I'm not dead, but the rabbit is!

So, what could have possibly happened when I was miserable with the flu, throwing up, feeling achy all over, basically dying, that could be classified as amazing?

Well, my friends, sit back and let me tell you a story.  On Sunday, I was feeling so poorly and couldn't stop vomiting and so I decided to go to the Urgent Care center to see if they could give me anything that would knock me out, put me out of my misery, etc. I also wanted to make sure that this was indeed the flu and not a precursor to my many intestinal issues.   The doctor was pretty sure that, yes, it was the flu, but perhaps they should do an x-ray just to make sure it wasn't anything worse.  I tell her that I think it is a great idea, but they better give me a pregnancy test first, since my husband and I have been trying to get preggo.  "I'm most likely not," I said, but we better be on the safe side.  So I do the peeing thing and wait in my room to be taken to get x-rayed.  

In walks the Doctor, who says "We won't be doing an x-ray after all, because the pregnancy test just came back positive."

I was in shock, trying to remember if positive meant I was positively pregnant, or maybe just that I was positively not pregnant.  But, within a moment, it all caught up to me and I started to cry (just a little).   I asked for Spencer to be brought in the room-- he was getting checked out too-- and said "guess what honey, we're pregnant!"

"How did that happen?"  was his reply.

It's still early, and a wiser more experienced Mom would wait to tell everyone, but I'm just too excited.  I went to my to my Obgyn oday and she confirmed that I am definitely pregnant.  She took a bunch of blood (15 tubes!), to do a few tests since I have had a blood clot in the past, and I am missing a bunch of my colon, but other than that, everything looks great.  I'll have my first official visit in two weeks, and I'll get my real due date then, but it will probably be at the beginning of Dec.

PS- it really was the flu, my morning sickness hasn't started yet.  

Back from the dead

I guess it is appropriate to the season that yesterday I was dying and today I feel like I'm back from the dead.  After feeling quite smug about the fact that I had missed the flu that hit just about everyone at school and in the ward, I got hit with a tsunami of a 24 hour flu that totally wiped me out.   I have not felt that miserable in a very long time.    However, despite my misery, it wasn't a completely horrid day, one pretty amazing thing did happen yesterday that I will share in a future post.  Stay tuned for more details.

Monday Musings

Sketch of The Laying on of Hands by Arnold Friberg depicting Moses bestowing his mantle and authority to Joshua.

Article of Faith #5

We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

I had one of those moments yesterday.  The kind that are far too few and far apart lately.  I felt the Spirit bare witness to me in a very strong way.  After church yesterday, the Bishop had us all gather in the RS room so that everyone who had received a calling in the new ward could be set apart.  He began with the new Relief Society president.  When he set his hands upon her head and gave he the charge of watching over the ladies of the ward, I felt the spirit confirm that this calling was of God, and that she was not only the right person for the right job, but that she would have a great affect upon the women of Relief Society.  I could almost see the heaviness of the mantle that was being placed on her shoulders, but at the same time, I could feel Heavenly Father saying that he would send his spirt and other angels to help her bear the weight.

As I sat there, feeling the spirit so strongly, it eventually became my turn to be set apart.  As the first counselor spoke my name and of the responsibilities which the Lord was entrusting me, I felt the spirit once again speak to me, letting me know that I too was where I needed to be.  Regarding being set apart, Spencer W Kimball said "The setting apart may be taken literally; it is a setting apart from sin, apart from the carnal; apart from everything which is crude, low, vicious, cheap, or vulgar; set apart from the world to a higher plane of thought and activity."

How grateful I am for the restoration of the Priesthood power upon the earth.  While my calling may be considered frivolous by some, I know that I am needed here, and that if I can set myself apart from the world and listen to his will, I can make a difference in the Forney ward.  

New Calling

I'm been dying to announce this on my blog all week, and now I finally can.  I have been called as the Activity Chairperson for the ward.  I know that this is the calling that many people dread, but it is the exact one that I have been wanting.  Out ward just split and we have a great chance to start fresh and really form some ward unity and togetherness.  I am so excited that I get to be a part of that.  I also think that ward activities are the best place for us to do missionary work.

My plan is to do about one activity a month.  Some will be big events that take a lot of planning and some will be small, like watching a movie in someone's backyard.  I would like 1-2 activities a year to be adult only.  I also want at least one activity to be a service project.

I thought I'd share some of my ideas.  These are a combination of things I have thought of, done before, or heard of another ward doing.  We won't be able to do them all, but I like starting with lots of ideas and then whittling down to the best ideas later.  Let me know which ideas you like best, or give me new ones.

