A Special Cause

I have been putting off writing this post because I wanted to have the time to make it heartfelt and meaningful. Stephanie was one of my very best friends growing up and since we were little I have been impressed with her strength.

She moved away for a while when we were younger but somehow we were always friends. We became really close later in Jr. High after she moved back and since then I have considered her one of those friends that you will always love and feel close to no matter how far apart life may take you.

We roomed together for our first semester of college (when she met her husband!). She has always been fun loving and I have always struggled with that. We were a good pair.

I remember having long talks with Stephanie about things going on in her life and feeling like I had nothing to complain about. This girl has been through a lot. And yet, always after everything she was forgiving and still loving to those who may have hurt her. It has always impressed me.

Steph married an equally awesome guy and I enjoyed getting to be part of their special day. (Even though I may have ruined a few good pictures)

Stephanie and Matt will be amazing parents. I know that Stephanie will teach her children the power of forgiveness and love because that is what she has taught me.

Stephanie, along with other family members and friends who struggle with infertility, was one of the first people I thought of after finding out that I was pregnant. I was so excited for my own experience but also saddened by and confused why so many struggle to have children while we were blessed to get pregnant so fast. I know God has a plan for every one of us and we are all given different trials to face in life. That is one thing Stephanie and Matt are so good at recognizing. They know that God has a plan for them and their future children. They are working hard to be able to have a family and also relying on God and what He has in store for them.

Steph and Matt have been given the wonderful blessing of being sponsored by Pound the Pavement for Parenthood where a 5K Race is being held and donations are being made in their behalf. Although the race is in Indiana anyone can help by donating. They have a sweet story, which you can read here: http://poundthepavementforparenthood.blogspot.com/p/matt-stephanie-purcell.html.

I think it must be such a neat and humbling experience to have a community of people come together to help bring children into your life. Stephanie said it best when she wrote on her blog, "We are going to have the amazing opportunity of having those who love us help us become parents. I love that! Our kids are already so loved that people who love us want to help us get them here! They say it takes a village to raise a child--well, it's going to take a village to bring ours home!"

Y'all Ready for This?

25 week pic!

(This post is made better if you sing the song--in the title--while viewing....Epic right?).

Excuses, Excuses

I really have been wanting to blog for quite some time...but you see my computer will not hook up to the Internet at our apartment. Which means I have to find a time when Pete isn't using his computer for homework or figure out how to blog from my iPhone (yikes!).  So I have a million excuses for why I haven't blogged. But I am worried because I am missing so much going on in our lives!!

I know I am going to look back and be so mad that I didn't journal this time in our lives better. So here is my make-up attempt:

1. A growing belly. When my belly wasn't growing I was so good at taking pictures! I have about 15 pictures where I look exactly the same size. Now that it looks bigger every single day, I can't seem to find the right moment to take a picture. You see in the morning it's a rush to get out the door and I don't want to hassle Pete with having to stop to take a picture. When I get home I feel gross from a long day and I immediately change in to way more comfortable clothes that just aren't good for taking belly pictures.

Every Sunday I think "today's the day" (for a picture) and then between all that is going on I forget. Every time!

So here are a few old pictures...

and hopefully more to come soon. It is large my friends. And getting larger every day.

2. Gratitude Tree. Something we have started in our home. Each night (or more like, each night we remember) we write something we are grateful for and hang it on our tree. My intention was to keep it going until Thanksgiving, but at this rate we may not fill it until Christmas. I don't really care when we finish it. I just like the emphasis it brings into our home to remember the simple blessings in our lives.

3. Fall break. Pete and I had a wonderful fall break. Life was a bit hectic beforehand and we decided that if we didn't get away, we would not feel like we were even having  break from real life. So we booked a hotel in Park City and had a little getaway. We hiked in the beautiful, colorful mountains in Park City, visited Main Street, went swimming, relaxed and treated ourselves to few good meals. It was just the break we needed.

On our way home we decided that these kinds of little getaways are something we want to keep up for the rest of our lives. Big vacations that require a lot of time, money and flying (which I hate) probably just won't happen all that often. But quick little getaways are all we really need anyway.

