Baby Anabelle's Arrival

So, Anabelle was given two due dates. The first one was August 3, 2014, and the second was July 31, 2014. The first one came from her first ultrasound screening, and the second came at the gender scan. So, naturally, I was hoping for the one that came faster, plus how cool would it be to have a Harry Potter baby?! Well, July 31 came and passed, and no baby.

On August 1, my mom flew in from Virginia to be here to meet her when she decided to come. I hoped it wouldn't take too long so that my mom wouldn't spend all her time just waiting for a baby to come. She was such a big help though! She helped me clean my house and get groceries... I never really believed other women when they talked about not being able to keep their houses presentable or clean when a baby came. But even being pregnant, at the end, I started to have a hard time finding the energy to keep my house clean, so I was grateful for my mother who came and helped. Sunday, August 3 came, and I was anxiously awaiting the contractions to start. None came. The day went on just the same as the past 9 months. A lot of waiting and no baby. So I went to bed, not expecting to be awoken a few hours later.

Monday, August 4, 2014 - 3:00 AM
I woke up feeling not so great. I went to the restroom to see if I could get rid of some of the discomfort. Without much luck, I tried to go back to bed, but couldn't fall asleep because I was too uncomfortable. It felt like cramps, but didn't seem bad enough to be the real deal, so I just told myself they were the Braxton Hicks contractions. Nothing to worry about. Eventually I sort of dozed off, and got up when Devin did as he got ready for work. I told him that I'd been feeling pretty crampy since about 3 that morning, and that if I needed him to come home from work, that I would give him a call. So he left for work and Mom came over. Still cramping, I ate breakfast and lunch, we played some games, and I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. At about 1:00 PM, the cramps had gotten pretty bad, and consistently came about every 5 minutes. I finally convinced myself enough that I might be in labor, but I didn't want to go to the hospital uncertain and risk being turned away. So I called my OBGYN to see if I could come in really quickly to get checked and see how far along I was. I told them that I had been having contractions about 5 minutes apart for the past couple hours. The nurse told me to go to Labor and Delivery since they couldn't monitor the contractions. So I called Devin and told him that when he got home at 3:00, that we needed to go to the hospital (because I thought I could wait till then...) Nope. I called him again, and asked if he would come home now. So Devin came home, and by 2:30, Devin, Mom, Jessica, and myself were all at the hospital.

Monday, August 4, 2014 - 2:30 PM
When we got to the hospital, Devin dropped us off then went to park and attend a short meeting that he was scheduled to be at that day anyway. So I headed upstairs to Labor and Delivery and checked in. I was brought to a room by a nice nurse who told me they were just going to check me to see how far along I was. So I changed and the nurse came back and checked. She was surprised to find me dilated to a 6 already, and proceeded to tell me that I definitely wasn't leaving. She was more surprised that I had made it that long without coming in earlier! What can I say... It's those Morgan genes of refusing to go to the doctor until absolutely necessary kicking in!

(Grateful my family was there)

So she asked me if I wanted an epidural, and I said that I definitely would, but not quite yet. I knew Devin would want to watch them put it in, so I waited until he got there. I was glad that I had brought a raquetball with me though. I had told Devin earlier that if he still wanted to have a hand at the end of the day, that I would need some sort of stress ball. So that worked amazing!!! Definitely recommend it! Anyway, finally Devin got there, they checked me again, and I was dilated to a 7 (This was about 3 or 3:30 now). So I then asked if I could have the epidural. By that point the contractions had finally surpassed the pain I sometimes felt during "that time of the month," and I was definitely ready for an epidural. Let me tell you... Epidurals are amazing! I was pretty nervous about getting one at first. I was worried they'd mess up and prick something that they shouldn't. But all went well. I refused to look at the needle, and honestly, the prick from the needle was nothing compared to the contractions. I barely even felt them stick me. I will admit though, I had to ask my mom to hold my hand because I was pretty nervous (and Devin was watching them put it in :) ). After a half hour to an hour of waiting for the epidural to take full effect, I felt great! I couldn't really feel anything! I had no legs or waist, or at least that's what it felt like. By 6:00 I was fully dilated to 10 and it was time to start pushing. So I was prepped, and at 7:00 I began to push. I was aided by my wonderful nurse and husband. They were great coaches and support. I couldn't have kept it together without them.

