ROAD TRIP

Last week we packed up our bags and headed out to beautiful South Carolina. Stephen's grandpa and his wife Georgia live in Myrtle Beach, SC and hosted a family reunion for my in laws and their kids for a week.  Driving through the south was such a cool experience. We drove through Arkansas during daylight and it was like driving through a maze of vines. It felt so much like Washington except with more tropical type of trees.   Then right when the sun went down we hit Memphis. After being in West Plains for 7 months it was a sight for sour eyes. As we drove through this huge bridge you could see all the city lights and buildings. Isabella was awake and she was oohiing and ahhing at all the car lights and trucks and buildings. Isa and I are definitely city girls. We drove till 3 in the morning and then spent the night at a hotel. The next morning we hit Alabama and Georgia and we fell in love. Birmingham is so green and beautiful but Georgia took the cake. It is so green but still open and the city/civilization life just makes me feel alive. We stopped in Augusta right out of Atlanta and felt like we could totally live there. I loved seeing all those tall southern homes with the big columns that reminded me so much of Gone with the Wind. We got to stop at our old time favorite Olive Garden and ordered the same thing we have for five years: Five Cheese Ziti al forno and Zuppa Toscana. Never disappoints.
 We have definitely had our share of nightmare traveling trips so I was amazed at how easy this trip was. After those 20 hour trips to Honduras with her screaming on planes and our awful drive from Utah to Missouri this was a piece of cake. We could actually talk, listen to music and enjoy the sights. I wanted to give Isabella an award as we drove into Myrtle Beach. I said so many silent prayers of thanks.
On our last stop in Georgia we took Isabella to a little park so she could stretch her legs and get some energy out. A lot of churches in Georgia have parks that are open to the public for kids to play in. It was so good to take our time this trip and stop whenever we wanted to and just enjoy the ride instead of just rushing through it.

BEBE NUMERO 2

I cannot count how many times I have meant to sit down and write and have almost done it, but then thought of something else I'd rather do. But tonight I finally picked myself up and grabbed the computer and finally 3 months later here I am. 3 months how crazy is that?

Last time I wrote I was not aware that I was pregnant. Now I am very very aware that I am pregnant. Hence the three month hiatus. I am in my second trimester and lets just say first trimester you will NOT be missed. I literally feel like I just got out of a dark depressing very dark cloud and can finally feel the sunshine again. Pregnancy what a life! My goodness does it suck. But oh is it worth it. At nights after very long sick days I will close my eyes and picture those chubby perfect little cheeks, those tiny wrinkly feet, and oh those so so cute little tiny hands that love to wrap around mommy fingers. That keeps me going day after day.

 I have gained such an appreciation for the amazingly loving daughter that I have. One day after Stephen being gone for his 70 hour insane weeks of tons of stuff, he was finally home, it was late and I was done. I was done being pregnant. I was done being hormonal. I was done being sick and cranky and useless and exhausted. Isabella and Stephen were playing and I just sat down on the hallway and balled my eyes out. I just couldn't stop. Isabella came up to me so concerned and would wipe my tears away and kiss me so gently and wrap her little arms around me as she patted me on the back like such a little mommy. She is blossoming so beautifully. Everyday I look at her and my heart just swells. I just have this feeling that she is going to be a wonderful big sis. Bebe doesn't know what's coming because he/she is going to be drowned in so much love everyday from his two mommies. I can't even explain what a support Stephen has been. I just don't know how he does everything he does. His strength, energy, and capacity to love just humble me. Never have I felt more grateful for having a strong priesthood holder in my home.

Because this pregnancy has been so much harder I have also felt a greater appreciation for this baby. I feel such a need to connect with it and try and remember what is really happening inside me. I can truly feel him/her inside of me sometimes even though I have felt no kicks. I am overwhelmed with love and joy when I picture the first time I see baby's little face and body. I used to think I didn't like newborns because they were so much work, but I have surprised myself by missing that stage so much and looking forward to that tiny little body cradled against me day and night.