Big Activity Ideas

Night on the Town- The night begins in Cooks Cantina featuring The Forney Follies (about ½ hour of entertainment provided by the auxiliaries), then moves on to The Bishop Boogie (featuring fun music, disco dance lessons, and the Bishop in a 70’s leisure suit), finally, we end at the Smith’s Sweet Shoppe where we enjoy chocolate fountains and dipping stuff.  This is all done in different parts of the church.

King of the Hill- Takes place the day before Father’s Day. At this event we celebrate fathers, sons, brothers, etc. We have a chili dogs and nachos for food. Games include children “shaving” their fathers with whipped cream and popsicle sticks.

Ward Olympics- We could have this around the same time as the Beijing Olympics. Various indiviual and family events would be held. At the end we would have an awards ceremony with medals.

Pioneer Day Celebration: For several months before this event we will collectively walk (or bike ride) the 1280 miles from Nauvoo to Salt Lake Valley. On July 26th we will have a Welcome to the Valley Celebration

Halloween Carnival: Carnival booths for the kids, lots of Candy, and a trickster alley

Murder Mystery Dinner: Participants are put in group's of eight to solve a mystery. The twist at the end is that it is an actual event from the BOM.

FHE for Dummies: Workshops are held to give parents ideas for FHE. Children are in the primary room preparing their own lesson to give. (could be done as a fireside instead)

Un-birthday party: We celebrate everyone’s birthday at once with classic birthday game like musical chairs, piñatas, pin the tale on the donkey, as well as birthday cake and ice cream. Maybe have a white elephant gift exchange.

Cinco de Mayo: Everyone brings a Mexican dish. We have music, dancing and a piñata.

Bleed and Feed: Host a community blood drive and have dinner

Academy Awards: Auxiliaries and families film short movies (maybe scenes from the scriptures?). We have a red carpet, a viewing of the movies and an awards ceremony.

Reality Show Night: Fear Factor, Survivor, Iron Chef, Amazing Race

Christmas ideas:
A Night in Bethlehem: Families receive tax notices and come to Bethlehem. They bring the own blankets and wear robes and eat food that the Savior would have eaten. A nativity play is performed.
Christmas Around the World:
Christmas in Nauvoo


Mini Activity Ideas
Game Nights (whole family or adult only)
Back to school banana split social
Backyard Movie Night
Guess Who’s Coming to BBQ?- Families sign up to host a BBQ at their house. They do not know who will be coming. People are given an address, with no name, to go to on the night of the event. Each family brings own meat to BBQ and a side dish to share.
Picnic in the park
Attend one of Rockwall’s summer concerts by the water.

A Sweet Immigrant Tale

Veil of Roses, by Laura Fitzgerald, is a sweet, if unsubstantial, story of Tamila Soroush, a 27 Iranian woman who is sent to America by her parents to “wake up” her luck, and more importantly, find an American man to marry so she can be saved from the repression of her country. The story pulls you in as she discovers the various freedoms that many Americans don’t even realize they have.

Of course, there is romance, not from the Iranian American suitors her sister finds, but from the completely unsuitable blond, blue-eyed Starbucks barista she meets early on in the novel. Yet, while the romance is sweet, it is the friendships that she creates at her English class that feel the most real. These were the people that I came to care about the most as I read. I even cared about Eva, her very foul-mouthed friend, who turned out to be a softie under her harden exterior of miniskirts and makeup.

The story is predictable, yet, in a comforting way, like when you used to ask your parents to tell you the story of how they met, even though you had heard it a million times before. And while you are never surprised, you care deeply about Tamila, and you wonder if you could make the hard decisions she and her family have had forced upon them. Marry the crazy, germ freak, or return to a country where you could be arrested at any moment, just for the crime of being a woman? Keep your children near you, or let them go far away in the hopes of a new life? Hold on to bitterness when another’s mistake has changed your life forever, or forgive and see that even the best intentions can lead to sorrow? And finally, when the only answer you have ever heard is no, do your wishes stop, or do you acknowledge that you do have dreams, and have hope that one day the world will answer yes?



*** disclaimer*** if you can not abide any swearing in your books, then this is not the book for you. It comes exclusively from one character, but there are several uses of the f word and other various swear words.

Take Flight with Eoin Colfer’s Airman

As my friends all know, I read a lot. I thought that it would be fun to write reviews of the books I am reading. Most of them will probably be YA books because I get the majority of them from out school library. Here's my first review...


From page one, Eoin Colfer’s book Airman, is well written and an interesting read, but on page 111, it soars. Reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo, but not so melodramatic, Airman is a fast moving, exciting adventure of a tale. Young Connor Broekhart was born to fly, or to be specific, he was born flying. In a hot air balloon, above the Paris World Fair, his destiny as the Airman is sealed. As a boy, he lives a pleasant life, friend to a Princess and student of a gifted airman. Yet, it is all thrown into chaos when he is apparently abandoned by his friends and family and left to rot in a prison island as an accused traitor to the King. Surprisingly, it is in this hellish place, performing brutish and dangerous tasks, that he sets on the path that will make his dream of building an air machine a reality. What kind of brilliance allows a young boy to escape his prison by air? The answer is found in Airman.

