LDS Moms [Archive] - Page 7 - American Pregnancy Association

DucksLikeRain

03-24-2011, 09:05 PM

Thanks, Ashley. My dad was in a meeting up here where the hospital is so he met us here and he and John gave me a blessing. Finally. He had asked me yesterday when I was ever going to get one so I shared my fears with him. He wanted to fast for a day before doing it so he was going to come over tomorrow evening. I dont know if me sharing my thoughts and fears about it made a difference in what he said. It shouldn't have been able too, right? He didn't come right out and say that things will be fine but he did talk about my body shaking this off and it working well enough to keep the baby where he needs to be. And that I'd have the strength and wisdom to go to bat against the doctors if that's what it comes too.

I sort of wish he had been able to stay long enough to go to bat for me. He is good at pressing his point under stress whereas I cry the second I get mad or frustrated! But he needed to get home to help my mom with my girls.

EvandAl

03-24-2011, 09:07 PM

Thinking and praying for you all the time Tif!

ashers

03-24-2011, 10:27 PM

Tif I am so glad you have such a wonderful family, your dad sounds like such a great family patriarch and took the time to ponder on the blessing. IMO you sharing your thoughts and fears would have no affect on what he said, when lead by the priesthood, men are able to step away from what they and others want and lay everything in the Lords hands. When my mom found a lump in her breast my dad gave her a blessing, he knew that she was scared and didnt want it to be cancer and he didnt want to lose her, in the blessing he didnt ask for healing but for strength to survive what she will face in the coming months. I am glad that you received one and hope that hope you can find comfort in the words and the feelings that they bring with them.

I am exactly like you, when I get sad or mad I cry, I just break down, but I know you will be strong for you and for your child, thats just how mommas are. :o) Lots of hugs and continued prayer.

BrandiB

03-24-2011, 11:01 PM

Tif I'm seriously in tears reading all this. I'm praying so hard that your little guy will bake longer. I pray that you can keep fighting the doctors for as long as you can! I've put your names on a couple prayer rolls and I've told my sister in law whats going on and she's going to put your name on the Sacramento prayer roll in the morning. Lots of love and prayers and good thoughts are going your way.

Oh and no your dad knowing your fears should not change the way the blessing was. The power of the preisthood is just flat out amazing. What your dad said was what the Lord wanted to be said.

BrandiB

03-24-2011, 11:05 PM

Double post

BrandiB

03-25-2011, 11:00 AM

Tif still needs lots of prayers ladies. I just read they were going to take out her cerlage and go fromt here.
Tif we love you and are praying really hard for you and that baby!

moosh34

03-25-2011, 12:20 PM

:cry:

ashers

03-25-2011, 02:11 PM

I wish there was something I could do besides pray for Tif! Hold on baby boy and family!

BrandiB

03-25-2011, 02:39 PM

She updated facebook, and someone else updated what she put in the New Moms section. My heart hurts for them to have to face this.

ashers

03-25-2011, 07:56 PM

She also updated in the July DD room earlier in the day too it you missed that.

BrandiB

03-25-2011, 08:57 PM

Thanks Ashley I seen that earlier. I'm so worried though we havent heard anything since.

moosh34

03-25-2011, 09:33 PM

I'm so worried though we havent heard anything since.

:pace:Me too. I'm wondering how they're doing...but I think Tiff and her family need their space too. I certainly don't want her worried about updating us with all they are going through. I'm just going to remain hopeful until we hear from her. :grouphug:

ashers

03-25-2011, 10:03 PM

There is in an update in the July DD room....my heart is broken, I pray for her family to find some comfort tonight!

BrandiB

03-26-2011, 07:12 PM

Tif we are all praying for you!

