Year in Review 2012!!!

I really liked my "Year in Review" in pictures that I did at the end of last year, so I am doing it again!  This year though I kept this post saved and added to it from time to time so it wouldn't be a big job at the end of the year!  I'm brilliant.  Here we go once again:

 

Now we'll take a look through the past year from Landen's phone pictures... (these are not in order of the year, I was too lazy to figure that out!)

 

Bring on 2013!

2012 has been a whirlwind of activity!  It started out slow and picked up momentum with every passing month.  It is funny to look back and see all that we've been through and then to think of all there is to still come.  I feel like we're ending 2012 with so many unknowns, it's ridiculous.  But I know that we are on the right track.  We have followed the promptings from Heavenly Father to start expanding our family and have a baby, then we got a very strong one to buy Jordan's house up in Smithfield and move.  I sure wasn't expecting that one!  It's all happening at once and sometimes I don't know if I can do it all, but then I remember that we're doing what the Lord wants us to do and He will provide a way for it all to work out.  I don't know how or when it will all work out, but it will.  I'm so grateful for my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ that can give me the peace I need when I start to freak out.  My faith is being tried and tested in many ways this year, but it's only through those times that we can really learn and grow.

Right now we're playing the waiting game with EVERYTHING.  We're waiting for our home loan to be processed and hoping it will all go through without any problems.  Like our loan lady told me at the beginning, if it's supposed to work out it will and if it's not it won't.  We're waiting (STILL) to know what is going on with Landen's truck...that is just a big mess.  But we are blessed that Landen's parents are helping us out and letting us use their extra car.  We're waiting for me to find a job.  I've been done working at the chiropractic office since the middle of December and I've been applying for as many jobs as possible with no luck so far.  I've had one interview that I haven't heard back on yet.  It can be quite frustrating, but I know things will work out in the Lord's timing.  We're waiting for this baby to grow healthy and strong and grace us with her presence in April!  And I'm loving every minute of it!  So far I have loved being pregnant!!!  It has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life up to this point.  Waiting, waiting, waiting...that's the name of the game. 

I'm sure one day I will look back at all of this and laugh at how easy this all was.  But right now it's hard sometimes.  That is what life is all about I guess.  I've tried to see the blessings in the midst of trial and there really have been so many!  The other day we bought some new locks for the house with the Home Depot giftcard we got because they were a day late installing our carpet.  I remember being so mad and frustrated when they didn't show up and I waited for over 5 hours for them to come.  As I was thinking about this I realized that it was a tender mercy from the Lord!  We were able to purchase those locks (which was the #1 thing I wanted to have for the day we sign our papers) with the giftcard which was a huge blessing since I dont' have a job right now.  Funny how things work out.  Anyway.  Random tangent.  All in all, it has been a good year with many ups and downs.  There are great things to come, bring on 2013!

Let it Snow!

We have been getting a lot of snow lately!  It's been crazy!  But we need the moisture. Today I went over to our house to shovel because it finally stopped snowing for awhile.  There was so much snow!  Pictures just don't do it justice.  Anita was so kind and came over to help me.  I was so grateful :)  Shoveling while pregnant was not the funnest thing I've done lately, but it had to be done.  We worked our little hind ends off.  (For the record, Landen was not being lazy and making me do this!  He works nights so he had to sleep during the day and it is much easier to get it done in the day light.)

Merry Christmas ~ 2012

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone already!  This season was kinda crazy with everything that is going on right now in our lives.  We started out the season by taking Wayne, Anita and Adri to see the Forgotten Carols.  It was so wonderful!  I love the spirit it brings and the reminder to remember our Savior during this holiday season. 

We actually got to have a white Christmas this year!  We were hit by a big storm just in time.  It was beautiful, even though I'm not loving the cold.  It was fun to spend the day with family here in Utah and I enjoyed talking to my parents on the phone.  Hopefully next year we can be in Indiana!  I'm just grateful for all the many blessings we have and the time to be together with those we love.  I don't have a lot to report about the holidays this year, it was pretty relaxed and I'm grateful for that.  I'm just glad we had the time to be together.

The weekend before Christmas Landen and I went down to Springville and spent the weekend with Jared and Megan and the kids.  We had a blast!  Those kids are so fun and crazy!  We played lots of games and read books and ate great food and talked a lot, fun was had by all!  We watched the kids so Jared and Megan could go out on a date Friday night.  We hardly took any pictures from the holidays, but these ones are priceless.  I love these girls with all of my heart and they are so dang cute!!!

This last one of Maya is one of my favorites!  I was making funny faces at her and she was trying so hard to do them too...and that was the result.  And this next picture is the only one we have from Christmas day (lame, I know), but it is totally worth it!!!  Best wrapped present EVER!  It is a scarf hanger and a really awkward shape to wrap.  After I got it wrapped Adri said it looked like a Christmas tree...so we decided to decorate it!!!  Yeah, I made that star out of a pipe cleaner :)

22 weeks and 5 days

I finally look pregnant.  It took awhile, but there it is!  This is my first pregnancy picture at 22 weeks and 5 days :)

Weirdest feeling ever.

Last Friday, November 30th, I felt the weirdest feeling ever.  My baby girl kicked me, twice!  It was crazy!  Totally caught me off guard.  I was sitting at work at the end of the night and it had been a really rough day.  All of a sudden it felt like something was trying to break out of my tummy!  It was so cool!  It was the very first time I felt her move and it couldn't have come at a better time.  It was a little tender mercy from the Lord that day :)  He sure knew what I needed, a swift kick to remind me of what is important in life. 

Since then, I have felt her moving so much!  No more deliberate kicks like the first one, but it feels like she's swimming around in there.  She is much more active in the evening.  Last night when we were at the Forgotten Carols show she was moving around like crazy, I think she liked all the music!  It is still weird to feel her moving, but now I understand what people mean when they say, "You'll know!"  It is so special and I feel so blessed when I can feel her moving in there!  This is something that I will cherish forever.