my baby elf

Isn't he cute? (or creepy, sure)

For the full meal deal, check this out. 

My Favorite Things

I apologize if my blogging has seemed a little sparse lately. We're keeping our heads above water, but it's constant work as we both try to finish up the last of our school work for this term/semester. Of course, we enjoyed a hearty Thanksgiving in Cove/La Grande. My aunt Steph & uncle Gareld hosted us out at their new home on "the property." In my laziness, I just posted pictures on Facebook. If you haven't seen them, you can find them here.

Last year, we had quite the trouble trying to locate a tree in Hermiston before December 10th, well, apparently they read my blog and so there are tree lots all over the city and have been up since Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, I just barely got the decorations and tree stand down, and due to unforeseen school deadlines, we will have to wait until at least Friday evening to pick up a fresh tree! It's exhausting! By then there are only two weeks til Christmas! Lame!

Next week I go to working three days a week at the Chamber. But, it's not all R&R. I have my stats final to take next week - which means catching up on my Stats, too. Plus, the apartment has been a bit neglected and needs some thorough cleaning, so until that happens, don't ask to use our restroom. Not to mention Christmas shopping & crafting & wrapping & movie watching (notice the lack of baking in there). As well as prepping for the babester's arrival. I haven't packed the hospital bags, washed the clothes, purchased a crib mattress, installed the car seat, put stuff away in the changing table..... it's hard!

And so I'm torn - some folks have requested a Christmas arrival of the baby. But, I have to say, I don't think I'm ready! Except .....

(To be sung in your head to the tune of

"My Favorite Things" )

Seaweed and rice all rolled with some tuna            

Flowing shirts that don’t make me a balloon

Fingers that don’t swell around wedding rings

These are a few of my favorite things

Sitting at the salon with foil in my hair

Not needing assistance to get out of my chair

Using the restroom less times than 18

These are a few of my favorite things

When I feel her move

When I’m scared of birth

When I’m not going mad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I want her out so bad! 

nesting: take one

Wow, what is happening with my face here? 

Here is my 31.5 week belly picture. In comparing this photo to my 27.5 week photo, I don't see much of a difference. But, I definitely feel a difference. It's been harder to sit up or bend over or stand up after squatting down. I'd been getting away with just using an elastic belly band to convert regular pants into "maternity" pants - but lately it's just not very comfortable! This morning I went through a bin of maternity clothes a gal at church loaned me and found some work maternity pants to wear. Much more comfortable! 

In case I forgot to mention it, at the last doctor's appointment, my doctor confirmed that I did NOT have gestational diabetes. I was very glad! Who wants diabetes for Christmas? Not this girl. 

My mom, sister and brother came up for the weekend. 

Eric was in full force performing husband, son-in-law and brother-in-law duties. But he was a trooper and big help! 

Mom and I worked on a few different projects - she's such a helpful gal. 

One was a felt mitten "garland" to put on the tree at Christmas. Riley helped with that project, too. 

I worked on some handmade little gifts for some friends. 

We also sewed a bath towel for the baby and got the nursery all arranged! We've still got some putting away of things to do and some finishing touches (like, say, a crib mattress). But, the furniture is all arranged and most of the wall decor up! 

Probably my favorite set up in the room, currently. Old milk crate as a book shelf!

Not pictured*The changing table. Currently piled high with things that need to be put away.

When things are more polished I'll post some updated photos! Preferably in the daytime so that the lighting is a bit better. It's really pretty airy, yet cozy in there. Eric's new favorite thing to do is just go sit in the "baby room."

Stay tuned.

Worth a thousand words...

I haven't blogged in over a week! Shocking! Instead of telling you about my week, I'll give you some pictures.

Not pictured....lots of wrapping of presents. Daily trips to Wal-Mart. Lunch with the ladies. Finishing the book "Up in the Air" which I decided I didn't like. Winning the title of Shaker Box Champ for the second year in a row (Jeff wraps a present we can shake and if we guess what is in it, we win a gift card....this year it was 7 whistles for our emergency 72 hour kits). And lots of tormenting my siblings and mom. They love it.

Sunday Thought - The Love of God

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 21–24

Why Should We Love God?


God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.

No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!

For what we love determines what we seek.


