Baby Jackson!!!

I'm writing this post because someday I want Jackson to know the details of his birth, and I thought I better write it down now while I still remember it all. I may have to edit this later with Jeff's help, as he'll remember a lot more than me (you'll see why later!).

Let me start from the beginning. The VERY beginning. From the time that Jeff and I got married, we loved watching and playing with little kids; our nieces and nephews, our friends kids, and even the little rugrats running around at church! But we both agreed that we wanted to wait to have children until I had at least graduated from school. We actually talked about it a few times but neither of us ever hinted at another alternative. That is just the way we both wanted it, so I could be a stay at home mom and focus solely on the kids.

Then one day in the end of October of 2010, we went to the temple. I remember for a split second thinking of kids but dismissing the thought entirely almost immediately. It wasn't even the thought to have kids, and I did not realize at the time it was coming from the spirit. The thought was simply just "kids."

At church a few days later, (on Halloween of all days!), I noticed I couldn't stop staring and smiling at all the little kids I saw, and suddenly I remembered the thought from before at the temple, only this time I had the added impression, "don't wait, now is the right time." I was so startled and almost scared by this thought that again I tried to dismiss it, but this time it wouldn't leave my mind.

I could barely sit through the lessons about simplifying our lives and prioritizing, because I knew the reason why I should follow these inspired lessons was to prepare for my own future family. So I made a deal with Heavenly Father. I told him if this was really the spirit speaking to me of his will, he better let Jeff know too, because I didn't want Jeff to think I was just "baby hungry!"

All during church I looked at Jeff and wondered if he was thinking what I was thinking. I worried about how I would "casually" start THIS conversation once we got home. Finally church ended and I made up my mind that as soon as we got home I would bring it up, because I needed to get it off my chest. That proved to be more difficult than I thought, but after what seemed to be an eternity, I finally said "Jeff . . . I need to talk to you about something!" He said "Me too!!" I don't remember who went first, but we both shared our impressions, and they were the same . . . that we shouldn't wait anymore. Jeff said one of the most powerful moments he had when thinking about kids started a couple weeks before when my sister was visiting with her kids, and he had known then that it wouldn't be long for us. We decided to pray about it together, and again felt an overwhelming confirmation that it was time.

I went off the birth control, with the assurance that it takes most people awhile to get pregnant, so I thought I'd at least finish out the semester of school before getting pregnant. But less than a month later, I started to feel like something was different. I took the pregnancy test and the line was so faint that I thought it was a fluke. I called my sister who was anxiously awaiting the verdict, and she assured me that a "false positive" wasn't likely, and that I was definitely pregnant, but probably only barely so, and thus my HCG levels weren't high enough to make the line darker. It still took Jeff and I a few days and another pregnancy test to convince ourselves of the validity of the test. (I think we were scared of getting our hopes up if we were wrong, and in shock it had happened so quickly if we were right!) but eventually we realized the truth and got excited . . . we were going to be parents!

I was able to finish out the remainder of the semester of school, but started getting pretty sick. Just the typical morning sickness, (though it lasted all day), and the wonderful bonus of my daily migraines, but it started to be very debilitating! However, it was great to be with the Foust family for Christmas when we announced to them we were pregnant, and also discovered that Brian and Lisa would be having a baby as well, and we were only a week apart in our pregnancy! (Our due dates were both later changed . . . to the exact same day, July 31st!)

We had our first dr appointment at Valley OBGYN on January 11th, when I was 11 weeks pregnant. Things seemed to be going smoothly until the dr tried to find baby's heartbeat and couldn't hear it. He told us it might still be a little too early, and we would try again at the next appointment.

So February 8th we tried to hear the heartbeat again, and again the dr couldn't find it. This time, he was worried since I was now 15 weeks pregnant. He sent us in to get an ultrasound right away, and I'll never forget the joy and relief I felt, and the reaction from Jeff who jumped out of his chair when we saw our little baby for the first time, punching a tiny fist in the air (or amniotic fluid, I guess), and breathing quite well. Everything was normal. :) PHEW!!! Unfortunately it was still too early to tell if baby was a boy or a girl. (By the way it took 4 different ultrasounds before we finally found out the gender!)

