BYU-Idaho's Own Post Secret

This was in the building where just about all of my classes were. (Goodness... see that word? WERE. Such a beautiful word) I walked past it for a few days, then got curious. So I read every single one on there. Some were very funny, some were to be expected at a Church school, others.. of course, were also to be expected but were still sad. It doesn't matter where you are there are every type of issue and problem. Just because a lot of it is not on the surface, it doesn't mean it isn't there. Hope you can see what some of them say.

Enjoy!The writing under the "I heart Jordan Killpack" says, "been there, done that". The top right sticker says, "I think like a lot of guys do" The black writing sticker next to the jordan one says, "I secretly stalk my teacher's son because I want to marry into his family".

This is my favorite. The "duh", in particular.

The "your not the only one" in red is referring to a sticker above it that said, "I have stolen over $2,000". I know some are hard to read. Sorry :)

Yep, in the light blue that says, "My wife doesn't know I'm gay!"

"I'm attracted to men with speech impediments and receding hairlines!"

This was a final project done by a Communications major.

Pregnant

I am officially out of the pregnancy closet!

I've been dying to talk about it all, but since I had the opportunity to tell just about all of my family in person I kept my mouth shut until everyone heard it from me. This last week I told the last of them and so it meant I could squeal to everyone else whenever I wanted. So I waited 2 days. :) Another thing is when you tell people right away it makes the wait SO LONG for them. And it's already seemed long enough for me.

I'm 3 months, two more weeks left in my first trimester. I'm due November 3rd (my best friends birthday). How have I been feeling? Sick. I have not been throwing up, which I'm very grateful for. Not that I don't feel like I need to quite often, my body just likes food so much, I guess, that it doesn't want to waste any of it. My thighs and face will confirm that. I started taking my prenatal before bed and it's seemed to help a bit, I've not been as nauseous the last few days. It's been nice not having to eat every 45 minutes. Food; nothing really sounds good. I've really liked Bajio Salads. When I went home I had the best tasting Mexican food I've had since... well, the last time I ate there. It's too bad nothing is as good here.

Cramps. A lot of cramps. Anyone else go through their entire first trimester feeling every itty bitty stretch and pull of your uterus? Only sometimes are they painful, most of the time just uncomfortable. I've already made sure everything is fine. But since it's been constant through my whole pregnancy (started before I even knew I was pregnant) and I've made it to 12 weeks I'm not worried. I think I'm just a bit more sensitive to the changes goin on.

I've had my first ultrasound at 8 weeks and the little guy was moving quite a bit. Didn't like the spotlight. Every time the ultrasound thing would push on my belly to get a better view he'd try to move away. Doesn't like the spotlight? Or his picture taken? A lot like his daddy, I'd say. We go in tomorrow to hear the heart beat. I'm excited :) It will just confirm that everything is moving along well. Oh, I keep up on the weekly updates of the development and my kid has fingernail beds, nostrils, elbows and knees, no webbed fingers and a brain. He (yes, I'm calling it a he until I hear otherwise) has a lot of other things, too, but I get excited about the new things. :)

Some of you understand how very much I have wanted this. I am so incredibly happy. I'll whine about some of it, but I am constantly happy with my situation. I feel so blessed that everything has happened at a time where it is perfect (even though I couldn't see further than what was in front of me 5 months ago). I'm finished with school, we just celebrated our 2 year anniversary, we'll have been married for over 2 1/2 years when the kid pops out. I'll be 23, Jaren will be weeks away from 28. Now I get to enjoy making a baby, and getting the house and our lives ready for the change. Which I completely understand will be drastic. But we are very much ready. :D

I'm experimenting with my blog layout. Anyone know how to put your own background into the "layout"? Some sort of code...? I'm not sure how much I like the header I have at the moment. You will probably see a lot of changing going on till I find something I like. Your feedback would be wonderful!

Here is my 12 week picture

I look great, huh! Haven't gained an ounce.

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Hah, yeah right. That was 6 weeks. Here is 12 weeks and very much GROWING.

What bothers me is when I'm SO excited about actually looking pregnant and people think they are being nice by telling me I don't look any different. Yes, I realize that unless you've seen me on a regular basis I just look fat. But by no means do I feel like I look the same as I did 3 months ago (or even 6 weeks ago!). So, take note, when a barely pregnant girl says, "Look! I'm showing!" with a smile on her face, don't say, "Oh, no, sweetie, you look the same." Or, "I can't tell any difference." Because what do I hear? "You looked that fat 3 months ago when there was hardly any baby in you." Instead say, "Yeah! you sure are growing." something, anything to confirm there is a DIFFERENCE.

Yes, the difference is minimal to everyone else but me. But don't rain on my parade... I'm excited about the change.