I do have to mention somewhere in here the intense dreams I have been having. I either have horrible nightmares or very weird vivid dreams. My favorite one so far was when I went into labor in my old house in Honduras. Everyone was there and all of a sudden I gave birth to a hamster. It was huge and I was terrified. Everyone told me it was the most normal thing to have a hamster before you had a baby and not to worry the baby was coming after. Every time I think about it I shudder. It was so real!

But I am done! First trimester is gone amigos. Thank goodness. The sun is out, life is great and it is family prime time. Isabella and I get to hang out in our swimsuits half of the day so that is also wonderful.

I need some baby bump pictures.

MARCH MADNESS

 Did March go crazy fast or what? I feel like it lasted 48 hours. Is it really April 8th already? Holy cow. I found like a million pictures on my phone that we took this month and there are too many little precious moments here that needed to be saved. I think I might do this picture bomb post once a month to record all those little things that fill up our month but don't make it to other posts. Here we go:

^^

*climbing on the toilet is her new thing. She loves to reach over and turn the water on. One of this days she is gonna slip but oh well what can i do?

^^

Lets get out of here mom! haha

^^

Found Senor Leon at a Thrift store last month. He is so cool and useful. Yey for rich people who get rid of awesome stuff!

^^

our favorite restaurant in west plains by far is this little pizza place in the old town square. They have stuff for kids to do which makes it Isabella's favorite place too. Plus they serve the best pizza we have ever had.

^^

This is Isabella's version of "helping" me make banana bread haha

^^

Isabella found her wings from Halloween the other day and poor wowow got stuck being a faerie

^^

This is Isabella's and Stephen's latest thing together. She is starting to hold the bat so much better but likes to pitch more than hit. Whenever her dad hits the ball and makes it go really far she oohs and ahhs and looks at him like he is the coolest person in the planet haha These two:)

^^

a couple weeks ago the library had a sleepover for stuffed animals. The kids got to pick them up the next day at story time and see pictures of what they did. The cow is Isabella's. Isa loved this and just kissed vaca goodbye when we dropped her off.  

^^

This picture is no joke. Isabella sweeps,mops,and dusts the house. She aint no Cinderella don't worry she just loves to clean! 

^^

We picked these flowers up from one of our walks the other day. Stephen jokes that I stole them from someone's yard but I swear they were growing in the wild! Isabella loves to come over and smell them and pat them. I didn't realize how much flowers can liven up a room. I am becoming a flower girl...

^^

I found her like this in her room the other day right before nap time:)

^^

whip cream straight from the table. desperate moment so i could finish my breakfast in peace...

^^

Dr. Jones keeps some of his horses right outside the surgery center so I try and stop once in a while so that Isabella can play with them. She likes to try and feed them rocks and dead leaves. Poor horses.

^^

Story time with her best friends. Look at that little finger:)

^^

Driving lessons afterwork in the parking lot. This might not have been the best idea cause now she want to drive all the time....

^^

Foot massages for mamma. Rough life:)

^^

We have been going out in the backyard with a little basket and picking up those little yellow wild flowers that grow everywhere. Today we did this again but afterwards glued them on a paper and colored a little vase under with flowers and butterflies around it. Bells loves it and it keeps time going. 

^^

Daddy daughter dates. Notice her passenger of choice:)

^^

First Selfie!