Monday, August 4, 2014 - 7:00 PM
I began to push. And push. And push. And push. And push... It never seemed to stop. I had been hoping that our baby girl would be a quick pop-out, but she's a little stubborn like her momma. The doctors looked at her positioning and found her to be facing up instead of down, and also had her arm bent up by her head, making even more difficult that it already was to push her out. An hour into pushing and I was getting pretty exhausted. I didn't feel like I was making any progress because I couldn't feel anything changing. My coaches kept telling me that I was doing great, but I sure didn't feel like it... If I was doing so great, then why was it taking so long for her to come out. The doctor had tried to turn our baby face down instead of up. But she would have none of it. She insisted on remaining face up with her arm up by her head. After about two and a half hours of pushing and an episiotomy, I was done. I was physically exhausted. I had a hard time breathing and was wearing an oxygen mask. The doctor told me that she was almost out, and could see that I was exhausted, and told me that they were going to proceed to use the vacuum to get our baby out. So he got out this suction cup thing and stuck it on my baby's head. However, her arm was still making it difficult to pull her out, even with the vacuum. So the doctor called another nurse over and told her that they needed to get her out and give her a little push. So I kid you not, this nurse put both of her hands right above the baby in my belly (this is exterior, so on top of my tummy), as though she was about to do CPR on my tummy, and without much warning, she put her full weight into my stomach and pushed my baby out the rest of the way. Let's just say that I was grateful that the epidural was still working. The doctor then informed me that he was amazed that I had been able to push her out in the position that she was in, and that I hadn't had to have a C-section.

Monday, August 4, 2014 - 9:17 PM
At 9:17 PM, Anabelle Kate Maxwell finally came into the world. She had a pretty good head full of light brown hair and beautiful baby blue eyes (which seem to be what they'll stay). She was 8 lbs. 6 oz., and measured 20.5 inches, and had quite the cone head. She was beautiful. The entire experience was surreal. I, Gail Maxwell, was now a mother. I had a baby...

After she came out, they held her up so that I could see her, then whisked her away to get her warm and cleaned off, and then do all their after birth tests to make sure she was okay and functioning well. During that time, I was stitched back up. After she was semi-cleaned up, I was finally able to hold her. I felt as though I was holding a very fragile piece of glass, and was praying that I was being gentle enough. She was so big, yet so small. I don't think I have held a newborn baby since my little brother was born in 1994. I've always been terrified at the idea. But this child was mine. And I loved her instantly. No fear or anxiety was going to keep me from holding my new, little baby girl. As I held her I realized that this child is now going to rely on me and Devin to take care of her. To help her grow. To keep her healthy and safe. To raise her in a happy home. To teach her of her divine worth. To teach her that she is a child and daughter of God. Heavenly Father had trusted us enough to let us raise one of his little angels, and I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have been given.

I love being a Mom.

How We Met

Hey all! It's been a while. Not really a devoted blogger as you can tell. But I just wanted to share the news that Devin and I are expecting a cute little girl on July 31!!! We are so excited and so are the families :) She is an active little thing... Always kicking and rolling over. Not that many people will ever read this, but I was thinking that I'd like to post the story about how Devin and I met. Kind of how we got to where we are. This way I will always have a place to find the story if I need it :) So here goes...

Our Story – How We Met

Once upon a time...

After a long summer back home in Manassas, Virginia, Gail flew back to Provo to get ready for school.

