Guess What...!!

Yup, I'm pregnant and our big Gidget is getting a little sister around August 8th.
Sisters...Sisters...There were never such devoted sisters....
My pregnancy has been GREAT. I am twenty weeks (5 months) along! I still fit into my clothes, but the belly is certainly sticking out more and so I figured it was time to let the word out! :)
This little one was so adorable during the ultrasound. She'd been moving so much before and was tired during the "photo shoot"- she kept yawning and she stuck her tongue out during one of her yawns and stretches. Cute. I've been feeling her move since the 16 weeks point, so that was earlier than I planned.
Our Gidget is precious with babies and loves to help if invited (not even forceful about her help!). Thanks to Anna for letting her help out with your little one in Jan. I think she'll be a good big sister.
I'm pretty welcoming of the girl announcement at this time since it will make the family addition quite smooth. :) Although, I'm still nervous that the ultrasound was misread or something-- it was the same with our Gidget until my third ultrasound visit. haha.
Hooray for number two!

Show, Museum, Park, Reading

David sent my mom and me to see Danny Gans. My mom has wanted to see his show for about 8 years, but never made it happen since it wasn't a necessity. We decided to splurge and certainly enjoyed ourselves. He used some good humor in with his imitations. It was interesting when he shared a bit about himself. He definitely plays to the crowd. My friend went to his show over four times within a short period and she said that each one was really different. She also told me that he uses sign language with his family always, to preserve his voice for each night's performance. Wow.

Gidget and I joined my friend, Kristen and her little ones to a day at the Children's Museum and then lunch at the park. It was a beautiful day! We couldn't resist it. Thanks for letting us tag along, Kristen!

Gidget loved everything about it. She gets into deep concentration with a certain look while working on a project (wouldn't look at the camera while working on her star).

Gidget has gotten so into reading. She sits and "reads" a book aloud and gets excited when it is time to do so.

A few months ago, we started to include Gidget in our scripture reading, and she really likes it. Surprises/delights me each time. She then started wanting to hold her own scriptures instead of just sitting in our laps and listening. When he gave her a copy, she would "read" with me (using her own Gidget words). Tonight we sat at her little table and read, instead of sitting on the floor and she loved that. Cute how she opens her BoM and "follows" along for little increments while David and I read aloud. I'm thinking it is a good routine to keep.

Catching Up

These are just a few cute pics of Gidget that I couldn't resist. When I leave free time power to her I have fun watching what she comes up with. She was greatly wanting to go swimming and was putting on all swim attire, hoping it would make it happen. Another day, she found this phone headset and put it on. I turned music on and she loved using it as a microphone singing her own words in her own language. She danced all around.

The three of us girls went to H.S. together in St. George and made a tight bond in just the one year. They came and visited for a few days last month. The first pic is of us at state theater competition (in which we took second place!). The next, is from a bit later--not too different. ;) We made up our little group name 10 years ago by putting our three names together, and have hung with it since!

Gidget has become very helpful around the house! She likes when I put her in the laundry basket when I take the clothes from the dryer, and then handing me the pieces to put away. Laundry, dusting, vaccuming and dishes are her favorites.

David and I just spent this last weekend in San Francisco with the same group that took us to San Diego last year- led by the family of one of my student's for his birthday. We had so much fun and got very little sleep! We took a flight Sat. morning and then toured the town, ate at great restaurants, visited museums, and had lots of fun. I think I gained like 5 pounds while there! Everyone fell asleep on the flight back, Sunday night. It was a group of 42 people!

Family Gathering

We took a VERY casual family picture on the morning before the groups headed out in their various directions. Our little Gidget is missing from this picture; she was dutifully taking her nap. :) The second is of the grandkids present (minus the three napping). Lots of kids in the picture and so kinda crazy to think that 10 are missing!

