"It" Becomes a "She"

Well the big day came (after a long night of dreaming about finding out the gender of our baby) and the results are in. It's a girl!! We were actually kind of surprised at first because we had been referring to her as a boy and deep down that was what we were hoping for. After the initial shock, the news settled in and now we are so excited for a precious little girl. Nate is already protective of her modesty as the ultrasound picture of her girl parts was not allowed to be posted on the blog. :) I am just as happy as can be and have already started looking at everything girl for babies - carseats, strollers, clothes, room decor, etc. I've also been feeling her kick a lot lately and am just waiting for Nate to be able to feel it too. Every time I try to get him to feel it, she always stops. Nate says it's because she knows it's Daddy and knows he'll kick her back...lol. ;) I'm also feeling so much better. I believe I am in the "golden" stage of the pregnancy now and that makes me really happy! Now all we have to do is wait for the next big day...the birth!

Pretty Flowers

Nate bought me some tulip bulbs in vases for Valentine's Day from Costco and we've had fun watching them grow over the last few weeks. Now they have bloomed and they are beautiful! I absolutely love how much beauty and brightness they bring to the home. A little bit of sunshine in the rain if you will. Enjoy!

John's Wedding and Family Fun

So Nate and I were driving back to Clearfield from Provo on Saturday night when I realized that I had forgotten to bring the camera and didn't take ANY pictures of our fun little Utah trip. Sad day! Thankfully Mom took a few pictures the day of the wedding and sent me some. I've got to get in the habit of taking more pictures so we can look back on fond memories without simply relying on our memories. :) That being said, Nate and I had a great time in Utah. We got into Salt Lake on Wednesday night and waited for Joe's flight to arrive before heading to my parents' house. The next day was John's wedding at the Salt Lake Temple so we had to get up and get going. My parents left earlier because they had to be there earlier so my aunt Maurvene picked us up (or rather she came to the house and Nate drove us in her car). Christy and Ben left at the same time in their own car, which I didn't really notice. We got to about Kaysville and Farmington when I suddenly remembered that I didn't have my recommend with me. I panicked because we didn't have time to go back to the house. I thought maybe Christy was still at the house (silly me) and called her to see if she could grab it, but of course they were right behind us in the car...lol. I was freaking out because we came all this way to go to the wedding and I wasn't even going to be able to be there! I was really quite sad. Nate tried to reassure me that they'd be able to look me up on the system and verify me so I was hoping he was right. When we got to the temple, I ashamedly had to tell them I forgot my recommend and they sent me to speak with someone. Nate ended up being right (as always)...yay! So they verified me and I was able to attend the sealing. I was so glad because it was so wonderful! Afterwards, we all went outside for pictures.


It was chilly and a little windy, but the sun did end up coming out and I think John and Tricia were able to get some good pictures (at least when their photographer finally showed up late...can we say discount??). Tricia looked absolutely beautiful and I think John was literally beaming. It was such a happy day! Their daughters, Damia and Mikayla, looked completely adorable in their purple and black dresses.




While John and Tricia were getting the rest of their pictures taken, Mom and Dad took Nate and I to the Church Office Building to give us a small tour of where they work. It was neat to see and the view from their floor was amazing! We also got to see our old bishop from BYU and his wife, Brother and Sister Taylor. They are in the same mission as my parents and it was great to catch up with them.


Then we had to hurry back to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for the luncheon. It was beautiful! And the food was honestly delectable. Yum!! We were so full afterwards, but of course we had to have a piece of their chocolate wedding cake. They also had candy in the middle of all of the tables, which I thought was a cool idea. We ate a bunch of that and took a bunch home.


It was then time to say goodbye to the newlyweds and wish them the best on their honeymoon to Ireland. How fun for them!! After we left, we were talking in the car about where the new couple would live and I asked where Tricia lived. Maurvene then goes, "Who's Tricia?" We said, "John's new wife!" and burst into laughter. It was awesome! Good old Maurvene. :) Then that evening Mom, Dad, Joe, VJ, Nate and I went to Fat Cats in Ogden to go bowling. Before we started, we watched some people do that iFly thing where a big fan blows air so fast you can fly in it like you're skydiving. It was so cool and funny to watch! How awesome! Someday...when I'm not pregnant and have money to burn...lol. The bowling was tons of fun and we just had a blast. The next day Joe, VJ, Brady and Brooke went snowboarding and Mom, Dad, Nate and I spent the day in Salt Lake. First we went to the Organ Recital at the tabernacle, which showcased Richard Eliott this time. That is one cool organ and Richard definitely knew how to play. It was awesome! Julia came to see it with us and then she left. We then decided to go to the Church History Museum, which amazingly I've never been to. We spent half the time parousing the store...lol. The museum was pretty intriguing and I learned quite a bit. Then we headed to the Gateway to watch Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It turned out to be cute and funny, but not an A+. It's worth seeing, but probably not more than once. When the movie was over, we met up with the snowboarders to eat dinner at Red Robin. Gotta love it! Nate was all excited when he saw there was a Burnin' Love burger that was supposed to be really spicy so he ordered that. Unfortunately it wasn't spicy enough for him, crazy guy. At least he got some spice out of it....lol. That night we played games and just hung out.