It was the first day of classes, and the homework had not yet begun to pile up. Some of the boys took advantage of this and decided that it would be a great idea to get a game of ultimate frisbee going. So they walked around the apartments in their ward, knocking on doors, trying to find people to play with them. Devin and another Devon, knocked on Gail's door and asked her and her roommates if they wanted to play some frisbee. Gail, who loved to play and who also had nothing better to do agreed to play, so she strapped on her cleats and joined the group. Several other games were played that week. At first it didn't appear like anything was going on. But eventually Devin realized that Gail was a sneaky frisbee player and always managed to score points because no one was watching her. Determined to put an end to this, Devin began chasing Gail around the field, attempting to stop her sheer awesomeness. At first Gail found it annoying... And then she just found it amusing... And then she looked forward to it. Throughout the games she would "accidently" run into Devin or tackle him, and he'd just play along with it.

Gail and her roommates were determined to have a different guy's apartment over every Sunday night for dinner, so that they could get to know them better (and also maybe other ulterior motives ;) ). Unable to decide which apartment to pick, Gail's roommate placed the apartment numbers in a hat and had Gail draw one. She drew 72. So her roommate made an invitation and went to put it on their door. That night another frisbee game was played. Gail had discovered that it was Devin's apartment she had drawn out of the hat, and at the end of the game, she made sure to ask him if he had received the invitation (thinking it may have blown away since it was quite the blustery day). He insured her that they had gotten the invitation and that their apartment would definitely be coming over.

Over the summer, Gail's mother had put her to work and trained her in the ways of becoming a domestic goddess. Gail decided to put those skills to the test and came to the conclusion that she must make chimichangas for dinner to impress the boys. After church, she and her roommates came home and began the arduous task of making these crispy, fried delights. The time came for the boys to come over and then the time passed. Anxiously awaiting their arrival, the girls made some finishing touches, and then the boys came. They surprised the girls by bringing over a beautiful bean dip that wasn't even asked for, but it was greatly appreciated... And DELICIOUS (and as Gail later found out, the handiwork had been Devin's)! After dinner they had dessert and played games. During mentioned game, Devin and Gail kept unknowingly glancing at each other. The time came for ward prayer and the Gail invited the boys to come back over after prayer. They said they would. After ward prayer, the girls went home and waited again. They began to think they weren't coming when Devin came back over and stayed the rest of the evening, successfully getting Gail's number by putting his phone in her hand with a new contact page open, and without saying anything, suggested that she input her number. Devin left that evening giving all the girls a hug, but as Gail later found out, Devin had tested Gail to see what kind of hug she gave him, to help him decide if there was interest ;) She did well.

The next day there was another ultimate game. Gail, feeling more daring after the previous night, kept her eyes on Devin, still chased him around, but also kept a little distance because she wasn't quite sure if feelings were mutual (and she feared scaring him off). At the end of the game when everyone was leaving, Gail lingered around so she could walk back with Devin, however, somehow they ended up in a wrestling match... Not knowing Devin had been a wrestler in high school, she might have thought twice about initiating the attack. But, as it were, she did not know, and she ended up on the ground with a lovely bruise on her leg for the next month. After the little wrestling match, and they were heading back, everyone paused outside the swimming pool. No one was in the proper attire to go swimming, but they were all hot and sweaty... So, everyone jumped into the pool with their clothes on, except Gail. Devin's roommate, Tanner, gladly pushed her in without letting her decide. So, the team played in the pool for a while and played a game called "Chicken Fights," where someone sat on someone else's shoulders and tried to push the other person off. It somehow worked out that Devin managed to get Gail to sit on his shoulders both times... Sneaky guy that he is... 

The night ended with the guys rushing off to give someone a blessing, and from there Gail was hooked... Worthy priesthood holder AND he could make food (bean dip). 

Two days later, Gail worked up the nerve to invite herself over to his apartment to just say hi and chat... At first the plan worked, but then it was foiled by one of her roommates who also decided she wanted to come over... However, this initiated surprise visit seemed to leave Devin impressed with Gail's showing of interest.

Another two days later, Gail was on break at work when she received a text from Devin, and he told her he would pick her up, and asked her if she would like to go out for ice cream. Gail quickly agreed to this and was pretty much excited and happy for the rest of her shift. He picked her up and they went to this awesome place where they use liquid nitrogen to freeze your ice cream right in front of you. They talked for a while, and Gail invited him over later that night to watch the movie UP... And it's all history from there. Devin came over, they cuddled on the couch and held hands for the first time, then two days later Devin and Gail had their first kiss.

