Rans's 2nd Birthday

Rans showing us his cute fish cake & candles.
The boys just love Lincoln. Rans is just afraid of me. :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RANS!!!

Happy Birthday Christa!

Mindy, Christa, Amber & I went to lunch at Red Robin for Christa's bday & then shopped at the mall. I have to say that Christa is an amazing person...she & Brandon are always doing so much for me. Whether it's picking up my medicine when I don't feel well or inviting me to play games or to have dinner with them, she is always trying to find some way to help me. I love you Christa & really appreciate your friendship! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! Happy belated birthday!

Things are looking a whole lot brighter!!!

Wow, thanks everyone for being so thoughtful & supportive. So many people have been concerned with how I'm feeling & have tried to help. I have also felt your prayers, which I'm so grateful for. THANK YOU!!! Well, I can honestly say that things are getting a lot better! My endodontist is very pleased with how my mouth looked after putting medicine in my tooth just once. I still won't know how everything will heal for about a year...but things are looking really good.
My doctor's office got a new PA who was extremely understanding & listened to everything that I had to say. I had prayed so hard before I went to my appointment...& things turned out better than I had hoped for. I have gotten 3 massages now & this last one just helped me immensely. My body hasn't been nearly as achy & I've been able to sleep better. I had my first appointment with the acupuncturist on Wednesday & it was AMAZING!!! I am not kidding, I felt SO calm for a few days after & he gave me so many good tips. He was really adamant about me exercising every day which is SO hard for me when I don't feel well, but I'm trying really hard to do it. I truly believe that acupuncture could be the key to healing this...I got such unbelievable results the very first time!
I was given a probiotic for my stomach which is working wonders! I am still having a hard time not eating sweets, but in every other area I've been eating really healthy for awhile. Most people don't know this, but we have been seeing a fertility specialist. We are getting answers & feel like we are moving toward good things...even though it may take a little while & may be harder than we thought.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that things are definitely looking up. Now I am just trying to get caught up on everything that I've been neglecting for so long...my house, Primary, friends! I still don't feel perfect but am looking for any little positive difference right now...& I'm finding lots of them. Last week I came upstairs to wake Linc up & told him that I'd gone to the store. I handed him a treat I bought him, & then told him dinner was ready. He looked at me in awe & said, "Babe, you went to the store AND made dinner?!" He was totally serious. Poor guy. He is so patient...I love him.

Meg the Superstar

Megan's MCC musical performance was a few weeks ago. It was so neat to see her up on stage singing & dancing. I'm not just saying this cuz she's my sister...Megan has a REALLY good voice. I LOVE hearing her sing. I can't believe how old she is looking...it's totally freaking me out! We've called her "Teeny" ever since she was born & all of us continue to call her that. Even Linc uses the nickname for her...so funny! Knowing us, we'll probably be calling her Teeny after she is married. I don't think she'll ever get out of being treated like the baby in the family.
My cousin Haley was also in the performance. My brother Shawn & Haley's brother Stetson are on their missions together....same mission, called the same day, come home together, live in the same home ward here in Mesa. This whole gang (plus Shawn, Stets, & Melissa) will be flying up to Washington in August to visit their mission for a week. It will be SO much fun...we are so excited!

"God does notice us, and he watches over us, but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs." -Spencer W. Kimball

I could talk about a hundred people in this post...people who make my life easier & remind me of who I am & who I'm trying to become. I've been thinking about two specific people a lot the last couple weeks & have realized how incredibly grateful I am to have them in my life.

My cousin Kristin & I have always been close. When she lived in Cali we would write each other letters about the Babysitters Club books we were reading & about New Kids on the Block. No joke. :) When she moved to Mesa in Jr. High I was constantly hanging out with her & her sister Amy. Right now Kristin is pregnant with twins...a boy and a girl...& has been in the hospital for over a month. She's just had to basically sit there & do nothing, hoping that the babies don't come too soon. Well, while I was out of town last week my mom called to tell me that Kristin has pneumonia & a blood infection, which could mean that the babies have the infection as well. She isn't due until October...WAY too early for her kids to come! They tested the babies to see if they have it...I am SO thankful that they don't. If they had, Kristin would have had to be induced last week & the babies may not have survived. The doctors were actually more concerned for Kristin & her life though. Now things seem to be under control, but I was just so afraid & couldn't imagine not having her here with us. I know Kristin won't read this, but Tricia tell her I LOVE her so much & that I'm praying for her & that I think about her constantly!

My brother Aaron is the other person that I've been thinking about. I spent the night at my parents' house a couple weeks ago & Aaron & I stayed up talking for 4 hours. He is an amazing person. He is such a cutie! I have always been close to him, but the last few years we've kind of drifted apart a little bit. Now we are as close as ever & I LOVE it! Before I got married, he would come sit on my bed late at night when I got home from a date & talk to me about what I did & how I felt about the guy. I loved analyzing my love life with him. He was only 12 years old at the time...what 12-year-old boy would normally care about stuff like that? He is a great athlete & has an awesome smile. I love him so much & am so thankful to have him as my brother & friend. I LOVE YOU AARON! Thanks so much for everything that you do for me & for your friendship.

Fathers Day

I know this is late, but I wanted to say Happy Fathers Day to our wonderful dads. Linc's dad is just amazing. He is SO sweet & loving & never forgets to give me hugs & kisses. He is incredibly down-to-earth, humble, kind, patient, & has a strong testimony of the gospel. I love him more than I can say & really appreciate the influence that he has on Lincoln & I & our lives.