The next day both Joe and VJ had to leave so we took VJ to the airport first. Then Nate and I rented a car so we could go to Provo that night and then the rest of us went to the temple. We had a really special time there doing some family names. It's always nice to go together as a family too. After that, Nate and I drove down to Provo. First we stopped at Arctic Circle for lunch/dinner (yummy!) and then we finally went to Provo. As we drove to the south end of campus near where we both used to live, we noticed a big empty space and realized the Knight Mangum building was totally gone! It was so weird!! Now it's just a grass field with a sidewalk up to campus. Things change so fast at BYU! Anyways, we had fun at the bookstore and then went over to Nate's friend Rob's apartment. It was so good to see him and also so weird to be back in student housing with the honor code. I had to remind myself that I was married now and it was okay to use the bathroom at a guys' apartment..lol. We just played games and watched a little of the basketball game on TV. It brought back lots of memories. :) We also went to the creamery for some good old creamery ice cream. DELICIOUS! Rob seemed like he was doing really well and the night was great. We then drove back to my parents' house and then left for home the next morning. It was a wonderful vacation!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Nate and I had a great Valentine's Day this year. He pretty much let me choose what I wanted to do that day and that's what we did. We slept in and then got up to make pink heart-shaped pancakes with the rest of the family.



Mama Jackson also made heart-shaped cupcakes with Kaiya and we got to eat the yummy treats later. Then Nate went and dropped me off at the nail salon while he went to the church to practice the organ. I got to be pampered and got a spa manicure and pedicure. It was SO nice! I definitely needed that! After I was done, Nate needed more time to practice the organ so I went and paroused Petco and Payless. At Petco they were having dog races down the aisle and it was really fun to watch. The dogs were all shapes, sizes, and ages. They were all very cute! Petco is actually a really neat place. I had no idea they had a doggy treat bar with treats even I wanted to try...lol! I also watched the mice and birds do funny things in their cages. I guess I found a new fun place for me. I could've spent all day there! Simple mind, simple pleasures. :) Once Nate was finished practicing he came and picked me up so I could go home, shower, and get pretty. We decided we were going to go to a movie and dinner so we ended up going to see Twilight (the 2nd time for me and the 1st time for Nate). It was on at the $3 theater. I guess that is the $1 theater of the Seattle area (everything here is a bit more expensive). Still, $3 a person is a great deal compared to $10 a person at the regular theater. Yikes! After the movie, we went to the Cheesecake Factory because we had a gift card for the place. We definitely went at exactly the wrong day and time because we ended up waiting for over 2 hours before we even got seated...lol. That was really hard for me because I didn't bring any food with me and I get really sick and have really bad headaches if I don't eat every hour or two. Thankfully Nate had a couple of granola bars in the car so I was able to have something to tide me over. When we first got there the place was packed more than any restaurant I'd ever seen. I got in line to talk to the hostess and finally got our name on the list. She said to come back in an hour and a half to get a buzzer so while we were waiting, we walked over to the mall and had fun looking at books and listening to music in Borders. We then went back to get the buzzer and waited for another 30 or 40 minutes when it finally buzzed and we got seated (In the meantime we played our electronic Yahtzee game...lol). It was crazy!!! There was still a TON of people there all willing to wait like we did. I bet that restaurant had people there past midnight easy. So we ordered and got our food around 8 or a little after. We were starving and the food was amazing! We also couldn't resist and got a slice of dutch apple struesel cheescake to go. It was well after 9 by the time we got home. So the dinner part took a really long time but I felt like it was worth it. YUM!



And then like the tired pregnant lady I am, I went to bed very soon after we got home and ate our cheesecake. It was a great day though. We also had to include our baby in the day's plans so I had Papa Jackson take our picture so you can all see how I am starting to show...or just how fat I'm getting...lol.