They went on a couple trips together during the semester. One to Rexburg, Idaho, with Devin's mother to surprise his older brother at his Halloween concert. They then traveled to Las Vegas, and to his home in Arizona for Thanksgiving to meet the friends and family, and of course... Pie night. 

Then, on the night of December 11, 2011, Devin and Gail were playing scrabble with their roommates, and Devin told Gail to figure out a supposed scrambled phrase he had put together on the board. As Gail turned around to unscramble it, she was confused as to why there was a complete, unscrambled phrase on the board. More confused about the complete phrase, she didn't even make sense of what Devin had written at first... 

 ... As Gail was finally reading what the phrase said, Devin knelt down and asked Gail to be his happily ever after, and it really will be... A happily ever after.

The Beginning...

What's in Store Now?

Two months ago, I finally graduated from Brigham University with a BS in Psychology. People keep asking me what I am going to do now. What plans do I have for the future? What do I want to do with my degree? Honest answer? Nothing. I don't have any plans in regards to my degree. Yes, it's kind of nerve-wracking not knowing what I'm going to be doing. But I do know that I have graduated and have a Bachelor's degree under my belt. That's a big step in the right direction if I ever need to move further on in my degree. For now though, my plans are fairly simple. Work, work, work, and get Devin through college. I am still working at Chick-fil-A. It's a great institution and I owe a lot to them. Thanks to Chick-fil-A (for the most part), I was able to graduate completely debt free, having paid for everything entirely on my own. Thanks mom and dad for teaching me to be responsible and save money. I've learned a lot about being frugal and putting off present wants for greater rewards later on. I'm so blessed to have a husband who also understands this and am grateful to my new parents for teaching him how to live frugally.

Speaking of my husband, this summer has been kind of tough. We both decided that what was best, was for him to head back to South Carolina for the summer and work pest control again, and for me to stay behind in Utah and stay with my job. So he's been gone for 2 months now and it's really kind of lonely at home. I'm grateful for my sister and old roommate who are keeping me company and from going insane. But only a month and a half left! I did get to go visit Devin for 2 weeks, and it has been great! Best two weeks of the summer, but also the fastest. Here's to hoping that these last 6 weeks go by faster than the last 6!

Why Psychology?

I have successfully started my final semester in my undergrad career. SO STOKED!!! After four and a half years of school, I am ready for a break. My choice of major is psychology. No. I am not analyzing you. No. I don't have a career that I'm interested in, besides the career of a mom. No. I am not planning on going to grad school (as of now). So why major in psychology then if I don't plan on doing anything with it? Believe me... I have asked myself that question almost everyday since I declared my major. In the beginning I picked it because the major was short. I was almost a junior and still hadn't declared a major. I was enrolled in an introductory psychology course and found it to be enjoyable. So I pushed forward into the world of psychology. I've studied its history, how the brain works, different theories and therapies, written research papers, performed studies, studied gender differences, but even after all of that... I was still just doing it to graduate. This semester I am currently enrolled in a class that is called LDS Perspectives on Psychology. So tonight, I was reading the required reading for class this week and the article happened to be by a professor at BYU, whose writings tend to be my favorite. This article was entitled, "Restoration and the 'Turning of Things Upside Down": What is Required of an LDS Perspective". I would like to give you a somewhat lengthy post of some of the things Dr. Williams has to say.