DucksLikeRain

03-26-2011, 09:21 PM

Thanks, ladies. I haven't even been able to grieve or feel yet because I've been so miserable in the ICU. But John is so angry. And the place that seems logical to him to direct that anger is God of course. I am really hoping this one is not his breaking point.

ashers

03-26-2011, 10:21 PM

Oh Tif I am so sorry you are having to deal with so much right now. I can understand, from my minuscule experiences, where John is coming from and I hope that he can again turn towards the Lord to find peace and comfort, Heavenly Father understands the need to feel anger and will be there when he is ready. I hope that your infection can be controlled soon so that you can begin your own healing process. I am so glad to have the gospel, and we know that families are forever, never forget that promise.

BrandiB

03-27-2011, 02:09 PM

Oh Tif, I'm so sorry that you've been so sick. I hope and pray that you will start to feel better soon. Of course John is angry, everyone goes through that. I hope that his anger changes. When my cousin passed away my aunt kept getting this feeling that she needed to share something with everyone and that it was coming from him. Families are Forever pass it on! She has this in her living room window and all our family has it on our cars. She makes vinyl lettering for a living. Remember when you were in the temple knealing across the alter looking into those mirrors, there is no end. Your sweet family will be together forever. If you would like one of those vinyl letterings for your car please let me know and I'll mail some to you guys. We all love you and will continue to pray for you.

ashers

03-28-2011, 09:12 PM

Guess what!?! I actually heard from my visiting teaching partner tonight, I haven't been able to get a hold of her because the numbers listed on the sheet are her husbands! We actually have it set up to visit with one sister on Thursday night, way to leave it till the last day of the month, but hey we are going to do it! This is such a great step in the right direction for me, I am hoping that this will help kick start our full time return to this ward!

BrandiB

03-28-2011, 09:30 PM

LuTruPeMo

03-29-2011, 06:51 AM

Ashley that is awesome! I hope that things start to look up for you guys and you can start getting your teaching done! I havent done any visiting teaching. My partner is my cousin and her sister was getting married this month so I knew she was busy with that. Then when I talked to her at the wedding she said that she's having a horrible time with 4 kids. She said she's so scatter brained. I honestly felt bad that we were paired and it was going to take her time away from her family.

You shouldn't feel bad. Visiting teaching, as part of relief society's function, was created by the power of and after the pattern of the priesthood (hello March lesson... :) ). It doesn't have to take her away from her family if you can work it out to take the kids with you (depending on the sisters you visit of course). Also IDK how many sisters you have on your list but it should not take an enormous amount of time each month. My MIL was telling me that she and her companion have a standing appointment the first Tuesday of each month, they see three sisters at 9:00, 9:45, and 10:30, and they are done within 2 hours. That would be so nice! My companion and I are always so scatterbrained about it. And I have to admit it is mainly her fault. :) That's awful to say, but she absolutely refuses to go except during weekdays, and since I homeschool, I can not go until later in the day, so it creates this super tiny window of time when we can go. I've decided I am not going to take my kids with me anymore. It is not fair to them or the ones we visit. My kids are good, but I'm there to visit this sister, not let my kids terrorize her home. I need to speak with my VT about this.

But you are right, we have to put our families first when it comes to them or church callings. Most of the time I think the Lord has set it up so that we are able to fulfill all of our family obligations and all of our church obligations, but sometimes the two are impossible to both be done, and IMO we should always choose family over church.

Sorry I'm rambling. :crazy:

BrandiB

03-29-2011, 09:35 AM

My moms visiting teachers are the same way, well sort of. They always come the first tuesday or 2nd tuesday of every month. They always stay forever but part of that is because my mom is chatter haha. I love her visiting teachers they were mine before we moved and I miss them.
We only have 3 sisters on our list and I'm pretty sure they all have kids around our kids age. I think 2 of her kids would be in school during the weekday but it just gets hard to get together when your both so busy with your own life. I'm going to try and do better next month. Forget this month, its been a rough month.