Having heard that most women get over morning sickness when the second trimester begins, I had hesitatingly started the winter semester but soon got so sick (even worse than the first trimester), that it was difficult to continue school. I held out until there was one month left in the semester, but ended up deferring, in fear of ruining my GPA (though at the time I had A's in all my classes.) (This deferment later presented quite the amount of complications for school).

Then the swelling started. I had hardly gained any weight throughout the pregnancy, but between weeks 29-34, I suddenly gained 18 pounds. This seemed really crazy to me, and when I mentioned it to my Dr, I guess maybe he thought I was concerned about the issue of weight gain, when really I was worried about complications (possibly pre-eclampsia which I had read about on the internet). But he assured me that everything looked good and that it was all water weight and I would probably walk out of the hospital at the same weight i was before I got pregnant. Well, he got some of that right, it was water retention . . . but WAY too much of it! And though I didn't lose all the weight in the hospital, I did lose at least 26 pounds in those first 3 weeks.

On Monday July 5, 2011, I woke up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain, just below my chest, near my sternum. I was confused, this wasn't at all what I expected contractions to be like, so I assumed it must just be some other weird pregnancy related thing. But since I couldn't sleep, I started reading on the internet, and again came up with symptoms similar to pre-eclampsia. I started to get so scared that I went in the Living Room and just started praying as hard as I could that all would be well. I immediately felt the impression that I needed to ask Jeff for a priesthood blessing. I hesitated at first, not wanting to wake him up, but the pain was so bad that I was in tears, and I decided I had no other alternative.

Jeff was more than happy to give me a blessing, in which I received much comfort. I was told that the doctors would know what was causing the pain and would be able to help me and all would be well. After being awake for a few more hours, I finally drifted off to sleep, grateful that I had a scheduled Dr appointment the next day. The next morning, Jeff left early to work, and I slept in, having not slept well the night before. Around 9, the pain started coming back. Soon after, my sister Melanie called to ask me to come hang out with her and her kids at my parents house. They were visiting for the 4th of July. I told her I didn't think that was a good idea, as I could barely move. I explained to her what was going on and she told me to call my Dr right away. I told her I planned to wait since I had an appointment to see him at 1pm anyway, but she convinced me that I should call him and try to get in earlier, as she was worried it could be pre-eclampsia as well.

I finally decided she was right, and called the doctor's office. Because I was only 36 weeks, they didn't take my complaint too seriously, but told me they "supposed" I could come in an hour early and they would do a "Non-stress test" on the baby. Jeff got off work immediately to take me. We waited and waited and waited in the lobby. When we asked how long it would be till I could see the Dr, the nurses said they were out at lunch. We were surprised and a bit agitated since they had told us to come early, but we tried to patiently wait. After two hours had gone by, I told Jeff I thought we needed to go to the hospital. Not because I thought we were having the baby, but because I was in so much pain. By this point, I was in tears again from the pain. (This is a big deal for me because I like to think I'm pretty tough, and I don't like to cry in front of other people, especially strangers!) After inquiring yet again about when we could see a doctor, and being told again that they were still gone at lunch or busy, I told the receptionist I was leaving to go to the hospital. She rolled her eyes but said she would go get a nurse. At last a nurse took me back to a room, only to tell me again that the doctors were very busy,  and I would have to wait approximately an hour. I had had enough, and told her, "Don't worry about it, we're going to the emergency room." She seemed shocked by that, and looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Are you sure?" I said "Yes, I cannot wait anymore." She kept trying to convince me to stay, but we got up and walked out.

We arrived at the emergency room, (luckily right across the street from the doctors office), on July 6th at about 2pm. I remember telling Jeff to drive carefully, but get us there as quickly as he could. When we walked in and told the nurses what was wrong and they immediately got me a wheelchair and took me up the elevator to the maternity ward. Their quickness actually scared me a little. I thought "what if I get up there and there's nothing wrong with me. They'll just tell me to quit being a wimp and go back home." But that was not the case. I was immediately taken to a room where they started monitoring my blood pressure and heart rate, both of which were extremely high. A doctor came in within a few minutes and said "Put this hospital gown on, you're going to have this baby today."

I wasn't prepared for that at all. Suddenly a wave of fear rushed over me, and Jeff called my parents to tell them what was going on. I told him that I wanted a priesthood blessing so my dad said he'd head right over to help Jeff give me one. The Dr came in and said I was dilated 3 centimeters, but I had pre-eclampsia and HELLP Syndrome. Both my life and the baby's were in danger, and he said he was going to induce me because I needed to have the baby right away.

