Additionally,

Levi is excited to be a big brother. We're due mid-January and like to hope that 14 weeks along is safe to share our news. We'll call her Venice Christine (a real, not just an embryo, name) until proven otherwise.

12 week photo shoot: you can see her little appendages! 

You (I) Know You're (I'm) Pregnant When...

1. Well, the first clue is obvious: plus, when you're already waiting to miss your period and watching it intently, you figure it out pretty fast.
2. It's not the first pregnancy. What they say is true. At two weeks the pants already felt constricting. Wear them anyway.
3. You start spilling on yourself, on your child, on anyone that is around at least once a day. Don't count the times that aren't too obvious--it's reassuring.
4. Vomiting becomes a humorous family activity. Your toddler pats you on the back as he laughs. Your neighbors start wondering if you're bulimic.
5. Please don't talk, or think, or plan anything to do with food. Even now, nothing sounds good. Water. Water is good. Why do waffles suddenly smell like cookies?
6. Except for those few weeks when all you wanted was pizza.
7. It takes you all day to plan dinner (see 5). It took a week to plan an elaborate barbecue chicken dinner, and it takes all day to put it together with your last pieces of chicken, last bit of barbecue sauce, and last rice. Forget to turn on the oven. Of course, you don't notice for 4 hours when the chicken has probably gone bad. Your husband hugs you and tells you the budget can expand for a dinner out.
8. Constant bloody nose.
9. You mimic your one-year-old's schedule, with more naps.
10. You cry just thinking about Finding Nemo. The dad. The little fish with a hurt fin. The mom. The thousands of dead babies.
11. You dream of miscarriage at least twice a week, nightmare otherwise, and wait, hoping not to lose this lemon sized baby.
12. You open the dryer to find wet towels from three days earlier. Oops.
13. You still differentiate between the dream world and the real world--but now it's worse. It demands bodily action. When the wind blows through your window at 5:30 a.m., somehow you're convinced that deathly harm has befallen your son. You leap ("fly" in your husband's words) up, but crash into the door frame rather than gliding through the door, and collapse on the floor. This is probably a good thing, since you would have passed out from moving that fast otherwise. Once you figured out that your face took the hit and not the rest of you, and that your son continued to sleep on peacefully--the swollen lips were just laughable.
14. You start to enjoy your 3 a.m. bathroom break because you are oh so happy happy happy for this little child.

Another Family Party

Is that a peacock?  

 Dads and the boys

 Sisters

Levi wants to be a fish. So much that his cousins wouldn't swim with him. 

This is fun

Here's a review of a journal my work was in. I'm mostly tickled about their praise of Catherine Curtis. Her work is definitely worth following--poignant, hilarious, wonderful. 

http://lunaparkreview.com/sometimes-dark-always-honest/

Women of Covenant

"We are going to do something extraordinary." --Emma Smith

""Let your first business be to perform your duties at home. But inasmuch as you are wise stewards, you will find time for [other] duties because these are incumbent upon us as daughters and mothers in Zion...By seeking to perform every duty you will find that your capacity will increase, and you will be astonished at what you can accomplish." --Eliza R. Snow

"I think visiting teaching is the most important work we do in the Church....I feel I really know a woman only when I enter her home. In this way I can serve her person-to-person. I have tried not to suppress any inclination to generous word or deed." --Camilla Kimball

"We should recognize that ideals are stars to steer by; they are not a stick to beat ourselves with." --Barbara Smith 

I love Relief Society. Last week I finished reading Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society. I loved it; it's amazing how my appreciation of something, even something I already love, can increase when I know its history and evolution. In my personal involvement in Relief Society I have seen miracles as women work together to help one another and seek to compassionately serve and grow. I bought this book almost five years ago when serving as secretary in my singles ward RS, but have only been able to skim through it until now. Since then, I've experienced the joy of visiting teaching--and the sorrows you can share with women who become your sisters. I've seen the effort that goes into creating meetings that uplift and build. I've participated in funerals, quilting, babysitting, and music. Mostly, this book helped me remember that Relief Society is really about providing relief to our families, to each other, to the Priesthood, and by doing so becoming more Christlike. Thinking about Relief Society really just makes me want to hug people and say, "Come with me." 

Three Days of Celebrating Independence!

Because July 4 was Sunday, Idaho Falls hosted the parade and fireworks on Saturday, then "observed" the holiday on Monday. 

We believed the paradewould be a 30-45 minute number, but it extended to 3 ½ hours! At the intermission, Levi put his arms around my neck dived into my shoulder and conked out. That has never happened! The poor kid slept through most of the marching bands, streams of cars and floats, and even the fire trucks with the sirens and horns. He woke up just in time to urinate all over the two of us. That’s comfort for you. Our cute matching red and white tops with dark blue jeans lost effect because the high temperature on July 3 was 71 and we wore sweatshirts. I shivered, Wes rejoiced then sweated. Because the parade took most of the day, we skipped the Farmer’s Market and other riverside festivities, which was fine. That night we stepped out to the sidewalk to see the fireworks; we couldn’t hear the music they were synced to, but it was beautiful to reflect on the excitement fireworks inspire and how they symbolize the many lives and efforts that have been sacrificed to make and maintain this country.

Monday (and part of Sunday) we spent the day with Wesley's sisters--eating hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salads and then exploring Kelly Canyon. Beautiful! It was wonderful to be out in the land that we celebrate--to look out over the river, trees, and enjoy the dust and sweat of being outside. Levi loved it.

As we’ve approached this July 4 I was grateful to celebrate it on the Sabbath. I often wonder why I was born here rather than fill-in-the-blank. I wonder if I appreciate the small liberties I have—and the large ones for that matter. I think it is easy (for me) to criticize the results of imperfect people instead of rejoicing in the good that does go forth. I am grateful for those that are willing to lead this country; I’m grateful for the people who sacrifice themselves, in the military and otherwise, for this land and its ideals. I’m grateful that there are those who still believe in freedom and want what is best for America. I realize that perspectives and politics can trip this up occasionally (often), but how wonderful it is to be in a place that we can voice those perspectives and work together to create something greater. Patriotism doesn’t fall in party lines. Patriotism requires that we refocus when necessary and rise to the challenge of our times with as much grace as possible. Ultimately, to be truly patriotic, I think we must rely on the Lord and His plan. I love my land of liberties and I’ve realized this week that one of the main reasons is because it was established on the hope and goal of religious freedom and thus enabled the Restoration of the gospel. It is a promised land of liberty. Acknowledging my liberties always leads me to the awe I have in the atonement and the great liberty Christ offers to all of us—perfection, purity, unity, and an inheritance with our Heavenly Parents. His liberty does not demand boundaries of land or body, but reaches our whole souls if we allow it. How amazing that is. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His Son. 

Comment! Wedding Pictures!

My beautiful baby sister will marry a strapping (tall) and sweet young man in a month. Their photographer has already done their formal session (she must be busy!). They receive a free 8 X 10 after so many comments on her blog. So check out Megan and Drew and comment!

http://www.momentsbykellee.com/blog/

If nothing else, the pictures are fun to look at. Such gorgeous people.