3 years...out of forever

This past week, Ben and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.  This year we decided to go on a mini-trip for 3 days, to make it special.  It turns out that I was delivering babies and working the past 2 anniversaries we had!  We went up to Boston and drove around the area and up to Vermont.  We did a lot of walking through cemeteries, looking for Ben's ancestors, who settled in the area in the 1600s.  I would say that is very fitting for October.

Woburn, MA cemetery

Bellows Falls, Vermont

The fall leaves were beautiful.  Texas is wonderful, but there are some things we just don't have much of around here.  Changing leaf colors is definitely one of them!

It was a nice getaway, but somehow we spent the entire time talking about Eli, watching video clips and looking a pictures of Eli, and calling Mimi & Gramps to check on Eli!  We sure did miss him every second of it.  Call us rookie parents, but we couldn't wait to get back to him.  Thank goodness he was in good hands. Mimi even spoiled him with pirate gear, which he loved...minus the head band thing.

At the airport, our flight home was delayed, so that the US Vice President could land on his fancy Air Force Two, to watch the first game of the world series.  So, air traffic control stopped all flights, which would have made us miss our connection.  After they told us we would miss the connection, and we should rebook now, we got off the flight in Boston...only to be told 5 minutes later that there were no more flights that night and no hotel rooms in the city due to the world series.  Yikes.  I guess they felt bad that a prego girl would be spending the night on the floor of the airport, on her anniversary, so they flew us to Chicago to spend the night and then flew us to San Antonio in the morning.  But, alas, we made it home.  Eli was happy to see us, and we were certainly happy to see him.  Kids are the best.  Remind me I said that when I am having "one of those days", but they really are the best.

I can't believe we have been married 3 years.  In some ways it feels like yesterday, but in others it feels like Ben has been by my side forever.  Life with him couldn't be better.  And, he most certainly makes me sane.  I love him like crazy and will forever.

Harvard University Courtyard

Terrible, horrible...

One of my favorite books as a kid was Alexander, & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst.  There were some days I felt like nothing was going my way.

Yesterday was one of those days.  It was a slew of events... hitting an 18-wheeler's tire on the highway, sitting on the roadside for 1 1/2 hours waiting for the tow truck, finding out the house we put an offer on was off the market because of squatters (yes, squatters), having to pay to rent a car to drive to work today, hearing that the car was probably totaled, and having Costco not be able to fill my ink cartridges.

I was sad.  I spent my whole day crying, whining, and moping.  And, I have to say that I went to bed sad and with swollen teary eyes.  I never got over it all.

So, today, when I woke up, Ben asked me if I was feeling better, and I wasn't sure I was.  I left for work and went the wrong way and ended up taking a 30 minute detour, which made me late.  At that moment, I braced myself for another Alexander day.  But, then I thought about it.

I have been working on a lesson about gratitude for this Sunday.  And, as I thought about how bad the last 24 hours had been, I suddenly realized that it wasn't that bad at all.  I really needed to count my blessings, so that is what I'm doing.  Counting & counting.

I wasn't hurt during the accident, and it could have been pretty bad.
This baby girl inside of me is safe & sound.
I have a great husband that was able to come rescue me from the side of the road.
I have a darling and silly little boy, who made me smile a zillion times yesterday, between my tears.
At least the car was insured.
Pay day is right around the corner.
My visiting teaching companion brought over a yummy supper when she heard I had a bad day.
I ran into a friend in the grocery store, while buying milk, and got a much needed hug.
We have family within a couple of hours drive, who have extra cars, just in case we need to borrow.
I went to bed, even sad, next to a husband who loves me, and down the hall from my little boy.
...and so much more.

When I stopped to think about it, my day could have been a lot worse.  And, it just wasn't.  So, I am thankful for my MANY blessing.  And, I sure do hope I can change my slumpy, grumpy attitude.

Rainy Sunday

To me, it is hard to beat coming home from church on a rainy Sunday with the smell of roast, potatoes, and carrots filling your house.  That is what happened yesterday.

But, there is one thing that might be a little bit better...a rainy Sunday nap.  Yesterday morning, I was tired and coming home from my 24 hour hospital shift.  Yes, the prego ladies and babies kept me busy that night.  So, when Eli went down for his pre-church nap, I decided I better get some beauty sleep also.  I told my husband to wake me up at 11:30, so that I would have time to get pretty for church AND cut up the potatoes, carrots, and onions to put in the crockpot before we left for church.  Well, Ben woke me up at 12:10, exactly 40 minutes too late...until I saw the roast in the crockpot was covered with cut up potatoes, carrots, and onions.  Yes, I wanted roast yesterday.  But, even more than that, I wanted a nap...a nice LONG nap.  And, my fantastic hubs gave me just that.  Thanks, darling Ben.  You make my life easier in a million ways.