I got an epidural and they gave me the Pitocin to induce me, but 20 minutes later the Dr said I wasn't progressing as quickly as he had hoped, and Jackson wasn't getting enough oxygen; it was a life threatening situation for both of us, and the only thing that could save either of us was an emergency c-section. If I thought I was scared about having the baby, it was nothing compared to the fear I had about having a c-section. My parents both arrived, and I told the Dr I wanted a priesthood blessing before I went in. He said we really didn't have time. Suddenly I remembered the words from my blessing the night before, that "the doctors would know what was wrong and would be able to help me." With that, I decided to let them take me right away.

I remember being SO cold during the procedure. My arms were strapped down to a table straight out from my shoulders to keep me from moving, and a partition was placed above my abdomen so I wouldn't see what was going on. They put a blanket over me and blew hot air under it, but I was so cold I was shaking violently. The doctors were scared I was going to have a seizure (full blown eclampsia) and kept telling Jeff to watch for that. I remember him asking how he would know since I was already shaking so bad. It was hard for him to see me this way, and he kept asking them if they were sure I was alright. I was so grateful to have him there holding my hand through the whole procedure. After only a few short minutes, our 4 pound 10 ounce, 16 1/2 inches long boy, Jackson Aaron Foust was born at 7:03PM. I got to see him for a brief second, then Jeff accompanied Jackson's nurse to the NICU to make sure he was breathing ok and to give him a bath. I remained strapped down so they could deliver the placenta and stitch me up. I was still freezing, and it seemed like it was taking forever. At last, I was finally wheeled back to a recovery room. All I remember is they accidentally ran my bed into the wall while trying to turn a corner. Then I was out.

I spent 5 days in the hospital, mostly due to my extremely high blood pressure. I was on at least 6 powerful medications, so I was never quite aware of my surroundings. I wasn't even physically capable of even getting out of bed until my very last day, and my legs were so swollen that they hooked up a machine for those 5 days that made my legs vibrate to keep the blood flowing. That week sure took quite the traumatic toll on my body. For the next several weeks after I had to visit the doctor every couple days to continue to monitor my blood pressure. Thankfully, things finally returned to normal, and Jackson, though small, was very healthy, and never even had to be in the NICU. I count this as one of the greatest blessings.

The outcome of this pregnancy was probably one of the most miraculous events of my life. I am so grateful to have Jackson with me now. I can tell that Heavenly Father sure wanted him here quickly. Our decision to have him happened so quick, I got pregnant so quick, and he arrived quite a bit earlier than his due date. He must be here for a good reason, and I'm so grateful he is!

Wishing!

Okay, well usually when I end up on here blogging is because I have too much on my mind to be able to focus on what I'm supposed to be doing (my homework)! Well I just finished watching The Cove, which for those of you don't know, is about the 23,000 dolphins that are slaughtered each year in ONE tiny little cove called Taiji, Japan. The horror of it all is ridiculous, and literally made me sick watching it. But I kept on watching, for one reason alone. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!!!

I am learning more and more each day how true the statement is that "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." And so I sit here, feeling helpless, wishing that I knew exactly what to do to help, not only in this situation, but in millions of others. There are so many issues in our world today that I feel I must stand up for because there are few that do.

During all this, I am supposed to be studying for a Sociology degree, which will help give me credentials to actually make a difference in the world. I am trying to learn patience, because right now, I don't want to wait for credentials, in fact, I'm getting sick of school altogether. In reality, I just want to be out there making a difference. I hope that those of you who have the means and time to do so, will do so now. And those of you that don't, pray to God, like me, that someday you will be blessed with the means to make a difference!!

On another note entirely, but not really so much, yesterday I had the most incredible fast Sunday of my life. At church yesterday, the spirit was so incredibly powerful that i didn't want to leave. Our church ends at 5, and usually I'm starving by then, but I literally did not want to leave!!! We had an incredible lesson by our new relief society Judy Sorensen, and I'm developing such a great love for her and the sisters in our ward. The lesson was about how none of us are perfect, and we need to stop focusing so much on our imperfections, and start focusing on building Zion by loving and caring for each other. We have decided as a relief society each Sunday, to go around and ask if anyone needs our prayers, so that we can be more aware of each sisters' needs, and do something about it!! I love this idea, and brings my attention to the importance of visiting teaching. The most critical thing, is for the members of the church to feel SAFE, to feel they have a refuge, to know they can find comfort when they have nowhere else to turn.