Riddle Me This

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Home Again (With Pictures and A Video)

I'm finally home. I finished school, graduated, left, drove 10 hours Sunday to Washington, woke up the next morning drove 5 hours to Oregon, 2 days later drove 5 hours back to Washington, then 2 days later flew back to Idaho and am now currently sitting on my couch. I'm exhausted. It's so nice to be home. I'm very excited to get started on projects and just living my non student life. I've already read one book and am working on another. I'm going on a long walk around the country tomorrow. I'm sleeping in, doing laundry, have to run my Young Women around, have dinner with friends, prepare a lesson. Still feel busy but no pressure. If I don't get everything done tomorrow... so what. I'm really looking forward to Sunday. It will be the first Sunday in quite some time where I will be able to be home and not be doing/worrying about homework. It's such a nice feeling. I am terrified I'll forget everything I've learned. But I can't say I'm super willing to go through my notes and tests and stuff every once in a while. I can't wait to start cooking, even though Jaren isn't home at dinner time, I might be able to get him to stop by long enough to eat a plate before going out for another round.

Anywho, here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

In my costume for my Jazz Dance final (video all the way at the bottom)

Jaren tried... I couldn't see him in the crowd of people so I just stood there and kind of smiled into the crowd. Turns out he couldn't shove his way to the front - too many people!

So after wards I had him come take a picture of me recreating the moment.

Here is my family. Jaren wanted to take the picture - not be in it. ButI think I got a pretty good one below.

What is funny is that I was SO busy the last 2 months of this last semester that Jaren did dishes, washed laundry and picked up after us. I've never seen him clean like that! So, Saturday I did laundry, cleaned, did dishes so the house would be clean for him before I left and that night he says, "Yay! I got my wife back!" Now if I could just get those shirts of his ironed that i keep promising him I'd do.

DISCLAIMER: I am not the most amazing dancer. Not professional even a teeny bit. This is a beginning Jazz Dance class. We didn't get to practice this dance NEARLY as much as I would have liked. I messed up a good 5 times - most of which are noticable. Poor posture and horrible technique. I wish she had given us more than once to perform this. I choreographed quite a bit of this :) Enjoy! But don't make fun. :| (that is my stern face) And I think you can all possibly figure out which one is me. (front middle - your welcome)

This Week and Next

Today: Jaren and My 2 year anniversary :) (a VERY happy day)

Wednesday: Last day of classes (also a very happy day)

Thursday: I walk with my cap and gown and get my Bachelors in Health Science ('bout time)

Friday: Commencement - listening to Neil L. Anderson (newest member of the 12)

Saturday: Possibly go on a date with the 2 year old husband

Sunday: Go with my parents back to Washington (9 hour drive... gonna get tetris for my phone)

Monday: Drive to Oregon (I'll also get a book to read - along with my Tetris I should be entertained)

Tuesday: Celebrate my cousins wedding (woohoo for her!)

Wednesday: Go back to Washington (the homeland)

Thursday: Fry shrimp with my grandma (I LOVE shrimp)

Friday: Fly back into Idaho - arrive at 5:30, drive to Driggs to attend a baby shower at 6:30 - THEN go home and see my two year old husband. (Hopefully he hasn't starved to death)

Saturday: who knows... laundry? sleep? read a book.... do WHATEVER I want cause I'm finished with SCHOOL!!! (p.s. I'll be catching up on blogs all the while during that second week :D)


WooHOO!!

The Nightmare

Last night I had the strangest nightmare.

See, yesterday was a crazy day. I almost forgot about my visiting teaching appointments and remembered (I had remembered all day, but spaced it while VTing) at 6:30 it was my dad's birthday. I never call my parents late! I did call my mom late on her last birthday, school really is so controlling. So, yesterday was crazy frantic and just weird.

I think that's why I dreamt what I dreamt.

First my schedule on Thursdays goes like this: Class from 8-9:30, then lab from 12:45-2:45.

In my dream: It's Thursday and I'm on my way to my lab when all of the sudden I remember - "Oh my gosh! I forgot about my English class!!" The panic that went through me was immense. Because not only had I forgotten about it that day, I had forgotten about it for an entire month. I remembered that it was scheduled at 9:45 - 12:30. It was a three credit class one day a week, which was why it was so long. I panicked, went to my lab panicked the whole time, then went to the third floor of the English building to get it worked out - I was going to graduate!!!! First of all, the third floor I went to was definitely NOT a BYU-Idaho building. It was totally funky. Neon lights, cafe's, all of the English offices were in the center of the floor with no walls. Tons of people were there, music was playing.. it was really weird considering the horror I was feeling. I went to the English secretary and explained to her that we had two weeks off because the teacher had to go somewhere and during that time I had completely forgot about the class. She was surprised to hear that the teach took 2 weeks off and by her reaction I thought that maybe there was someway I could get around this. I told her I was graduating and I did NOT want to come back for ONE class once a week. I told her I'd make up all my work in the next 3 weeks (all that's really left of the semester).

I remember thinking through my dream wonering if there really was an English class that I had forgotten about. I tried to remember to the beginning of the semester if Thursdays were spent going to an English class. And I could remember the class but all of the people in it were people from my high school.

I woke up at this point, sweating and racking my brain for that English class. But, luckily I finished all of my English classes my first semester married - summer semester of 2007.