"Shortly after the death of the ancient apostles, the presiding authority and the guiding revelation were lost from the earth. Mormons accept without question that theologians and thus religious traditions went wrong somewhere around the third of fourth centuries (or earlier) and that they have continued to be wrong throughout the night of apostasy until the Restoration. We might well ask, however, if while religionists went irrevocably wrong for fourteen hundred years, philosophers stayed on track and stayed right. Or, we might ask if scientists simply went on their own way discovering truth, even though the light of truth had gone out elsewhere. Are we to assume that only religion went wrong while science, philosophy, aesthetics, and moral theory went right (i.e., that only religious truth was compromised)? I submit that the effects of the apostasy were not confined merely to religion. Rather, since the Lord proclaimed that what was wrong with the religion of the nineteenth century was that it taught for doctrines the commandments of men, we must assume that those commandments---the philosophies and precepts compromising nineteenth-century theology---must also be wrong." (p. 5-6)

I had never considered that idea that the apostasy could be applicable to other areas besides religion... When the apostasy occurred after the death of Christ, the truth was taken from the earth. So how would it have been possible that areas such as science were finding "truths" when it wasn't on the earth to begin with? So why am I studying a science that is full of the truths of man, but not the truths of God? ... I finally found my answer. And I've been taught this answer since my days in primary. As Dr. Williams says:

"A few years ago at BYU, a group of intellectuals organized themselves and issued a sort of proclamation to the effect that (a) LDS bishops might profit from clinical training, and that (b) bishops as well as the Church, might be very useful in the therapeutic process. The implication was that bishops and the Church might serve as a support system to help people while the real change was produced by therapeutic intervention. It seems that, in the minds of many, it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ that heals; the gospel of Jesus Christ merely supplies us with a support system while the principles and practices of therapy-derived from the secular social sciences really make the change. The failure to believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the source of real healing of the human soul is a repudiation of the gospel itself... We can be entirely confident that ideas and therapeutic practices founded on revealed truth, no matter how unpopular they may be, will work infinitely better than other kinds of therapies not so grounded." (p. 7, 20)

I know now that I did not choose psychology for the purposes of finding a career.Choosing psychology as a major was meant to help strengthen my testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. It took my 23 years in life and 4 and a half of those years at school to tell me and help me know that Christ is the ultimate healer. There is no therapy, no procedure, no medicine that can heal the hurt, depression, anxiety, of an aching soul better than the healing hands of our Savior can. HE is the one whom we should turn to. When searching for help, we must search for truth. I love my savior, and I know that he loves each and every one of us, and is calling out for each of us to come to him, and feel peace and healing.

Williams, R. (1998). "Restoration and the 'turning of things upside down': What is required of an LDS perspective. AMCAP Journal, 23(1), (pp. 1-30).


(If you have any questions regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would like to know more, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org)

The First Summer of Being Married

Well... Let me begin with saying that being married is pretty much the most superawesometasticest thing ever! Look that up in a dictionary :) Anyway! So this summer was/is not anything I had imagined it to be... Devin and I got married on a Saturday.

We were able to go to a nice resort for Saturday night and Sunday, and then that following Monday morning, we crammed into our little Civic and started the cross country trip to South Carolina for our summer job working with a pest control company. We decided to do this because this job would allow us to make bank over the summer and earn enough for school.

So we arrived in South Carolina that following Sunday evening, and then started work the very next day. And thus began a summer of nothing quite like I expected... Devin began the summer as a sales person. In this job one treks from door to door in an assigned neighborhood from 12-9 pm, knocking and re-knocking sometimes 3-4 times. This was Devin's life. A sales person's paycheck comes from their sales, so somedays they can work 9-10 hours and not make anything. Talk about stressful! But Devin did pretty well.

Now me? I have the lovely task of drenching the houses with pesticides and in the process usually end up drenching myself. What is required of me is I usually end up walking around the house 4-5 times depending on the house. 1 for taking down all webs, wasp nests, mud daubers, and any other pest creation (except bird nests) that might be on the house. 2 for spraying the entire house, top and bottom, around doors and windows. 3 for granulating the lawn. 4 for dusting the crawl space. And 5 for another go-around of webs that I missed the first time and found while spraying. I also have to go in each home and spray the inside. EVERY room around the baseboards. I then have to take down all the webs in the garage, spray in there, and hide little sticky traps, meant to catch bugs. Did I mention that the uniform I wear is all men's clothing? Yeah. I guess they never thought a girl would voluntarily choose to spray over sell, so I'm stuck dressing like a man 6 days a week 12-14 hours a day. Sweating constantly. No makeup. No cute hair. I can't even wear my engagement ring for fear of losing it. So why did i do this? Now that IS an intriguing question. It's probably because I can't even convince myself that I'd be a good sales person. If I can't convince myself, how am I supposed to convince people to buy something that they could easily do with their shoe or a can of Raid? (Granted, our pesticides are a little safer... Go Green!)