A few late pics

Thanksgiving: We spent the holiday with David's family. We started it off at Dave's sister's house on Wed. night with some cinnamon rolls she made. On the actual Thanksgiving day, a delicious dinner was served on a wheel boat (can't think of the official name) on Lake Mead. Extra special being only our family! The kids had free reign of the bottom level with games and such after the meal. Gidget loved walking around (still being kinda sorta new at it then). Friday night, we had dinner at the padres casa. On Sat. we had scrumptious breakfast at David's oldest brother's house. They rented one of the inflated bouncy forts with a big slide and all. David had fun being the attacker on the kids and tossing them around. Gidget enjoyed the bouncing a lot (when it was mellow). A fun celebration.

Pre-Christmas: Jimmy's family was here for a couple days, but flew back to Virginia on the 22nd. We had a little celebration before they left though. My mom and Jason's family came down for church (a late mtg. @ 2:30- now we are earlier). I sang with the choir and the choir leader had me do a solo (never gets less nervewracking) to "Mary Did you Know?" Helps that the sister playing the piano was able to follow right along with me making me a little less nervous in the breathing thing (sorry if that doesn't make sense). When we got back my mom had made a delicious dinner and then we opened some gifts! Jason and Suzie had us this year and gave some great gifts- Gidget loves her purse and coordinating fairy skirt, gets a kick out of feathery boa. They gave me a NICE computerized digital photo frame keychain. David gave a big WOW when he opened his gift to find the shamwow cloths- kinda funny his curiosity with random things. Gidget loved the time with her cousins. It is crazy how totally similar she and Raegan (Jim's) look!

Christmas: We initially planned to go to Erin's, but all Westerners had an ache to get together at Mom's. So, just the week before Christmas it worked out, getting 6 of us chilluns at Mom's. On Christmas eve, we did some caroling to the neighbors and then had dinner with the Doughman's at the Carriage House Inn (owned by my mom's cousin) in the center of St. George (next to that old fashioned candy store, "Judd's" I think). A great Grinch and then Nativity scene were put on by the grandchildren. Adults had fun hanging out that night. It was Natalie's first time doing that and she was ready to help the action. That morn was busy delight! Santa had made a great delivery. Gidget had fun with all the excitement. Later we had an absolutely perfect Christmas dinner. mmm. I love the 3 level Christmas jello that my mom makes. The next night was so fun and something to remember, for sure. It was a happy birthday to Jason. Suzie had some great games ideas that all ages enjoyed. We had some dancing, limbo, and musical chairs mixed within it all. Hilarious when Joe started our circle of dancing and we copied him, the person in the middle, until he chose someone else. Fun to see the variety of moves amongst all ages. We did some slow dances and a kinda polka dance to King n' I. Good time. Wilson's, Scotty's, and Doughman's had to leave the next morning.

Well, that is just a few bits of a lot, but I need to go for now and get in tutor mode. Still having lots of fun with that!

The Color Red

Gidget is loving to learn and it is definitely fun watching her.
We started with... (surprised how much red stuff I have)













She created .... (all stuck to contact paper)



















She kept pointing to it and gave a nice kiss.

Gettin' Busy With It... na-naa na-naa n-na-na

I haven't been doing much on the computer lately, but I have still been busy! Our office area has been stuffed with all of my craft creation supplies. All sorts of projects are rolling out from my mind. These pictures just show a LITTLE bit of what I have been up to. (clothes and hair things I've made are what I have pics of above)

What got me started? Well, part is from the inspiration of the "You can do it!" that I've gotten through your guys' blogs, seeing your talents put to work. It excites me to see my friends use and pick-up talents- so keep posting! Makes me think of President Uchtdorf's last talk from General Relief Society Conference-- basically, that if you don't have talents, then get some; in building these, opportunities (ex: of service) come your way. A big thing that lit the action fire below me since the surgery is hard to explain clearly. Some sayings that come to mind are "Just Do It" (Nike), "Do it now" (Pres. Kimball), "Seize the day," and "Do everything you can with what you got." My brain surgery opened my mind (haha) in many ways. Mostly it is a new gratitude for what I can do with a day, a realization of the limited time to learn and grow on earth (and knowing I have LOTS I can and should learn), and maybe a greater respect for life as it is.
The last thing that got me going is when I tried to get a friend rolling and she pulled me along. We’re having fun getting started at a full-time mom’s pace with a website!