I'm still graduating on time :) I picked up my cap and gown yesterday and got a free water bottle and chocolate bar! I thought... wow, this is the most expensive Crunch bar I've ever bought, the price of a brand new car. Oh, and I had to pay 5 bucks for the "Class of 2009" shirts. But I liked the shirt, so I did it.

I'm almost finished! It's getting a little overwhelming because there is SO MUCH to do, but it will be over so fast. And then I can plant my veggi garden and some flowers. And hopefully get started on growing that baby I've been rather ready for.

I hope I don't have anymore Nightmares with this theme.

DagNab that DVR

Don't you just want to cry tears of sorrow when you are done watching DVR'd house only to look at the guide and see that American Idol is on but isn't taping because you forgot to cancel The Biggest Loser because you'd much rather watch a few people sing and Paula dance around like a crazy person who drank too much Coke. So you click over only to watch the last 10 minutes, one person perform and not even your favorite?

Yeah.... me neither.........



thank heavens for the super long re-cap's at the end

I'm Alive!

I promise, I haven't really dropped off the face of the blogosphere. I still look at blogs I just don't have time to comment and read every post that I've missed so I'm skimming when I have time. It's been a while since I've gone this long without posting.

School is getting more and more busy. I have 5 weeks left and, honestly, it could NOT go any slower..... I'm so ready to be finished. I'm trying to do the math to see if I could still pass my classes if I just stop going. Chances aren't high. So I'm just running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to stay caught up and turn things in on time. I'll try and update a little more often...

News: My brother's have had their babies. Well, the wives did all the work. Kevin and Lena were waiting to find out what they were having and we were all pleasantly surprised to find out the "him" was actually a she :) Her name is Lucy and she is beautiful. I have yet to meet her in person since they are in Boise, but they will be coming here at the end of the month for a combined baby blessing day with Nathan. Nathan and Steph(the one I threw the shower for) had their little boy just under a week and a half after Kevin and Lena had theirs. Conner stopped breathing and had to be taken to NICU right after he was born. He's almost 2 weeks old now and is healthy and so stinkin cute. I go over there every day to hold him and just stare... He makes the cutest facial expressions and I just smile. Can't wait till I get my own someday. Then I can stare all I want :)
My mom is up right now visiting and helping with Conner and it's been so nice getting to see her every day as well. It's been hard getting over there when I have so much to do and not a lot of time to fit it all in. But I just stop by for half an hour to an hour and that keeps me pretty well satisfied.

Well, I've got quite the next few weeks ahead of me. I'll try to update more. I've missed you all!

Here are a few pictures

Here is Conner only a few hours old in the NICU. In a few weeks I'll have some pictures of my own of Lucy to show.

I had dinner with these beautiful girls.

We went to a Jazz game. It was the game after Larry died and so we saw the (3 minute) memorial they did for him. I thought it could have been a little longer..... They won, though!

At the Jazz game :)

A Challenge

I follow the Scrap Matters blog and I've been wanting to participate in some of their challenges and speed scraps but have always missed them or thought I wasn't good enough. But, I've been playing around quite a bit and I think I'm getting okay at it.

This challenge was making your pictures into shapes. I also made a tree then decorated it. I don't think I've ever used one kit on one page. It's always a whole bunch of stuff from a whole bunch of kits, but this time I stayed with one.

The kit I used is a collab kit by WM [Squared] Designs and Digi Keepsakes. It's called "Retro Spring".

Take a look!

Only problem is I don't know how to submit it. Do you know how?

I Have Been Waiting For This Day My Whole Life

I am so excited. I'm saving my pennies for a Camera, but I'm so tempted to go get this TODAY.

Pace Yourself Whit

Lately

Lately I have been more busy during school than I have ever been before. I'm taking 6 classes that add up to 13 credits. Not a ton, right? Then each class has groups or outside projects. I have never had EVERY single class having out of class things. Here is a breakdown of the classes and what's going on:

Aerobic Fitness Techniques: Mon, Wed 8-9:30 plus 10 out of class teaching times and 5 in class teaching times. This class is a lot of fun. I can get certified through AFAA to be an Aerobics instructor. I'm planning on doing it, I just don't know where in the heck I'll teach. I think it would be a fun job to do a few times a week. I have always been very much into fitness. I think it started in Jr. High when I started playing sports all year round. Then starting my Freshman year in High School, even though I was playing sports year round I started exercising on the side as well. I've always been very health conscious which is why I wanted to be a nutritionist (not going to happen because I'm in Rexburg forever, unless someday I try to do it online). My major is Health Science and I have a cluster (2 clusters is the same as a minor) in Exercise Science. I absolutly love what I am learning. I really don't like the stressful process of being tested on it, but I love knowing it! Anywho - this class is tyring when you do nothing but aerobicize for an hour and a half in the morning (and then I have a dance class that same day), but I really enjoy it. I have 3 teaching things done (teaching a class how to use medicine balls, and then two classes how to spin(cycle)).