So the summer plodded on. Devin selling. Me spraying. Devin goes into work at 11. Me, whenever my first stop is. Usually 9 or 10. So the only time we see each other is for about 30 minutes every morning, if that..., and for about an hour or two at night... I'm beginning to regret not going on a honeymoon... Well, come June, Devin is having a rough time with sales so he decides to switch over to a technician position like me. Meaning he is gone by 8:30 every morning now and home generally between 9:30 and 10:30. Sometimes later. So now we get to see each other even less. On Sunday, the one day that we can see each other, if we're not at church we're sleeping... But we try to spend as much time together on Sunday as possible. One of our favorite activities to do is make dinner, since it's the only time we can make a legit one. So, Sunday family dinners are always the best :)


This job really makes me miss days off...  We were able to make a family trip with me, Devin, Kellen, and Rylan, down to Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 4th of July. That was a much needed, purely fun day! And it was really nice to escape Greenville and spend time with family. But about two weeks ago I ended up getting mono. For those who don't know what that is, imagine strep throat, but a bajillion times worse. It's the strep throat of all strep throats. So I've had my share of time off recently. I'm getting really bored just sitting at home by myself all day on the computer. I've cooked, and baked, and cleaned, and read, and even started compiling recipes that we've tried and liked, into a family cookbook. But I'm ready for summer to be done. I'm ready to get back to school and Provo, and *hold your breath* Chick-fil-A!!! But you know what? As much as I complain, I am not ungrateful toward this job... In fact I am extremely grateful for it. I've learned a lot. I've learned what it's like to work a physically exhausting job with a pleasant reward every two weeks for your hard work. I've learned how much I hate bugs, but I've also learned a new respect for salesmen and women. These guys (and girls) put up with so much crud from other people, but they're out there just trying to make a living too... Just like anyone else. Yeah, it may be annoying that they knock on your door when there's a "No Soliciting" sign at the front of your neighborhood. But it's gotta take a lot of confidence and will power to have door after door slammed in your face and still continue on... I have a new respect for them. I've learned even more how much I want to be a stay at home mom. I love having a place I can call home that's my responsibility to keep clean ***Yes Devin, I know it's your responsibility too, and not just mine :) *** And I really enjoy cooking meals for the family and just doing all those little small things that make a home feel like a home. I've learned a little bit more patience I think... But not too much :) I've learned that I'm not Wonder Woman, and that it's okay to ask for help. I've learned to get over my fear/dislike/hard time of calling people I don't know and talking to strangers... Don't worry Mom... I'll still never go up to a car where someone offers me candy... Not THAT kind of stranger :) I've learned that I'm more of a crier than I thought I was, but that I married a really good tissue for that :) But the most important thing I've learned? Is how much my husband loves me and how much I love him. It's the little things like in the pictures below that make me smile big and feel warm inside after a hard day's work. These hard days are bearable because he is working hard too, and because we're both working for the same goal--to be able to support ourselves during this upcoming school year. I love learning how to work together to support our family. And it sure is nice coming home to each other, give each other a hug and a kiss, and then leave everything else behind as we close the front door...