On a side note, we got to hear the baby's heartbeat again today. It's such a surreal feeling to hear that fast thumping and I'm getting more and more excited every day! We get to find out the gender of the baby in just 4 weeks on March 19!!! Yay!! I'm so excited to start making blankets and decorations and to start getting baby supplies for our baby. I'm especially excited to narrow down the name selection. Names are really hard to pick out. I mean, we're choosing the name it'll be known by it's whole life! That's a lot of pressure! We can't wait to find out and we'll be telling everyone when we do!

Hi, this is Nate again. It has been a long time since I have posted anything to the blog and now that I'm making the effort, I've got writer's block, so this post will be short. There is some sad news this week but also happy news.

I guess I'll relay the sad news first. On Wednesday night, our Meg was put to sleep. Over the past few months, she developed a weird tumor thing that hung from her belly. My dad took her to the vet to see what could be done. They said that if they removed it, she could potentially die from the resulting bleeding. Meg has also had some other health issues affecting her. She was an old dog and according to the vet, she would was the equivalent of being over a hundred years old (dog years for a dog her size). It was decided to put her down so that she wouldn't suffer through the rest of her life. My dad was with her when she passed on. He buried her in a peaceful location with a toy from Heidi and Kaiya. There are many fond memories that we have of Meg and it was a difficult decision to make. We miss Meg and look forward to when we see her again!

The good news: We went to the doctor's office on Thursday and got to hear our baby's heartbeat! It was cool to hear the steady, but quick thumping of the baby's heart. Amy is starting to have problems fitting into her pants.... basically she is starting to show that she is pregnant. :) We are enjoying following the progess of the baby's growth and Amy's pregnancy. Today, she didn't suffer from morning sickness as much so we are hoping that the worst of it is over.

Thursday night we attended ward temple night. We had a decent turnout - 21 people altogether. We ate dinner in the cafeteria and got to sit with President Skeem and his wife (Amy's aunt and uncle). It is always fun to see them in the temple. Dinner was good and the session was wonderful. Both Amy and I came away with new insights. I'll admit that after a long day at work, it was really hard to stay awake for the whole thing. It was peaceful, warm, and the perfect atmosphere for a nap. I was fighting to keep my eyes open for the first part and for the most part succeeded. I was always awake though. It is always nice to be able to escape the cares of the world for a couple hours.

Today, or should I say last night, the snow returned to Washington. We woke up to the ground covered with a quarter inch of snow. Fortunately the roads were clear and we were able to go to church. Tonight we may get some more snow but it shouldn't be that much. I'm just ready for summer already! :)

Christmas and a New Year with New Experiences!

Happy Holidays to all! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Ours turned out pretty good this year because our big present was the fact that I'm pregnant! Yay!!! We actually knew about it before Thanksgiving but wanted to wait and tell everyone in Christmas cards. It's actually pretty funny because while we were in Utah with my family, I was asked if I was pregnant yet and I actually had to lie and say I wasn't. :-p (Ben and Christy I hope you're not offended). For those first few weeks of pregnancy I was doing great and felt normal except for mild random cramping, which my doctor later told me was normal. Then in the beginning of December, the morning sickness hit, big time. And I've been sick ever since. I didn't go to work for almost a week when it first started (lots of vomiting and misery). Then, thankfully, I had my first doctor's appointment and was able to get a perscription for anti-nausea medication. It helped a lot and without it I throw up like crazy (as I found out last week when I ran out and didn't get the refill on time). With them I usually only throw up once or not at all and can get to work okay. I'm pretty nauseous all day long and feel like throwing up but haven't yet at work (I refuse to throw up at work!!). I've missed a few days here and there of work since I got the pills and they're being really patient with me. They've changed my start time to 10 am instead of 8:30 so I am able to take it slow in the morning and eat so I can feel better. I usually have to eat/snack all day long or I get really sick. I've tried every trick in the book (including wearing my acupressure bands 24/7) and though some things help temporarily, I'm back to being sick again really quickly. My guess is that it might be this bad because I have always had a weak stomach and am prone to motion sickness. I read in a pregnancy book that people like that are more likely to have worse nausea during pregnancy. Who knows, though. As for Nate, he has been such a trooper dealing with all of this. Poor guy has to deal with my demands for certain foods I feel like I can eat, my complaining, my moaning during the night, my commands for him to hold me and make me feel better, me telling him he stinks or that kissing makes me nauseous, etc. Honestly, it's kind of gotten to him and it's been hard for us both. We're both really hoping I get to feeling better soon, him for his sanity and me, well, so I'm not sick anymore and can feel normal! Needless to say, this sickness thing has taken over our lives and sometimes I have to force myself to think about the reason we're going through this in the first place: our baby! Mom and Dad sent us our first baby gift this past week. It was a pair of newborn baby booties and really helped me put this all in perspective. We are going to have a new little baby! It was really neat to see the baby's heartbeat on our first ultrasound too. It was unbelievable! It's still really hard to imagine my own baby, but I get thrilled when I think about it. Our little blob! (That's our nickname for it now) I've put the booties and the ultrasound picture right next to my bed so I look at it everyday. We already love our little blob, despite the misery we're going through. :)

