully. So last night for Family Home Evening our lesson was "Be Grateful". I asked the girls what they were grateful for. (Brent had to work late.)

These were their answers:

Hannah: "I'm grateful that we have a nice home to live in."
Danielle: "I'm grateful that Daddy can get us money."


After talking to Danielle a little bit about what she meant, it didn't take long to figure out what she was saying. She is grateful that Daddy has a good job that can provide for us the things we need. Aren't we all! I am very grateful that Brent does have a good job and that it allows me to stay at home with the girls and take care of them and our home. We do have a nice home and if it weren't for Brent's job we would not be living here. With this Economy, we know so many people who are having financial difficulty and some of our friends have even lost their jobs. I am grateful for the hard worker that Brent is and the time and effort he puts into EVERYTHING! I am grateful for so many things, but, right now I am especially grateful for my loving husband, Brent! I have to mention that I am also very grateful that I can feel our Heavenly Father in our lives right now. With the sale of Brent's Mom's house here in Texas and her having a place to go to in Utah, we are grateful!

I have another blog!

This is going to be a great year! I can feel it! I wanted to say Happy New Year to you all and let you know of another blog I started in addition to this one. It is a recipe blog where I will post my favorite recipes. www.mythymeinthekitchen.blogspot.com Enjoy!