Adolescent Development: Mon, Wed. 9:45-11:15. Getting to this class is a little challenging at times because I have 15 minutes to change out of exercise clothes, into normal clothes, then haul myself to another building and up 3 flights of stairs. So, I'm usually there within a minute of being late or on time. Oh, and I'm sweaty, so it's gross. Oh, and I'm hungry, so I'm constantly eating within 15 minutes of sitting down and drinking my entire bottle of water. The second I get out of that class at 11:15 I go to lunch because I'm STARVING. I'm always so hungry. Exercising like a crazy person really makes me hungry. Adolescence... it's probably my most structured class. Before every class I have to have read the assigned chapter, taken a quiz on it 3 times, and then responded to a case study that we will be discussing that day and then writing up something else that was assigned. It takes up quite a bit of time, but I always get it done. I wish each of my classes were as structured and laid out as this one. My one complaint? That the teach would make a study guide before tests, because there is none. Just 4 chapters that are at least 30 pages each that I need to know.... blah. Each chapter is really interesting and the discussions during class are even better. I still feel like an adolescent, but I'm technically not... the nice thing about it being just a few years ago is that as we discuss all these theories and things about teens I can understand. This class goes towards my second cluster in Child Development.

Jazz Dance: Mon, Wed. 12:45-1:45. I picked this class up when my Sports Nutrition class (to be mentioned next) was moved to a later time and forced me to drop a soccer class. I had planned to take the Soccer class with one of my friends, but then Sp. Nutrition was moved from the morning to 2-3 which would be the second hour of soccer and make it impossible for me to attend. I would rather be taking the soccer class, but I am enjoying this dance class. I took dance classes when I was younger then danced on my Jr. High's and High Schools dance team for years. But this is a technical class and I am learning terms and things I didn't know before. I have to wear a leotard (yuck) and anything I wear over that (pants, capri's, shirts) have to be tight. The room we dance in is full of mirrors and I really don't enjoy that. If I could wear more comfortable clothes I don't think I would be as bothered by my reflection as I am (go ahead, roll your eyes.. but it bothers me). It's rediculous, but because of this, I don't enjoy the class as much as I should. We have learned two warm up routines and are learning our first dance routine. I really like the dance we are learning and have been practicing at home every night. I make Jaren turn the TV off and I play the Avril Laviegn song over and over and over while I do the first 4 8 counts we've learned. And for some amazing reason, he doesn't seem to mind, he just picks up his Bourne Supremacy book and reads. :) Every once in a while looking up and smiles and says, "that's good" and "your so cute". I think he loves me. We have to get into groups and make up our own dance routine on our own time before the semester ends.... I don't even know who is in my goup because she does not let us talk and does not give us time to figure it out.

Sports Nutrition: Mon, Wed, Fri, 2-3. Again, I have 15 minutes to change out of my leotard, into my normal clothes and then book it to the same building as my Adolescents class and the classrooms are right next door, so up the three flights of stairs and I get there a minute or two early each time. I sit down, am sweaty (gross again) and am also starving again so I eat AGAIN. Amazing I'm not gaining weight. Nutrition is the only class that came naturally to me. I got A's on every test and of course, ended up with an A in the class. So, I thought Sports Nutrition would be similar. NOPE. It's quite a bit harder and the class is not as structured/planned out as my first Nutrition class. The stuff I'm learning is interesting, just a bit hard to comprehend at at times. So, this class stresses me out at times. Oh, and we have to train someone outside of class.

Mondays after Sports Nutritoin: For an hour I volunteer(for a class) in the Wellness Center (the place where we do fitness assessments and do body comp (how you find out how much percent fat your body has)). The hour goes by really fast and I really enjoy working in this type of environment.

Fitness Appraisal and Presentation: Tues, Thurs. 8-9:30. Love this class. We have to train someone who needs to loose weight, and that wont be so bad. It's hard to describe everything we are learning because it's basically everything about assessing someone who needs to loose weight. It is this class that I volunteer in the welleness center for. It's taught by the same teach that taught my Kinesiology class last semeter that caused me so much turmoil. The class is infitily easier, but just as intersting and beneficial.

Exercise Physiology Lab: Thurs, 12:45-2:45. This class goes with the Exercise Phys class I took last summer.... quite a bit of the stuff we do in there follows along perfectly with the stuff the Exercise Phys class is learning. Only, I don't have the book and it's been quite a while since I've gone over it so I am getting reintroduced to quite a bit. Each class time we do some sort of testing to see a desired result. Here's an example: this week we had two subjects cycle on an Ergometor(cycling machine) whith a huge tube hooked up to their mouth. They cycled twice with rest inebetween at two different intensities. We wanted to see their EPOC (aka. Oxygen Debt. The heavy breathing that happens after you exercise. That happens because your body is trying to replenish the oxygen stores and is replenishing glucose stores and getting rid of the lactate as well). Next class we are doing hydrostatic weighing. Where you get in a pool and are weighed under water to get an accurate measurement of percent body fat. I'm one of the subjects for this and I hear it's extremely uncomfortable because you have to completely clear your lungs from air before you go under. I'm not sure how long you have to be under water for, but I guess you think your going to die. haha.... sounds so exciting. I am excited to get an accurate measurement of my body comp, though. What I've learned it is in the wellness center is great. It's a lot lower than I thought so I'm all sorts of feeling good about myself. I just hope the hydrostatic (that is more accurate that the body caliper) is consistent or better than the results I already have. We have to write lab write ups with groups out of class. So, theres the out of class thing for this class.