So last week I drove by the site of the new Brigham City Temple, they have all corner walls up! I cant believe how fast they are working. I'm so hoping that I can go to the dedication, I've never been to one and I think it would be awesome!

ashers

03-31-2011, 05:22 PM

Brandi I hope that you can figure something out for your visiting teaching. I am so excited to see what the Brigham City Temple looks like when it is finished! I cannot believe it took them this long to decide to build one up that way. It would be so cool if you could go to one of the dedication sessions, I have only gone to the broadcast sessions and the spirit there is amazing, I can only imagine what it would be like in person. I am hoping that we can come up and go through the open house when it is finished. When are the expecting it to be done anyways?

BrandiB

03-31-2011, 05:34 PM

I believe it will be done fall 2012. I'm excited for it as well! You should totally come to the open house when its done!

ashers

03-31-2011, 09:02 PM

Wow that seems so far away, but then you know those dates will sneak up on us in no time! We were able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain open house and that was just amazing!

Well we were able to visit with one sister tonight so that is at least a start! The other 2 never returned our calls. We all live in the same apartment complex and our telephone service is included in our monthly rent, so a lot of sisters use those numbers for church records, yet many never bother to go and buy a phone or set up their voice mail so one sister may never know that we called! The other sister just never returned our calls, I guess we at least tried.

So who is excited for conference? I am still trying to psych myself up for it, I dont know why but I am having a hard time getting into the thought of it. I am hoping that I will really be able to enjoy it, I am thankful that we have the ability to watch it live. I wish we could all be like my cousin who watches at least one session of past conferences a day, he is 20 years old and has cerebral palsy but he sure loves conference and is such a great example to me!

EvandAl

04-01-2011, 07:16 PM

I am excited we are going to the Atlanta Temple Open house in a few weeks! :hooray: It was being renovated. I haven't been inside a Temple in like 9 years, I can't wait! Plus DH is going and my In-laws are coming up. Oh and we are taking the boys, I am so excited for John to see it :)

BrandiB

04-01-2011, 09:38 PM

Ashley I think it seems like it will be done fast haha. We also went to the Oquirrh Mountain open house. We took my cousins who are inactive and when we were married 4 years ago they didnt understand how come they couldnt see us get married. It was great for them to experience that! So glad you got some VTing done!

Al that is great! I hope you guys enjoy it! So glad that your taking your boys!

LuTruPeMo

04-02-2011, 06:28 PM

I totally want to go to the Atlanta open house! I wish it was a little later. DH has school until May 6 and we're leaving on the 8th for our vacation. Oh well. I will have to wait for Indy. :) I hope you guys have a great time. Mostly I just want to take my kids in the temple and I can't wait until they're all 12! :)

We listened to the first session of conference on TV at home this morning. DH tried to watch the 2nd session but kept falling asleep; I just gave up entirely. I know myself, I'd fall asleep.

BrandiB

04-02-2011, 06:57 PM

I watched President Monson address us and tell us about the 3 new temples. Then I had a toddler freaking out so I gave up. Although it is DVR'd so DH and I can watch it after Preston is in bed. Or when he has a day off. Which means probably wont be until next weekend. He informed me through e-mail that he voluntered to work wednesday and tuesday we are going to the zoo with his sister that is in town. So yeah wont be for a while.

I was excited to hear that Meridian Idaho is getting a temple. That will be make 3 in a super close area. Boise and Twin Falls is already there. When I was pregnant I went to the Twin Falls open house. I missed the Draper one though Preston had RSV and was only a few months old.

ashers

04-02-2011, 07:26 PM

Well I kind of watched both sessions, they were on but I have been trying to write a paper all day. So I will definitely need to read the talks again when next months ensign comes out. Its crazy to think of all the temples that have been announced in the past few months, I love that they are popping up all around the world more and more. We are trying to figure out where we are watching tomorrows sessions, our families are fighting over us, them only living a block apart makes things even harder. We just found out that my SIL is up here from Vegas with her kids and will be at the IL's for both sessions and we would really like to spend time with them. So I guess we will see were we end up :o)