So besides the pregnancy, we've had fun dealing with the crazy weather here. For a while we had a big snowstorm that made it really tough to get around (in Seattle they have hardly any snowplows, so roads are really bad). Work even closed early so people could venture home through the mess. Christmas was a white one, which for here is very rare. It was beautiful on all of the trees here. Christmas was nice just spending it here with Nate's family. We all got some fun things, nothing big, but lots of little fun things (DVDs, gift cards, clothes, tools, etc.). For New Year's we were housesitting at Nate's aunt and uncle's place so we got to spend it alone together, which was really nice. It's definitely been a holiday season to remember and we're really looking forward to having our baby, which is due on August 1st. That makes me almost 11 weeks along (a little over 1/4 of the way!!). We send our love to everyone and hope that everyone is doing well!!

Thanksgiving in Salt Lake

This year Nate and I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Utah. It was great to be able to go back and see them after being in Washington for a while. I really missed them and it was so great to be with them again! We didn't go for very long, just 2 days, so that was hard but at least we had a good time for the amount of time we were there. Thanksgiving Day was great and we ate lots of good food! We had it over at the church by Mom and Dad's place in the Young Women's room. Nate made rolls there at the church and I made a cherry pie. Our contributions were pretty small compared to Ben's delicious dutch oven food and all the salads and sides people brought, but it was all so yummy! We had a pretty big group, about 30 people (including children) so we had a lot of fun just talking and eating. We also got to meet my brother John's fiance Trisha. She is so cute and so nice and think they make a great couple! Her little girl was so adorable too. I'm so happy for him and it'll be fun to have a couple of additions to our family! Then after dinner we all went back to the house. Some people napped while others of us played games and still others just kept eating pie and goodies. The hit game of the day was Apples to Apples. I have to say that I've never played it quite like the way my family played it that day. Some people were new to the game and others weren't, but I couldn't believe how SLOW we played it! It was just so funny to see how long it took people to decide which card to choose. I've discovered that most people in my family take everything very literally, especially when it comes to definitions of words. Nate and I were used to playing it a lot faster and less literal with his family, so while other people took their time deciding, we went to the kitchen to eat goodies...lol. But it was still pretty fun. We are sad to say that we forgot to take ANY pictures on Thanksgiving so we have no visual reminders of how it was. :( At least we remembered the camera the next day at Temple Square. That day was kind of uneventful, but we got to see Tia and Deren and their family and went to the mall together. When we came back we had pizza for dinner and then headed to Salt Lake to see the lights on Temple Square. It was the first night for the lights to be on so it was a little crowded (and cold!), but SO beautiful! Nate got some good shots of the lights and temple. There's just something about being around the temple and all of those beautiful Christmas lights. The Spirit really is present there and depsite the cold, you feel all warm inside when you're there. It was fun to walk around with everyone and the little kids.









After perusing through the lights, we decided we wanted to get warm and eat a treat so we headed to the basement of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I had no idea there were vending machines and tables down there. It was awesome! They even had BYU creamery milk so we HAD to get a chocolate milk. It was delicious!! I also got some donuts to have with it, but my hand got stuck in the flap...lol. The donuts and chocolate milk reminded me of my freshman year at BYU. That was my staple for breakfast almost every day that year. No wonder I gained the freshman 15...lol.

That wasn't the only problem we had with the machines either. My dad went to buy an ice cream treat and it got stuck. So he decided to buy another one and the first one came out but the second one got stuck too! We thought about calling the service people, but decided to try one more time. So six bucks later, he bought a third one and this time shook it as it was being vended and they both came out. Yay! Except then we were stuck with 3 ice cream treats and we couldn't take them in the car because they would melt. So even though we were full we got them all eaten. What really cracked me up was that after all of that, we went home and my dad had a bowl of ice cream...haha! I love it!

Payton had fun making faces for the camera and Nate and I had fun teasing her by kissing in front of her everytime she told us not to. She's so fun to tease. :) On our way home we stopped by Wal-Mart to get a Christmas movie, but their selection was so slim!! Of course, it was Black Friday so that's probably why so many movies were gone. Luckily I found Elf somewhere towards the checkout lines so my parents got it and we went home and watched it. The next day we flew back home. Lots of fun in Utah!