What we seek determines what we think and do.


What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.

We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God’s spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.

Since the beginning of time, love has been the source of both the highest bliss and the heaviest burdens. At the heart of misery from the days of Adam until today, you will find the love of wrong things. And at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things.

And the greatest of all good things is God.

Our Father in Heaven has given us, His children, much more than any mortal mind can comprehend. Under His direction the Great Jehovah created this wondrous world we live in. God the Father watches over us, fills our hearts with breathtaking joy, brightens our darkest hours with blessed peace, distills upon our minds precious truths, shepherds us through times of distress, rejoices when we rejoice, and answers our righteous petitions.

He offers to His children the promise of a glorious and infinite existence and has provided a way for us to progress in knowledge and glory until we receive a fulness of joy. He has promised us all that He has.

If all that is not enough reason to love our Heavenly Father, perhaps we can learn from the words of the Apostle John, who said, “We love him, because he first loved us."

(find more when you click on the title of this post)

dear santa....

Dear Santa, baby,

slip a macbook under the tree, for me

I've been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight


Santa baby, an offer for a DC internship too, or a few
I'll wait up for you dear
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight


Think of all the fun I've missed
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed
Next year I could be oh so good
If you'd check off my Christmas list


Santa honey, I want you to snow blow Provo’s sidewalks, and really
that's not a lot
I've been an angel all year
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight


Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need, the deed
of you finishing up my finals,
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight


Santa baby, fill my stocking with hundred dollar bills and
diet pepsi refills,
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight


Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some decorations bought from Adobe
I really do believe in you
Let's see if you believe in me


Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring
from a really good man
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Hurry down the chimney tonight


Love,
Lexy

Currently....

Currently...

...I can't stop, won't stop, listening to this and this and this.

...my favorite thing to wear is usually my yellow cardigan, but everyone notices when I wear it, so I can't wear it very often.

...I am trying to rationalize eating everything I know I'm going to eat over Thanksgiving.

...ready for a new laptop. It would make my cumulative hours spent on campus per week a lot fewer.

...I am a dreamer.

...wishes I could see this girl sooner than Christmas. Lame.

...I have not been to a rodeo in over a year. I need this to be rectified quick.

...I would probably marry the man who buys me a CCR t-shirt.

...I miss my old Blackberry. This guy just isn't worn in yet.

...ready to be done with the Provo life. I want my own little place, in a new environment, with a new routine, meeting new people who weren't born in the 90's or married (everyone I go to school with).

...would do almost anything (just shy of prostituting myself) to go see my love, Garth, in Vegas.

...I could really go for some genuine Japanese curry, gyoza and sushi roll.

...have been wanting a no-strings-attached spoonfest.

...it's been 8 days since I made it to the gym. Feelin' flabbbbby.

...I could use a massage.

...I am wearing scandal on my fingers and siren on my toes.

...am really grateful for such supportive peers in the journalism program. Thursday night we came together to help a girl get her internship application FedExed overnight even though it was after 5pm. These people are pretty great.

...in the mood to go sledding or Christmas shopping.

...misses Kara's morning, usually towel-clad, serenades.

...nostalgic for that family trip to the coast we took two summers ago. We laughed a lot, in between the fighting.

...I am reading "The Miracle of Forgiveness," finally making some headway on this spiritually intense book.

...I have been working on a muse wall. Does that make me lame? Really it's just a billboard with crap on it.

...liking the name Ellis for a boy.

...compiling a mental list of places to potentially apply for an internship at. Including The Hill, Niche Media (Capitol Living magazine), The Washingtonian, The National Journal, Fox News' online magazine, etc. etc.

...wants to get the H1N1 vaccine.

...thinking that sleeping all day sounds pretty good to me.

...and finally, wishing my shower would magically grow a porcelain tub for me to fill with hot water and soak in.

...and did I forget to mention, I'm engaged (who could say no to a rock that big)?

Countdown to Christmas.....

There are something like 40 days til Christmas....so you better start planning what you're going to get me now.

Many of you know I'm headed to Washington D.C. in a measly 9 months (ha ha). Since learning this I've become slightly obsessed. Therefore you should feed my obsession with gift idea number one:



You can conveniently gift subscribe here.