After this great lesson, I got to stay at church a little longer while Jeff and I were set apart for our callings. Our bishop, Bishop Clare who is the most incredibly bishop I've ever had gave us such marvelous blessings. He knows little about our personal lives since we are brand new, but was impressed to bless us very specifically. I am so excited to be a part of this new ward, and seriously love my life so much. I AM SO BLESSED, AND I KNOW IT!!!!!!!!!!!

I have such a testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. I am not perfect, but I try to maintain my faith by doing the LITTLE things each day. They really are so simple to do, yet we often overlook them because of the simpleness. Just as many of the Israelites failed to look at Moses' staff to live. Often people are so busy looking beyond the mark.

Elder Ballard addressed this in his CES fireside to all the young adults last night. I am so glad Jeff and I watched it. Our generation will one day become the leaders of this church. Elder Ballard mentioned how the growth of the church will require 6,000 additional stake presidents, 60,000 bishops, counselors, etc, and it really hit me hard. But one thing he didn't mention, is how many more missions we will have, and what a great need for Mission Presidents there will be. For over a year now, I have had a very strange feeling (maybe the spirit) telling me that one day Jeff will be a mission president, but we will see. Though the thought is overwhelming, I will do all I can to prepare, because even if it doesn't happen, the Lord will use us in other ways.

I hope that somehow my thoughts have affected you that read this. I hope that you will have a greater desire to do good, even when others around you are not. I hope that I will follow this same admonition. I love you everyone, and I love my Savior!

Halloween

Okay, it's been awhile since I updated this, but I'm sitting here at work at 6:48 AM with nothing going on so I thought I'd take the time! :) This week has just been fabulous!!! First of all, let me just say I LOOOOOOOOVE holidays!!! I love to find ways to celebrate, just for fun, even if they have nothing to do with the holiday! But this week was a fun one!

We had a great time going to see "Dispicable Me," with the Sorenson's! They are such a fun couple, that we are lucky to live near to. Aaron, the husband is a friend from Jeff's mission, and now we are all in the same ward! I love it! I also loved the movie. It was sooooo good! I can't wait to buy it on dvd when it comes out!

For Halloween, Jeff and I dressed up as Harry Potter characters. I was Hermione, and he dressed up as Malfoy. We thought about putting signs on our back that said, "Opposites attact" but we ran out of time. We had a lot of fun looking around at different thrift shops, but ended up not getting anything for our costumes, and instead got me an awesome new wallet and scarf. Our costumes turned out pretty good for only using things we already had (I'll load a picture soon!), including our wands made out of bamboo that Jeff had to decorate his apartment during his single life! We had a great ward activity that night, with a catered dinner that was pretty good (that is, unless you count the strands of spider web decorations that somehow got mixed in!

After the activity, I dropped Jeff off to watch his beloved USC football game (which they lost, unfortunately), and I headed to my parents house to play a fun game of life, pass out candy to trick-or-treaters, and ate cookie dough!

Last but not least, Jeff, Christie and I then went to see Toy Story 3 (another great movie!) and had so much fun! Our theater was packed, and it was such a great crowd! We were all laughing so hard!!!

Yesterday, (Sunday, the REAL Halloween) was great as well! We had an amazing lesson at church where our Bishop (based on a meeting with L. Tom Perry) encouraged us all to simplify our lives, to determine what matters most, and to serve in the temple, not only doing work ourselves, but actually becoming ordinance workers. I was definitely inspired during his talk, and can't wait to make some changes in my life relative to what he spoke on! We have such a fantastic ward! We had a great time with our district as well last night, eating cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, and visiting teaching/home teaching one another. Mmmmm, soooo good!

We topped off the night with a bunch of friends, a scary movie, donuts, cupcakes, and hot chocolate!! I love this time of year when you show family and friends really how important they are to you. I'm so grateful for MY family and friends. Jeff and I have been so blessed! :) I love you all and hope you had a happy holiday too!!