There's my 6 classes and what's going on. Monday through Thursday is exhausting. I'm busy all day and up at 6 every morning. By the time Thursday night comes around I'm so relieved to have made it through another week. I get to sleep in, or kind of sleep in since my body wakes me up at 7 anyway. I'm really trying to focus on not getting overwhelemed this semester, but it's hard.

I had two of the three cavities that needed to be filled filled Wednesday. I was so nervous I about cried talking to my Dentist about the whole thing. He understood and talked me through the whole thing, told me exactly what was going on which I apprecaited grately. The only problem, besides smelling my teeth dust and hearing that horrible grinding sound was that both were in the backs of my mouth so I had to open super wide. When I had my wisdom teeth pulled I was put under and one of them was way up high so they opened my mouth much too wide and sprained my jaw. That was almost 5 years ago and my jaw still get's sore every so often. So, having to open wider than is even remotly comfortable took it's toll and my jaw is feeling bruised and sore. Chewing cereal was really painful and I didn't get a whole lot down two mornings later. But, I will say that I am so impressed because I think he re-did one of my previous 9 and the one he did was still sensitive to cold. But I had ice cream last night and chewed it! I chewed it!! I haven't done that in two years! And it didn't bother me ONE bit. He fixed one of my teeth! I'm really happy about that. He also fixed my bite since it was off so this was a MUCH MUCH better experience than last time. He wants to fix one more tooth and we scheduled that for Tuesday morning. Hopefully it will be as good as this last one and hopefully it's much closer towards the front so I'm not opening wider than is natural.

Jaren has had a horrible cold for the last week. He is finally sounding better and feeling better. I've been scared to death to get it because of my crazy busy schedule and how much exercising I have to do. I just can't get sick this semester!! But, low and behold last night I started to cough. Today I feel just a little tired and my throat is just a little sore, but for the most part, besides the horrible racking cough, I feel okay. I hope it's not as bad as Jarens. Maybe because I'm exercising a whole lot I'm okay. We'll see.....

Oh, and my house accumulates horrible messes throught the whole week till Friday when I can finally do dishes and now I'm spending all day doing laundry and cleaning. UHG. And I think it's going to be like this this whole semester. I'm going to be SO GLAD when I'm finished. 2 months and 3 days to go.

So Proud

I just learned how to drop shadows. So I redid all of the pages I've done so far and then did a new one this morning. I flipped through my photos and found this one. I miss my sister, Lindsey so I was drawn to this photo and am so proud with what I came up with :D



Now I just need to figure out how to do/get different fonts.

The Best Compliment Ever

Today I was teaching a Fit for Life class how to exercise using medicine balls. After wards when I walked into the locker room one of the girls from the class came up to me and said this:

"Thanks, you did a great job. And you have great eye brows."

Only one other time do I remember a compliment given to me directed at my eye brows. I was 17 and leading the music in Young Women and one of the Beehives told me they loved my eye brows. I've always remembered that. I try particularly hard to groom my babies because if I don't, they get out of control. You can blame the genes from my father.

I've only ever had them waxed two times in my life. Let's take a look, shall we?

Ignore the strange behavior and check out the eye brows. I will admit, my eye brow self esteem is normally very low, but as of today has been boosted considerably. For some reason, Kodak doesn't seem to think I have red eye in this picture and wouldn't let me correct it. Oh well, that's not the focus of this image anyway. It's the brows.

I hope everyone is doing well, I'm sorry I've been so absent. This semester is so crazy busy. I look forward to graduating soon and having the time to travel and blog and read and scrapbook and clean and cook and do laundry and fold and iron and do whatever I want. I'll be back, I promise!

Countdown to Graduation

2 months and 18 days till I walk the plank

Current Musical Obsessions

For those of you who do not know - I love music. I'm somewhat of an addict. I have a HUGE CD case that got stolen, but I got lucky and got it back. I mean, I have hundreds of CD's and I really haven't bought more than 5 hard copies in the last 2 years. But, I have bought quite a few online.

Thanks to blogging friends I was introduced to a music site that sells .15 cent songs. AMAZING. If you would like the address, ask and I'll send it to you.

But, I also have XM in my vehicle so I hear a lot of stuff the radio doesn't play.

I now have two (still three, really) voice lovers. I love their voices. I told my husband that I had a few other loves and they were voices he laughed.

I was going to embed a video for each artist, but you tube decided to get stuck up and took off their embedding link. So, instead I'll give a list of awesome songs and link them. If you listen to any of them listen to the first one. You wont be disappointed.