Life is only going to get better from here on out... Oh, and if anyone has some bugs they want to get rid of... I'm a pro. :)

Something I've Learned this Week

So... Something I've learned this week is that I am not a very good public speaking. At least in the school setting.  Give me a sacrament talk? No problem. Make me stand up in front of people for a grade? Gross... So as I was thinking about this, I started thinking about when I took piano lessons as a child, and how public speaking and piano lessons are somewhat similar for me... When I took lessons, I could practice all I wanted and it would be great. I wouldn't mess up, and things sounded great! Then came the dreaded recital... Put me in front of people and I mess up all over the place. Such it is with me at public speaking. I can practice my speech before hand with no hitches. However, when it comes time to present, I'm a nervous wreck... I don't feel very confident in my abilities in voicing my opinion, and if I don't talk a lot around big groups of people (or even small groups of people), it's generally because I never feel like I have much to say that hasn't already been said that could add to the conversation. Even in writing this blog I am hesitant because I read other blogs were people write really well. But you know what? I'm okay with that. Some people can write well, and some people are just listeners, and that's a great skill to have too I think. There are always people out there who need someone to just listen to them and not give advice. So, even if I'm not good at talking in public... I'm REALLY good at listening in public! :)

Anyway, on the brighter side of things, the thing that has been pulling me through these last few weeks of school is that fact that I'm getting married in 20 days to the most amazing man ever! SOOO stoked!!! In 2 weeks, I won't have to think about school. I'll be in the car, on the way to Vegas, getting even more excited for life and the things that lay ahead. So, once the dread of finals are over, life is going to be good :)

Just some final thoughts. Tomorrow is Easter. I know for many, the first images that come to mind may be bunnies, or eggs, or candy, or baskets, or pretty colors, or various other fun things. However, I encourage everyone to remember the most important thing, the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I KNOW that My Redeemer Lives.

Welcome to Me!

Well... Blogging... Truth be told I got one so that I could follow my friend's posts, but I might as well say a little something too :)

So, here are the top ten things that are on my mind recently:

1) I'M GETTING MARRIED IN 59 DAYS!!!!!!!! 8D So. Freaking. Excited!!! I'm marrying the best man I've ever known and ever will know. He's my best friend.

2) School is really stressing me out... I'm majoring in a subject that I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with it... In all honesty, I just want to be a mom. That is one of the most important jobs in the world I think. If we don't raise our children well, who will we be able to trust our country and lives to in later years?

3) My family is really amazing. They've done so much for me and are doing so much for me. I can't seem to tell them just how much I appreciate them, but I should certainly tell them more often. Everyone should. You don't realize until you're older how much you rely on them and how much they put themselves aside and do everything in their power to help you. Tell the ones you love every day that you love them.

4) I love my church. I love the blessings it brings. I love the principles it teaches. I love the truthfulness of it. I love that I have been able to live a pure and chaste life and have been taught the importance of marriage. I am grateful for my testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For the Atonement. For the Resurrection. For the Restoration. For living prophets. For people who stand up for what they believe in.

5) Recently I have been doing this diet called Thrive. It's great. If anyone has been trying to look for something that works, just look up Thrive. It is based in Georgia and really only requires some self-discipline. But I've lost 20 pounds in the past 2 months. Thanks Thrive!

6) I'm fed up with school and ready for a break... Even better? I'm so ready to graduate.

7) I'm really excited about this summer. I'll get to spend time with my fiancee (by then my husband!) and my brother-in-laws. There won't be a curfew when I have to send my fiancee home because his home will be my home! I'm looking forward to getting to know my new family better. His brothers are awesome! I'm excited to add 5 more brothers the the 3 I already have. Yay for boys!

8) Baking and Cooking... Recently I've just been wishing that I could raid the cooking/baking aisles at the grocery store, take it all home, and make everything that I've been wanting to try... Problems with this? I'm a college student with a severe lackage of money... And I would have to eat all of it! Welcome back to those 20 pounds that I lost! :) But seriously... Someday I just want to have a day where I can bake all day, or even a couple days and make tons of delicious things and share them with my family and friends.

9) I'm excited to do a different job this summer. I love where I work now, but I think a small break of doing something really different will help me appreciate the job that I have now even better, when I come back in  the fall.

10) Donuts... Yes... Donuts always seem to be on my mind, and those who have spent some time around me recently will back this up. Haha... There is just something about a donut that is so satisfying... A warm, sugary, carbolicious delight topped with frosting and sprinkles... Or a bavarian cream-filled mound of happiness... Or that glazed orb that melts in your mouth... How could something like that NOT make you happy? I rest my case.