Missionary Moments

So last week when I posted, I talked about how much I was missing my mission. Well this week, I guess the mission has been thinking of me too because I've had some GREAT experiences!!! Last night, Maria Hernandez, one of the most amazing members I know in Riverside called me. I was soooo excited to talk to her that I almost cried!! It's been months since we've really been able to chat because of many things going on in both our lives (she moved, didn't have a phone, didn't have internet service, I got married, moved, moved again, etc.). She is so incredible and makes me so happy just hearing her voice!

Then, Ashley Warrick, a daughter of a woman I taught in Temecula, came to visit us in Provo!! Jessica (another friend from T-Mec) and I had lunch with her today in the cougareat on campus, and had so much fun catching up with her!

Then, later this afternoon, just before I left work at the MTC, I went to the cafeteria to return something to them and I almost couldn't believe my eyes! Walking toward me was Sister Lia Batchkoff, one of the cutest and sweetest girls I met in Moreno Valley. We both were soooooo excited to see each other, it was so unreal! I have seen her a few times already, but it's been a little while. She is soooo incredibly strong and I can tell she has the spirit with her constantly. She is going to have SUCH a TREMENDOUS impact on the people she serves in Albuquerque, New Mexico!!

One thing I haven't shared with many people, is that when I was set apart for my mission, I was told that the people I met would not be new acquaintances, but they would be great friends from the pre-earth life. I totally believe that is true, and I'm soooo grateful that I served where the Lord wanted me to be, so that these amazing friends could be a part of my existence in THIS life, as well as the one before, and the one to come!! All of you that I served, or served with, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! :)

Thoughts on Life

Well, today I've had a lot on my mind, some things funny, some things sad. Some things important, and some things just whimsical. But that's why I started this blog, to have an outlet for all my thoughts! :)

I started the day early! Monday, I have to be to work at 6. I had a dream that I woke up and looked at my phone and it was 6:04! It scared me enough that I jumped out of bed, realized my phone was across the room so I couldn't have checked it yet, so I ran over there, and thank goodness it was only 4:50, so I got to enjoy another 25 minutes of precious sleep! :)

Then I headed to work for a pretty eventless day, except for one thing I found funny. A sister missionary told me she really liked my sweater, and said that she had the same one. I thanked her, and then as she walked away, looked down to remind myself what I was wearing. Ummm, I had on a t-shirt . . . layered over a tank top, so maybe it looked like a sweater? I don't know! I looked around thinking maybe she was talking to my co-worker Jessica, but she was wearing a 3/4 length jacket. Haha, oh well, thanks for the compliment at 7:30 AM!

After work, headed straight to school where I had a difficult time staying awake. Lucky for me, Jeff bought me some of my favorite cereal, Reeses Peanut Butter Puffs, so I took some in a bag to snack on. After, I thought about going home to take a nap, but knew I should stick around for my stats lab. That ended up being a waste of time, since the TA spent more time confusing everyone than she did teaching. I eventually tuned her out and just started my homework so I could make some use of my time. Looks like I'll be shopping around for a new lab to attend! :)

After the lab, I took a nap outside in the warm sunshine, and woke up to see another stats TA of mine being all lovey-dovey, mushy-gushy, PDA-ish with this boy. That was more than I needed to see, so as I turned away thinking "TMI . . . TMI!!!" something else caught my attention, and I'm glad I didn't miss it! A sort of chubby girl was apparently trying to interest the boy next to her, as she shouted, "DIE SPIDER DIE!!!" while simultaneously taking her flip flop off and whacking it several times. I'm sure just once could have sufficed. And I admit, I am absolutely terrified of spiders . . . like my biggest fear ever. BUT, at least in public I hold in my shouts! LOL :)

Next was history, my most boring class of the semester. Don't get me wrong, though the reading for the class is tedious, it's actually REALLY informative and interesting. But the professor (who by the way looks like the un-handsome version of Jeff Goldblum who plays Dr. Malcolm on Jurrasic Park) likes to read directly from his powerpoint, which is basically a plagiarized version of the text, and he reads it word for word. But to add a LITTLE excitement, he likes to pause every 5 seconds and say "ummmm . . . . ummm . . . so . . . well . . . yeah." Each class also ends with him saying, "I'd like to talk a little about (glances at the clock) . . . well let's take a minute (everyone starts putting their stuff away) . . . well we're out of time. We'll discuss this next time in class."