Numbero Uno

Kings of Leon
Use Somebody
Closer
Sex Is On Fire (don't be alarmed by the name of the song, it's not dirty)
On Call

Numero Dose

Interpol (they are really good live)
Slow Hands
Evil
Take You On A Cruise

Numero Tres

Muse
I'm going to let you go on You Tube and search these guys because I like every single song they've ever done. Their music is amazing, but the lead singer's voice isn't as good as these other two. But I like it all the same.

If you have any good music you'd like to share, I'll check it out. Let me know in the comments!

Just A Little Upset

Just a little... or a lottle? I can't decide.

I've been wanting to share the story about my teeth for a while, but just have never done it. Well, after going to the dentist today I'll share and then you might be able to understand why I'm feeling the way I'm feeling.

I went to the dentist on April 4th, two days before I got married in 2007. I was still under my parent's insurance and my mom worked for the school district so dental was super cheap. I knew I had needed to go before I got married for months, but put it off. It's my own fault.

I asked Jaren who I should go to and he recommended Dr. W, who he has gone to since he was little and when I couldn't get an appointment as soon as I needed to he recommended Dr. A. I went, had X-ray's, he found one cavity - I was bummed. He told me that I should come back in after we got back from our honeymoon, that I would be fine as long as I came in in the next month.

3 weeks after we were married and I had started school and we were somewhat settled I made an appointment with Dr. W. He decided he wanted his own X-ray's (understandable). With these X-rays that had just been taken 3 weeks after my one cavity other X-rays he found 9 cavities. Count 'em, NINE. I was floored. I was panicking inside and trying so hard not to show it on the outside. NINE CAVITIES!?!!!!! Where did they come from?! I had had ONE three weeks before and one since I lost all my baby teeth.

My thoughts automatically turned to money. We had insurance but like most insurances, did not cover dental. I told Dr. W, I needed to ask my husband, because he was ready to start filling them right then. I was concentrating on not crying, so I sent Jaren a text instead of calling because if I talked to him I knew I would start to bawl. He said to get them filled.

I was given two options, fill all 9 right there, or do half now and half later. I chose to do half then and half later. I picked the porcelien because with nine cavities I knew my mouth would look made out of metal when they were done if I had chosen the metal fillings.

I was surprised at how quickly he filled 4 of them. He was a little violent with my mouth, but, he was a pretty big guy and he was drilling and jostling, it was to be expected. Right?

3 days later I went in again to get the other 5 filled. I was having so much sensetivity with the other 4, but I thought that was normal. I told Dr. W about it and he looked at them and said, "They are probably too high" so he drilled them down. He filled the other 5 and sent me on my way.

My bite was different, my mouth was killing me and to top it all off we were planning on getting me a lap top, but with this turn of events, we got me 9 white fillings instead. I was bummed.

I was told that my mouth should go back to normal a few days later. So I waited..... and waited.... and waited..... my mouth hurt and hurt. I couldn't drink anything that wasn't a teeny bit warmer than room tempurature. Or eat anything that wasn't the same temperature and it could not be harder than a hot dog.

I would wake up in the middle of the night with my mouth aching and my head killing me. My jaw would hurt horribly, too. I went in again and he thought they were still high... so he drilled them down some more.. by this time my teeth had no shape to the tops of them, they were just little bowls. One was even so sharp I couldn't run my tounge across it. I was given Valium and told to take it before bed because he thought my jaw was clenching and I was grinding my teeth.

The first night I took Valium was interesting to say the least. I took one pill - they are teeny by they way - and in 30 minutes I couldn't move. My entire body had seemed to loose it's ability to use my muscles. Jaren had to carry me to bed.

Waking up was weird, too. I was groggy and still lacked some motor capabilities. I decided I wasn't taking it every night and when I did I was cutting the pill in half. When I would take the half a pill I could at least walk and move around. It was still really hard and I didn't have a lot of strength but Jaren just had to walk me to bed - not carry me.

A month went by and I was still drinking warm water through a straw. And the water could NOT touch my teeth or I would start to cry - it hurt so horribly bad. I ate hot dogs and soup. The kind of soup you drink. I ate tons of rice a roni and mac and cheese. Bread hurt because the second it touched my teeth it was too cold. I tried to eat a chewy granola bar and about died. And when I went into Dr. W again telling him it hasn't gotten better - it feels even worse he mentioned that I might have to get root canals. I wanted to scream.

Instead he just ground them down some more.

Another month went by and I had lost a few pounds. I was still waking up with my jaw hurting and I was constantly starving. I started to take Motrin. A lot of it. I didn't realize that I was taking too much because I was in such pain. I took anywhere from 10-14 in a day. It helped a lot, though. My head aches went away when I took it and my jaw stopped aching. It even hurt to breath AIR. If I walked outside and the air was too cold it stung my teeth.