Conference Weekend

It's Thursday, and I am still thinking back on what a great weekend it was.  I love General Conference weekend.  When I was little, maybe I loved it because we could watch church from our home, in pajamas, while cross-stitching.  But, now, I love it because I feel so blessed, empowered, and peaceful after listening to great talks all weekend.

Some of my favorite jewels from conference this year are:

President Thomas S. Monson:

My dear sisters, your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.As we seek our Heavenly Father through fervent, sincere prayer and earnest, dedicated scripture study, our testimonies will become strong and deeply rooted. We will know of God’s love for us. We will understand that we do not ever walk alone. I promise you that you will one day stand aside and look at your difficult times, and you will realize that He was always there beside you.

 President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

My dear friends—please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

Also let us remember that through any illness or difficult challenge, there is still much in life to be hopeful about and grateful for. We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!...Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee.  

President Thomas S. Monson:

Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, He is with us. He has promised that this will never change. 

This past weekend, we went to Corpus Christi to visit my brother, Zack, and Beca & Grace.  That always makes for a fun time.  We did a lot of baking/eating and crafts with the kiddos.  The guys mowed the lawn, while the kids had a front row seat at the window, eating goldfish.  And, we played "haircut"...luckily no real cutting happened.  And between it all, we were actually able to listen to most of the General Conference sessions.

During the priesthood session, Beca & I took Grace & Eli to Wendy's to get a frosty.  It was an adventure to say the least.  They were SO happy.  You can see it in their faces.  This picture was taken just seconds before Eli darted off to dance on a table across the room while Grace handed me a smashed up waffle cone in her hand, saying she was all done.  Good thing Beca & I were there together to handle these two crazy kids with man-to-man defense style.  It opened my eyes to the future I'll have with two kiddos to chase.  And, I can't wait!

Eli is really into this super cheesy smile where he squints his eyes, shows his dimples, and says cheese.  It shouts delight and bliss to me.  I have a feeling this is one of those things that he is going to stop doing one day, and I am going to miss it terribly.

I heart my family

I love my family.  I love the blissful chaos that fills my parents' home when we get together.  I loved growing up with these crazy people.  And, even more, I love raising kids along side them.  I got to spend the last 8 days at my mom & dad's house visiting them.  By the time the end of the week rolled around, all 6 kids were there with our own kids and spouses.  I can't believe the whole Baum-squad was able to get together (and it wasn't even a major holiday).

(This is all of us...minus one brother-in-law, Michael, and plus one cousin, Sonny).

Anyway, this week, I was surrounded by great people, places, and things, and it made me thankful for a lot.  I am blessed.  I am grateful.

I am thankful for my mom and her mad gardening skills, and her ability to teach me sewing tips, like how to make a ruffle!

I am thankful for nieces and nephews, who keep my little kiddo great company...and always (well, usually) give me a reason to laugh!  Kylie drove Eli around in her brand new "4 wheeler".  And, Sadie had the "prettiest popcorn ever party" with him, because they behaved on the trip to Walmart.

I am thankful that my parents, Mimi & Gramps love their grandbabies so much, and I can always count on them to do things like...take the grandkids to Build-A-Bear on their 1st birthday, or let them ride on their lap to mow the lawn, even if it makes it harder!

I am thankful that we gather in the beautiful hill country of Texas, close to San Antonio (and Sea World - which makes for great entertainment for the kids...even though it was too hot, too crowded, and at times, almost miserable).

I am thankful that we were able to visit the LDS temple where we got married nearly 3 years ago, for the peace that it brings to know my family will be together forever, and for my mom for babysitting Eli that day!


I am thankful for birthdays, and for all the cake that comes along with them (especially mom's chocolate fudge frosting cake and orange cream cheese cupcakes).  And, I am so glad that my sister in law, Beca, introduced the family to her second verse of "Happy Birthday" - the "We Love You So Much" verse.

I am thankful that I have a hard-working husband, who can't wait to slip into some work clothes and start helping my parents with the yard as soon as we arrive.  And, he makes a yummy brisket (ever since he got his garage sale smoker a few months ago)!