Anyway, needless to say, I fell asleep during the class. And then I got to thinking . . . why is it that when we're dead tired and we're trying to fall asleep, if others around us are talking and loud, it's hard to sleep; yet, when we're trying to stay awake and we're surrounded by others, it's so easy to fall asleep! In both instances, you're tired. Hmmm . . .

So, after that enjoyable hour, I proceeded (with almost as much JOY as on the weekends) home from school, sooooo excited to just take a sec to relax. Well for the first time since school began, my "second" turned into an hour. I turned on the tv to Dr. Phil, which I hardly EVER watch. But it was a really interesting story. It began with a mother who irately runs into her daughter's hospital room just after she's delivered a baby. The mother quite condescendingly asks the daughter how the delivery went and says "Well, I hope you have it tested for drugs." The woman totally seems out of whack, and they even call security to have her escorted out of the hospital.

BUT, as it turns out, the mother was right. Her daughter, though she denied it all during her pregnancy, was taking methamphetamine. The girl's boyfriend filled a prescription for himself of 150 pills, and the next day only had 5 left. The worst part is, the baby, though it seemed completely healthy at birth, had to remain in the hospital for 4 weeks on morphine because it was going through the drug withdrawals. Even with the morphine, after being allowed to go home with the grandmother, the baby was still convulsing, feeling pain in every muscle and bone from the withdrawals. And yet the daughter claims she doesn't do drugs, the baby isn't addicted to anything, the baby is fine. In 5 weeks after the daughter had the baby, she only went to see it twice. These poor grandparents talked of how this is her third child. And the mother KNEW something wasn't right when she entered that delivery room. That is why she was so upset, but even the hospital staff thought she was just crazy.

Now the parents are trying to decide whether to have their daughter arrested, and sent to rehab, in order to save her life. I just want to say one thing and then I'll leave it alone. I've had family members, and friends and I'm sure you all have too that have used drugs. And I don't judge any of you for that, you are capable of making your own decisions. What I don't want to hear is, "I can do what I want, it's not like it affects anyone else!!" Well, you're wrong! It does!!!

What an emotional battle this is for those grandparents! Do they adopt the baby to protect him and love him and raise him as their own? Or do they give him to another family to try to let him have a normal life? Do they send their daughter to prison and rehab to protect her, or try to go around the issue to save their relationship with their daughter. The thing that stuck with me the most was when the mother said she would let her daugher be arrested, because they had nothing to lose. "We've already lost her." Were her words. Wow, this story affected me a lot!

Anyway, it's things like this situation that lead me to be a sociologist. I'm fascinated by people, in both the good things and the bad. I just hope that some day I can help people out there who are struggling, because none of us are immune to challenges in this life. It might be drugs, it might be depression, it might be teen-pregnancy, it might be family pressures. But whatever it is, I hope to be the one that is always there to help. I feel such a great love for EVERYONE!!!

Mission Journals

Today I discovered one of my most FAVORITE things to do with my Jeffy! That is, to read our mission journals together!! It was an idea we had yesterday after talking about how we wanted to get to know each other in a new way, rather than just being together every day. So we started with him reading about his first day in the MTC, then mine, then his next day, then mine, etc. It was soooo great to see how similar and different our days were, to see our likes and dislikes (gym time and eating healthy were both favorites of ours), and to see our testimonies as they began to develop. We've decided that in addition to our scripture reading every night, we will each share a journal entry. This will make our experiences more personal to one another, and help us to form better friendships with the people the other met while serving.

Lately, I've been thinking A LOT about my mission. Like incredibly a lot. Yesterday I actually met an elder in the MTC that is going to be assigned to Riverside California on visa delay, until he can head out to Argentina, his real mission. BOY WAS I JEALOUS!!!! I told him what wonderful people he would meet and how President and Sister Reeves would become like parents to him. It really made me really "homesick" and made me wish I could serve another mission. On that note, I can't WAIT for our mission reunions coming up Oct 1st!!