One day, my mom was at my Grandma's for I think Father's Day and my Uncle Charlie was there who is a dentist. She mentioned about how sensitive my teeth were after 2 months of having them worked on. This perked my uncle right up and he started asking questions. He told her that it should never be like that, that something was wrong. He told her to have me call him -so I did. Right away. I told him what had happened and how I was feeling, he told me that as soon as I could get to Spokane he would take a look and fix me. I finally felt like maybe I wasn't going to have to live off of drinkable soup for the rest of my life.

I don't know how to explain how those 3 months were for me..... I was always hungry, I weighed less than I had in 7 years. I was constantly getting "stung" by something too hot or too cold and I would cry because it hurt so bad. I had horrible head aches and my jaw hurt all the time. I would get really sick and I didn't know why. I even went to the doctor trying to figure out what was wrong. I told him I was taking like 12 Motrin a day and he just nodded and said, "MMM, hmm.." He thought I had IBS. So he gave me some pills. I was really tired of taking pills, by the way.

I took the IBS pills once and thought I was going to throw up for 3 full hours. I never took them again. I knew it wasn't IBS. I was pretty sure it was because of the Motrin. But I was in so much pain that I kept taking it. Finally I had a pretty bad scare where I got really really sick and I was freaking out.

I was crying hysterically and Jaren grabbed the computer and started looking up side effects of the birth control I was taking and Motrin. Sure enough he listed off the adverse side effects of Motrin and I had about all of them. I stopped taking it immediatley and have maybe taken 4 pills since.

In August I finally made it to Spokane. My uncle looked at the X-Rays I had sent to him and then looked at my teeth. He kept saying how horrible they looked and how sorry he was for me. It was his day off and he came in just to find out what was wrong. He and a guy that was buying his practice had come in just for me.

I laid there for 6 hours with my mouth pried open and hands in drilling on my teeth. I had had so much numbing things I couldn't feel my face or my ears. My uncle chipped out every single peice of filling and found holes in the fillings and under them my teeth were rotting. He found teeny cavities that Dr. W had drilled around and made huge. He took his time on each tooth and shaped them so they had the grooves of my real teeth. He and the other Dentist skipped lunch to keep working on me. I could hear both of their stomach's growling and I was grateful for them and that I shoved a huge hamburger down my throat before I had come in. Just in case.

Just 5 days after that I was able to eat a carrot. A carrot!! Oh, no one realizes how nice it was. I could only chew it with my front teeth and I had to let it get a little warm, but I was still able to eat it! I could tell a difference immediatly. I healed quite steadily over the next 4 or 5 months. Slowly I was able to eat a sandwhich, and at my 2 month mark I was able to eat a salad. No one knows how much they take their teeth for granted until they cant eat because of them.

I am forever grateful to my Uncle for taking an entire day to hunch over my mouth and fix every little centemeter of my teeth. How do you thank someone for something like that? He's a saint.

So, needless to say after all of that I have not been too excited about going to the dentist again. But I went in July of last year to Dr. L. He was very nice and said my Uncle did a very good job. He has no idea. (well... maybe he does... but really......) He said there was one tooth, (the one that caused me the most pain and was the hardest for my Uncle C. to fix) that was going to need to be watched. It was the same tooth my Uncle said might need a Root Canal someday. Dangit.

But I left there with no new cavities and I felt better. I floss and brush my teeth like no other now. I've learned my lesson and I hope you have also learned my lesson.

But. Here's the upsetting part. The last 2 months I have had 2 incidences where I have eaten something sweet and the one troublesome tooth has hurt. A feeling of dread went through me both times, but then I just continued to eat my mini Snickers and it didn't hurt again.

Today was my second Dentist appointment since my Uncle fixed me. Dr. L poked and prodded at a few of my teeth and only one hurt. The one that was sensetive while eating mini Snickers and a gummy bear. He didn't sound quite like it needed to be filled, but then as I was leaving the dental assistant said, "Alright, do you want me to schedule you a date?" I'm thinking.... in 6 months for my next appointment?? Getting aheald of ourselves, aren't we? So I asked, "For what?" She said, "To fill your cavities." Me: "I HAVE CAVITIES?!?!!!!!!!" She got a little uncomfortable and said, "Yeah... like, 2.. or 3.... or 4 or something, I'm not sure..." OH. MY. STARS. AND. GUARDERS. Again, do not cry... do NOT cry! So I didn't, and I told her that I would give them a call to schedule a time later.

I called Jaren and told him and he just apologized and said sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I cried and I'm feeling so.... sad about it. I can't understand how so quickly I went from one cavity in like 10 years to all the sudden almost my whole mouth needs to be replaced. My experience was so horrible that I just dread the dentist and I'm scared to death of having cavities for fear of a root canal or a repeat of the past. I can finally drink ice water again!! After a year and a half I can drink ice in water - but it's still a little uncomfortable. I'm sure that I wont have a repeat of what happened in '07, but I'm still scared and scarred over it. When I go back in I'm going to ask that only the one that hurt when he poked it get filled. If it's not hurting me, then I'm sure I'm fine. I take care of my mouth so I should be able to keep the others at bay for a while, right?

It just feels like a nightmare I can't get out of. This isn't even the first bad mouth experience. Wait till I tell you all about my wisdom teeth.