I think that this book will especially appeal to boys ages 11-14, although since girls will usually read books with male protagonists, they would probably enjoy it too. It would also make a great read aloud book for younger ages.

Can I get a Napkin Please?

Spencer forwarded this link to me this morning. It is pretty darn funny. I wonder what I would have thought if I had been in that food court when a full-blown musical number broke out? I hope that I would have found a way to join in.

Our Office

Some people talk around the dinner table, Spencer and I have the Shower. I think that for the first year of our marriage, we didn’t take a single shower apart (we only do now when I am too tired to wake up). At the house in California, the space was small, the water pressure was weak, and we constantly had to switch places so neither of us would get too cold.

Now we have the Super Shower. This is the place where we conduct most of our family business. As you can see from the picture, we have two showerheads and eight body sprayers. This is where we talk about our schedule for the day, come up with family goals, and generally make our plans. This is where Spencer lets me have the majority of the hot water, is always the one to leave the warmth of the shower to get us towels, and always lets me pick the towel that I want.

What about you? Where so you and your spouse have the best talks? Where do you make plans for the future?

Is marriage giving me the sense of humor of a teenage boy?

Network apologizes for mocking town name

By STEPHANIE REITZ
Associated Press Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- A cable sports network says it no longer will make Athol the butt of its jokes.

Hee Hee Hee...  or as the internetites say ROTFLMAO.  

I'm sorry, but if you live in a town that is spelled "Athol", even if it supposed to be pronounced "ATH'-awl," you need to get a sense of humor and join in the fun.  And if you are a cable sports network making a funny, albeit crude joke, you shouldn't apologize just because some people have no sense of humor.  

Also, Susanah Whipps, the only town selectman to say that they shouldn't complain to the network would totally get my vote if I lived there.  Her comment was that she was much more concerned about the vandals who added a r to the beginning and an e to to the end of the town signs to change the town name to rat hole.

Hee, Hee, "Athol"... such a funny name.  It reminds me of a time when some friends and I went on a long driving trip and every time we saw a dam, someone would point and shout out "DAM!" as loudly as possible, jut because they could.

PS I have a feeling that before I was married I would not have found this nearly as funny, but being under the constant influence of boy humor does things to a girl.

Tag I'm it

My dear friend Anne tagged me with a meme a while ago, and I am finally getting around to completing it (see bad habit #2)

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. B. Each player answers the questions about themselves. C. At the end of the game the player tags 5 people, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ten Years Ago…
I was a first year teacher. I was the fifth teacher of the year for a group of seventh and eight graders who could have driven Satan himself out of hell. At lunch, I would close my classroom door, turn off the lights and cry. Fortunately, I found a high school job the next year, and things got progressively better from there.

Five things on my to-do-list today
1. Finish six weeks grades
2. Do some laundry
3. Clean the house
4. Prepare our lesson for primary
5. Finish the next level of Guitar Hero III

Snacks I enjoy
Pizzas made from tortillas, chocolate, Milky Way Easter Bunnies, fruit snacks

What I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire:
Start my own business that helped disadvantaged people learn new skills and get a better life. Buy a house with a huge game room and a home movie theater, and then buy all the houses around it and give one to each of our family members.

Three of my bad habits
1. Biting my nails
2. Procrastinating
3. Leaving stuff in the car

Five places I have lived
1. San Pedro, CA
2. Provo, UT
3. Duluth ,Mn
4. Fairfax, VA
5. Forney, TX

Five jobs I have had
1. Movie theater usher
2. Eddie Bauer Salesperson
3. Bombay Company Salesperson
4. English Teacher
5. Economics Teacher

Five things people don’t know about me:
1. I teach economics, but I have never actually taken a formal economics class. I am mostly self-taught through books and a few workshops.
2. Almost every month I convince myself that I am pregnant because I feel slightly nauseous, or my pants don’t fit, or my b**bs feel tender, or I have a symptom that could possibly be a symptom of preganancy, and I am sad when it turns out not to be true.
3. When I was eight, I was in a singing and dancing group and during the Christmas recital I felt sick, ran off the stage and threw up in Santa’s bag.
4. I think that if I weren’t Mormon I would be a heroin addict, because I absolutely love getting pain shots. It’s the best part of being in the hospital.
5. I’m working on starting a tutoring business so that when we finally have a baby I will be able to work from home.

I think most everyone I know has done this meme or one that is fairly similar.  If you haven't done one yet, consider yourself tagged.