Today was also our first Sunday in our new ward!! (It's our 5th ward for the year, -singles ward, moving into our apt together in the married ward, trying the family ward, moving again and attending the family ward, and now the married ward!!) and we're REALLY planning on this being a permanent change! Our new bishop, Bishop Clare seems to be sooo in-tune with the spirit. Today we had a new member meeting and he discussed how he wants to help build Zion from the ground up. Stakes consist of wards, wards consist of families, and families consist of the fundamental husband and wife team. This covenants made in marriage make the husband and wife more important than anything else in the building of Zion, because if they can center their marriages on Christ, and the families become righteous and zion-like, then so will the wards, and so will the stakes. He pointed out that it doesn't matter how great a prophet is, if the people aren't willing to follow him. Thus Zion can't be built from the prophet down, but instead, from the people UP!

The ward is organized a little bit differently, but I definitely felt the spirit as he explained it to us. We are divided into 10 districts in the ward, each district containing 6 couples that live near one another. (reminds me of the mission!) They are entirely responsible to look out for one another. Cool thing about this is our District is having a group FHE tomorrow night! They also get together every Saturday night to play games, and they came over one of our very first days here to tell us that!

Another difference in the ward is that callings are not extended permanently. Instead, each district takes turns. One week they will be in charge of Sunday School, the next week the nursery, the next week, the activities, etc. This provides for a lot of variety, a lot of learning, and assures that no one will simply just "blend into the background," everyone will be working on something!! I think this is an incredible idea, to train all of us in all the various callings so we will have more skills in the future. The most amazing thing I've noticed about this ward so far is that it seems as a result of this different structure, everyone is more friendly than I've ever met. Even the people you would expect to be shy, seem to be very confident, outgoing, and social at church. They have truly become a ward family, and we're excited to get to know them all!

Jeff has a mission companion in the ward, and I know a kid from high school that is in it. I also have two friends from work at the MTC that also attend our ward. So it looks like we're off to a great start in this ward! I'm just soooo grateful for the Lord helping me to be able to switch my shift (which can be very difficult to get covered on Sundays) so that we would be able to attend this ward! The Lord truly blesses us soooo much!

Seen at BYU

Alright, I've never blogged before, but I figured I better do one! Why, do you ask? Because I post way too much on facebook, and instead should be making these more like journal entries, to record past events!

First off let me just say that I am looooving being married to my hubby Jeff. He is the greatest guy I could EVER ask for!!! We are having so much fun and have been married just over 6 months now! YAY! Recently, we started school. Amazingly enough, we actually get to see each other MORE now than we did during the summer when we were both working full time jobs. Unfortunately for me, most of the time we "see" each other, I am doing homework while he is chilling watching tv! I am taking lots of hard classes this semester which I really enjoy. But the 5 classes with about 50 pages of reading per class equals about 125 pages of reading I'm doing every single day!!! YIKES! But, I am working harder than I ever have in school before, and I hope to maintain that attitude throughout the semester. Okay, confession, I'm actually supposed to be reading for History right now, but I'm so dang excited that it's the weekend, and so burned out from school this week that I don't want to do it! :)

Well, the title I gave to this post is "Seen At BYU" because lately i have been seeing a LOT of odd things!! First of all, I saw a REALLY creepy pedophilish guy, you know with the UGLY mustache on campus the other day. Well, as if I wasn't creeped out enough already, I look down to see that his t-shirt says "Creepy is the new cool!!!" Thank goodness he cleared that up for me! Especially because the next day I realized he is in one of my classes! EW!! I also saw him again on campus yesterday, and guess what, his shirt was pink and it had a carousel on it. YUP!!!

Other things I've seen? A guy laying on the cement in the plaza in front of the JFSB . . . umm weird? Is he dead? Did he pass out? Is he taking a nap? Ummm what the random? Not even on the grass, a bench, or a platform where people won't be walking all around him. OKAY! (funny sidenote, there was actually an Emergency Medical Services vehicle outside that building before I went into class, and that guy was laying there when I came out, but the van was gone. Did they forget to take their patient with them?? LOL!

As one of the few married girls on campus, I also find it really funny to watch guys try to flirt with girls they clearly have never met before. Ex: Yesterday while walking home I pass a girl and a guy both retrieving their bikes from the bike rack. Guy: "I think you're lying, I swear I know you!" Girl: "umm why would I lie about where I went to High School, I promise it was Springville." Guy (laughing): "Stop playing!! I know you didn't!" Girl (now looking weirded out): "I really don't know you." and she walked away. WOW!

Alright well, I really do need to do homework, but this will be my new place to vent, instead of facebook. When you're posting more on your own page than other people are, that's just sad! :)