My First Digital Scrap

I had no idea you could even do this on your computer until I met my friend, Victoria.

She told me about how amazing it was and how real digital scrapbooking looked. Before this I would sit for hours trying to work on one page by cutting, positioning, then re-cutting and finally taping, then not being super satisfied, but being too tired to deal with it and it never get's fixed.

The problem was I didn't have any software and didn't know what to get. I looked around and then I realized that one of my bloggy friend's blog has amazing scrapping.

Why don't I ask her?! So I did, I asked Brigitte what software she used. She was so kind to send me an email explaining what she used, so I downloaded a free 30 day trial.

It took FOREVER to download and I once I had it open I had no idea what the heck I was doing. I tried to figure it out but just got super frustrated. After a few frantic e-mails to Brigitte she told me about tutorials at Shabby Princess where I download all of my elements. I read one of them and figured it out.

Feast your eyes my friends!!! I can now digiscrap!





I stopped when I had everything in place. Tomorrow I will figure out how to add shadow's and whatever the finishing touches are. But for now.. I'm pooped.

(I'm trying to decide if I should add "learn how to digiscrap" to my new years resolutions since I just accomplished it. That would sure boost my self esteem to have already finished so mething)

2009 Resolutions

Most years I don't even make any because I'm pretty sure I wont keep them. But this year is different.

I'm makin some and keepin 'em.

Here are some of my 2009 resolutions

• Exercise at least 3 days a week - preferably more than that, but I'm being realistic.
• Iron all of Jaren's church shirts - because i don't think i've had all of them ironed at one time for all of 2008
• Read my scriptures every day - i was soo good at this from ages 14 to 20 then i got married and my routines changed.
• Have a baby before December 31st - i think i can i think i can
• clean bathrooms once a week - again, a routine i need to invent and get into the habit of keeping
  

A few of these will be easy and the rest will take some effort. I should take it a week at a time and not think of a whole year of exercising 3 - 5 days a week, cleaning bathrooms 4 times a month and ironing shirts all the time.

I think I can, I think I can!

Christmas Vacation in Pictures

I have a ton of pictures from my Washington Christmas vaycay and a few from New Years.

I had a really good time with my family. I'm so glad we made that Seattle flight. It was so nice to be home for a few days, to see family and friends.

There will be commentary with these pictures.
I've always said that I want a boy first. Then I met this little girl. She is so happy all of the time (unless she's tired or is done eating and you wont take her out of her high chair). She babbles and talks and after a few days of telling her my name is "Whitney" she called me "kitty" which is close enough for me :)
She would stand up and squat down over and over on this stool. Then pick it up and carry it around, then get back up on it and stand up and squat. Very cute. Very funny.
We visited the dairy and found this escapee! Of course she runs right to the food. I would have done the same thing.
Nathan drank the dairy water and sprouted this crazy mustache
Stephanie, me and Vicki and Josh at our Milk Processing Plant. I helped build this thing and it was dirty.
Baby Conner. Due to pop on out of there in less than 2 months. I felt him move a lot. In fact, I would find him and then push on him and he would move away. It was a fun game. He might hate me when he comes out, but his daddy does it too, so I feel pretty safe.
Apparently we don't know how to make a "weird face".
We are posing in our new pajamas. They are wonderful. They are soft and silky and are lined with silk... Victoria's Secret sure does know how to make em. Lena is the only one missing. Her belly is as small as Stephanie's, but her baby wants to come out already. So she's on bed rest and couldn't come - we missed them.
My mommy and daddy
My Grandma and Grandpa
My Daddy
At the Christmas Eve program. All of the Regalado's with Lisa and Lindsey.
Grandpa loves to lead and whistle to the music. He would do this during sacrament, too. I loved to turn around and watch him lead :) Whenever he hums or leads on his own without any music he always always hums, "We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet". And he calls everyone Brother Gilbert or Pancho.
Lindsey looks very cute in this picture
This is Josh laying on Claire. She didn't cry or scream. Just made a very uncomfortable whine. I think she's a little used to this. It was so funny.
Lindsey and Vicki and half of my face
Check out her Christmas Eve outfit! The boots were adorable. She is one of the best dressed babies I've ever seen. I take it back - the best dressed baby.
We were on our way to the Christmas Eve party. I love Jaren's eyes..... I hope our children get them
"Josh, what do Reindeer look like?"
Those boots
So excited for Santa! Josh says, "Not everyone puts out hay for the reindeer"
With Grandpa putting out the hay for the Reindeer to eat.
She's adorable!
Jaren and I at our Christmas at his parents house.
Three of my Young Women girls at the New Years Eve dance I had to Chaperone. They wandered around till they found me. Hannah, the girl on the left said she knew it was me from far away because I was talking with my hands..... If you know me, it's funny because it's true.

Celeste and Kimball came to keep us company for a while at the dance. We ended up being basically road blocks so kids couldn't go make out at the far corners of the building.
Jaren and Kimball. Jaren saw this picture, laughed and said, "Yep! That's us."