EASTER WEEKEND

We headed out this morning bright and early to our first Egg Hunt ever. The Bishop hosted it at his house and tons of kids came. We went yesterday to the dollar store to buy a bucket for her eggs and she found a pair of red sunglasses that she wouldn't take off so I bought them for her too. I cannot stop smiling when I see her in the pictures. She wore them the whole party and looked too cool. Dr. Jones, Stephen's boss and our stake president, was there with his youngest and invited us over to their house after the first session of conference to meet their new baby horse that was born a couple weeks ago. I don't even know how to describe how amazing and special their land is. They live on 300 acres of land and it feels like another planet. They own about 30 horses. Seeing them run through the fields of grass is a sight for sour eyes. I felt like I just wanted to stay there forever. The baby horse was the cutest thing ever.  I loved touching him and didn't care about washing my hands after, and if you know me that is a HUGE step. If we ever can, Isabella and I have decided we want horses. Isabella would add second to a dog though. Because she got to meet the coolest dog ever. I will let the picture speak for itself. We also got to go horseback riding. Sadly our phones were dead by then so no pictures but just imagine us giddy with excitement on top of a horse. Isabella had ridden before but very slowly and today we got to gallop and she just laughed with excitement. She loved how it made her jump up and down and loved touching his hair and neck as we rode down the trail. It was Stephen's first time ridding and he did really good. We squeezed in another session of conference after that and now Stephen is at priesthood session. I am really proud of Stephen because the Final Four starts tonight but he didn't even hesitate about going to his session. I know how much he loves basketball but I am really proud of him for choosing to hear those messages that will make him into a better man.

What a day huh? Our days are usually pretty normal and chill so it was so fun to do some things outside our routine and spend time as a family. But of all those things conference was what I needed the most. The messages were so inspired and answered many of my personal questions I have been pondering lately. The world is so wonderful and everywhere we go there are so many different ways to enjoy life. I never want to forget to be grateful for all the experiences Heavenly Father allows us to have.

^^

What a kid:) I was never this cool so she gets it from her dad

^^

she was playing hide and seek with her friend Oscar:)

^^

Jesse is one of my primary girls from activity day. these two love each other. the big sister she never had haha

^^

Isabella was adorable during the first session of conference. She hasn't seen her dad very much this week so she was kissing his feet and just being adorable for him

^^

I just want to bring him home and keep him forever

^^

this is bearmanpig. that is his real name and it describes him perfectly.

STORY TIME

Every Thursday they have story time at the library. It is one of our favorite things to do. The library is a hopping place on Thursdays. Tons of little kid come so it's prime time for this only child to socialize. Beth and Ann, the ladies in charge, do an amazing job at planning the activities. They always read a book, do a craft and then snack time. Afterwards all the kids play together in the kid area. Here are some pics I took the last few months and never posted:

Yesterday they had an Easter themed activity planned. It was my favorite so far. A grandma brought chicks for the kids to pet. At first Isabella was a bit hesitant to pet them but once I encouraged her and she saw how soft they were, she couldn't get enough of touching them. She would act all sneaky and touch one and then giggle as if she had gotten away with something. haha. I love this girl. She also got Easter eggs for the first time and oh was she excited when she opened them up and found chocolate. 

HOLY WEEK

This week I have been wanting to write about Christ and what he means to me.  I have struggled to put into words my feelings and testimony. How to describe something so sacred and powerful? Then I came across these two images and it really hit home to me. The agony and sorrow he went through in Gethsemane is pouring out of the first one. The way the angel encircles Him and Christ's face and body say everything. When I look at this picture it reminds me of the sorrow and pain we feel in our lives. I can't count how many times I have knelt on my knees and poured out my feeling to Him. Laying every inch of me out and allowing him to comfort me. This picture is why he understands, why He can help like no other. He went through it, He knows.

How is it that life can be so great and wonderful one second  and the next everything around us explodes and it feels like all our happiness shatters away?

Life is hard. Pain is real.

That will never go away. But the beautiful message Christ's Atonement brings is that we can be strong, we can survive and we can even find joy and peace along the way. The writer who introduced these pictures to me pointed out the stark difference between these two images. The pain and sorrow in the first and then the brightness and glory in the second. She points out how the glorious painting comes after the dark one. Isn't that how life always is? Whether it be in small ways like how a child's laughter can erase all the frustrations and tears after a long day, how a long exhausting labor will be followed by a perfect tiny baby or how many pleading prayers can be answered by a silent act of service? The light will shine! It might seem like we are walking in darkness for a really long time, but the light will come!His invitation is for us all: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I know Christ is real.

I know he died for every single one of us so that we can repent and start again daily.

I know that no mistake is too deep, no trial to hard; He can heal us all.

I know His love for us is unconditional and His arms are ever stretched for us.