4. Baby preparations. This is basically non existent. Except in my head and on my iPhone (where I make about 100 lists a day of things to remember/do/get). We have one outfit from Grandpa and Mimi Sundwall (Pete's parents) and a whole bunch of random toys and other hand-me-downs from Pete's Aunt Bessie. Other than that, we have not purchased a single thing to get ready for this baby. I am really dragging my feet. I know it would be easier to get stuff done now, before the holiday rush of things, but I just can't seem to make final decisions when I feel so far from the actual event of bringing a baby home.

I have done some research and looked online at potential stuff, but I get quickly discouraged because there are so many options out there! HELP PLEAASE!

I am, however, feeling more prepared in the area of the actual birth. I am reading lots of books and trying to do some thorough research about birthing options. I still have a lot of prep to do but I am getting a better idea of the direction I want to go in birthing this baby!

5. Daily monotony. From day-to-day it's hard not to get caught up in the monotony of Peter and I's daily responsibilities but we are trying to take it one day at a time and really enjoy the time we have together--just us. Pete is working so hard to prepare for the MCAT--which he will take a couple of weeks before the baby comes. He also continues to work hard at his regular school schedule, tutoring, teaching piano and volunteering all over the place.

We spoke in church last week and got new callings in the nursery. We are starting to feel more comfortable in our new ward and are getting to know people better.

This picture is the boys (Zach, Jeff, Pete & Uncle Mike) after the Priesthood session. Their faces fit their personalities so perfectly in this picture

6. Food. What is a blog post without mentioning food? I have been enjoying cooking lately and have been trying lots of new recipes. I mostly enjoy it, until I have an epic fail. Which happens more than I would like. But hey, you live and learn right?

A few things we are enjoying lately: Warm soups! Homemade granola with yogurt, mmmm. Pumpkin bread and muffins. We are still on our weekly search for the perfect chocolate donut. We search every other weekend or so when I really have a craving. But I won't purchase or eat the donut unless I KNOW it will be 100% worth it. It is a bit tricky to find the perfect chocolate donut sold singly. We found a dozen at Costco one night...but my craving + 12 chocolate donuts....really not a wise idea. And so the search continues and the craving never gets satisfied. But ONE DAY it will be worth all the waiting and all the searching.

My first pumpkin muffin of the season, which I thoroughly enjoyed at work one day. So much so that I had to take a picture...?

My Triathlete

In September Pete completed his first Triathlon! He made a goal at the beginning of the year to complete one and started lightly training in the spring/summer. I wanted so badly to be there to support him on the day of the race but it was way up in Ogden and his dad and him were leaving early in the morning and I would have to sit in a camping chair outside all day, alone. And pregnant.

So I got up early with him and helped him get out the door. I wished him luck and made him promise to take pictures for me. I was sad that I wasn't there but quickly fell back asleep for a couple more hours.

I made him promise to call me right when he was done so he called me on their way home and said everything went "fine." So typical. Come to find out, when I met him at his parents house in Alpine an hour later, he actually had an allergic reaction to something following the race and his dad gave him a hefty dose of Benadryl. All of this I had to find out from his mom because he was conked out. So I didn't get the full story of how things went until a few hours later.

So in the meantime, I went to the adult session of Stake Conference with his parents and hung out with his family while he slept it off.

That night we relaxed and watched the BYU-Utah game. Pete was tired from the Benadryl and a little sore over the next few days, but I tell ya, you really wouldn't know that kid had just completed a full Triathlon! He amazes me.

He will probably kill me for posting these photos, but it was a big deal and I can't pass up documenting our lives without fully documenting (pictures and all) Pete's first Triathlon!

 Don't mind the fact that he is making the same face in every one of these photos :)

Way to Go Pete!

Baby's First Outfit

We found out last Wednesday that our sweet little baby is going to be a GIRL! We could not be more thrilled and we feel her sweet spirit already!

My mind has been filled with all things pink and I think Pete is becoming a complete softie at the thought of having a baby girl.

Pete's parents went out and bought this little girl her very first outfit the night they found out it was a girl. When I opened the little box to find this sweet outfit I couldn't help but tear up. It is becoming so real!

I have left the outfit out on the dresser all week because every time I see it I am reminded that there really is a real little girl growing inside me and that soon enough she will be here as part of our family.

We feel so blessed to be bringing this sweet little girl into the world and know that she is going to be one spoiled and loved little girl (not only by us but a loving and supportive extended family as well).

Thank you to all who have shown excitement, love and support for us. We could not be more thrilled!