I have always felt close to my dad. He taught me exactly what I needed to know when I was a child & teenager...I have an incredible foundation & support system for which I'm SO grateful! Most questions in my life can be answered by looking back at something that my parents taught me or practiced in their own lives. My dad can be SO goofy sometimes & I love it. He can make me laugh harder than almost anyone. He used to love to embarrass me when we were in the grocery store, at a game or some other public place. He'd usually sing & dance & would not stop...when he knew I was humiliated he would just sing louder & draw more attention to us. Now I think it's hilarious. :) I will forever be thankful for my dad. Oh, a funny side note: I gave sharing time on Fathers Day & held up this picture & asked the kids to guess who it was. They said, "Your husband?" (which they totally know Linc so I don't know why they said that). I said "no" & they said, "Your brother? Your uncle?" Then one of them said, "Is that your DAD?! He is SO young!" Ha ha. I told him that & it made him feel pretty good. :)


Last but not least, I am so thankful that Lincoln is my little Jackson's father. These may seem like strange pictures to post but I absolutely LOVE the fact that Lincoln was the last person to hold our son on this earth. Tears come to my eyes as I write this because I have been missing Jackson much more than usual lately. I can't put into words how thankful I am to have had Lincoln by my side when we lost our baby, & to continue to have him by my side now. Nobody will ever know exactly what we've felt throughout all of this...but I know that Linc understands. I never have to try to explain to him how it feels to lose a child because he knows. Lincoln is such a great daddy. I am so blessed!!!

Future Doctor

I went to the ER tonight to take Lincoln some dinner, & decided to be admitted because I was in so much pain. It was really bad & I haven't been on any pain medication since Sunday, which has been pretty terrible. I've been crying every day telling Lincoln that I don't think I can do this. Yet I've made it through each day. :) Linc was so sweet & came to check on me whenever he could while I was there. He brought me magazines & took me into a room with this little tv so I didn't have to wait in the hall...I definitely have the hook-ups there. I could tell that the staff LOVES him. It was so cool to see him in his element...seeing him taking care of people & talking with them just made me realize even more what an incredible doctor he will be! He's working so hard toward that goal & I'm really proud of him. All of his hard work will definitely be worth it & I know that he will help so many people. He is one of the most compassionate & understanding people I know. Anyway, I ended up having an ovarian cyst on my right ovary, but the crazy thing was that my pain was on my left side...BAD pain. So that made no sense to me. I hate when you go in to the ER & don't find out anything new! Oh well. At least I don't have to worry about being in excruciating pain for a few days. Oh yeah, I was also diagnosed with IBS on Tuesday. If you don't know what it is, don't worry about it...it's gross & not fun! Anyway, I feel bad because I think that anyone who thought I was really positive before probably thinks otherwise now. It just feels so good to vent though! :)

Sister Sleepover

My parents went out of town this past weekend to watch Aaron's track meet in Cali. Meg & I hung out all night & we had a sleepover. I had so much fun with her!

Cute Claire

Matt & Danielle came down to Mesa so that Matt could train to be a Walgreens pharmacy manager...congrats Matt! I got to hang out with Danielle & the kids all day...it was awesome. I LOVE those kids! I cuddled with Claire for a long time & we watched the Wiggles together. She says my name now & calls me "Nays"...I love it! :)

Lincoln's New Look

What do you guys think? Should Lincoln keep this new look? Ha ha. Just kidding. I think these pictures are hilarious!

I WON!!!

This last week has been absolutely crazy. We are blessed in so many ways, but have really taken a beating lately. Events this week ranged from having to take our truck into the shop to having my ob/gyn's office call & tell me that I shouldn't go back to them until I'm pregnant & that they won't be prescribing me any more pain meds. Plus lots of stuff in between. So I just really wanted something REALLY GOOD to happen unexpectedly. I posted something awhile ago about a giveaway that Matage Framing was doing. They were giving away a $350 painting that I REALLY wanted. I even told Lincoln that I had a feeling that I was going to win it (I really did) & guess what? I WON IT!!! I can't even say how excited I am about it! It is BEAUTIFUL! Yeah for me & my newfound good luck! Rob Brinton did the framing on this picture (he also did the Reflections of Christ pictures) & does really great work. Check his website out!

Endodontist

Lincoln was making fun of me for the novel I wrote last time. This one should be shorter. :) I went to the endodontist this morning & they did a root canal. The appointment wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but now it hurts more than I thought it would. Oh well, what can you do?! I found out that I will most likely have to have another root canal on my other front bottom tooth...it's almost dead. Also, there is still a possibility that I will have to have surgery. I go in two weeks from now & then every month for possibly up to a year, so that they can take x-rays & inject medicine into my tooth. He thinks it will take up to a year for the bone to grow back & if it doesn't grow back completely then he will do surgery...let's cross our fingers that that won't be necessary. :) Also, my family doctor is referring me to a pain clinic so hopefully that will help with my other problems. I think I have 6 appointments scheduled this month already! Good thing gas is so cheap! Just kidding. I am trying to have a good attitude despite the really rotten luck I've had lately. And let me explain Heather's comment...if you've known me for long you know all of the random, really strange things that have happened to me. Most of the time it isn't even something really bad...it's just so WEIRD! Ha ha. Oh & thanks to Lincoln for being so nice...he picked up a Jamba Juice for me & made me dinner & let me bawl my eyes out to him earlier today. :) I could hardly talk, I was just crying "I...am...so....exhausted...& I keep....pushing myself....so hard....& I....am just...so...TIRED &....it just.....won't.....stop..." He puts up with some pretty great tantrums. Thanks babe. :)