EvandAl

04-03-2011, 06:08 AM

Could you do a session at each house? :)

ashers

04-03-2011, 05:52 PM

Well we ended up getting nearly six inches of snow in south salt lake so even though we finally planned to watch the morning session with my parents, we got there about half way through! It was crazy just trying to make it to the freeway, then once we passed downtown the sun came out and it was beautiful, Utah weather you gotta love it. We visited my parents a little while and then went to my ILs, but I am glad we left when we did because my stupid BIL decided to show up at my parents and I am afraid that if we had stayed I would have strangled him for all the stupid things he does to my sister and what he puts her through! I did enjoy the talks though, so many about welfare and being prepared financially for ourselves. This is our big goal for the year as well as to pay all our tithing and as much in fast offerings as we can. Happy Sunday all!

moosh34

04-03-2011, 07:08 PM

The snow was crazy right? We went from SLC to Heber Valley and back and it wasn't too bad. Just crazy spring weather. Aren't ya'll glad that we're married and didn't have to worry about the FOUR times they told single young adults to give marriage top priority? Yeah, bet my four younger siblings love that. They range in age from 22-28 and are all single right now. I need to re-listen or read the talk on parenting...it was sounding so good and then ds had a potty problem and both dh and I ended up missing most of it. Ironic. However, I did catch the part about how having a needy child is like taking parenting 505 instead of 101. :laugh:

DucksLikeRain

04-08-2011, 07:58 PM

BrandiB

04-08-2011, 08:55 PM

Tif I honestly have no idea. I'm not sure any of the ladies are LDS there but I have no idea for sure. You could still always ask! Here is a site I found. Maybe this can help if you havent already found it. https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/eng/site/adopting-families/

How are you doing Tif? We are all still thinking of you and praying for your sweet family.

moosh34

04-08-2011, 10:05 PM

I don't really know Tiff. The closest I could come by would be an aunt and uncle who adopted 4 kids (1 set of twins) that way, but that's 20+ years ago. I don't know how it would compare to now. I'd love to help if I can.

DucksLikeRain

04-09-2011, 09:55 AM

Thanks for the website, Brandi! I hadn't even gotten far enough to look it up. It was a lot of help-even sort of outlined what to expect for $$ which I didn't realized was subsidized by the church!

You have to have a documented infertility assessment...I don't even know what that means or how that would apply to us? I mean, we are anything but infertile in the typical sense...

John's not quite ready to start the process. Me, I'm all gung ho for it immediately. If we canceled our trip to CA in June we'd have the money for it in the bank already. But I think he wants to get a second vehicle-van-and stuff like that before we even start the process, just in case we happened to have a fast moving match or something. But I'm actually kind of excited about it! Guess I'll need to start with asking about that infertility assessment since it's one of the qualifiers...

As far as how I'm doing...ok. Not great, not bad. I'm having a hard time with the blessing my dad ended up giving me the night before he was born. It was so positive. I was so so sure that come Friday morning things would have backed off with my white blood cells and then when I woke up feeling so super good I was just sure, between that and the blessing. So when it was the opposite it just left me floundering. And sitting on this end I'm left feeling like I didn't have enough faith for the blessing to come to pass, or something.

BrandiB

04-09-2011, 10:53 AM

Yeah I seen that from the site. After I posted it here I searched more information on it as well. I'm not sure how you would go about doing the infertility assessment either. I was looking at the costs and they are MUCH lower then anywhere else.

I could see how you would be having a hard time with the blessing your dad gave you. You had plenty of faith, God just had other plans. I know its going to be hard for a long time and you will always think about it. No one should have to go through what you've been through and you've been through it 3 times not just once. I'm not sure if you want to hear this, but you have 3 precious babies in heaven that had already proved themselves. Look at all the fun you'll get when you get to raise them :). How's John doing? You said he wasnt doing to well earlier. How are the girls doing?

BrandiB

04-09-2011, 10:58 AM

Hey Tif I forgot to mention, will you PM me your address?

So with all the coupon craze going on in Random has made me really think that I need to get my year worth of food. With everything I have, we could probably get 3 months or so out of it. I have a lot of bottled peaches and jam though so I guess we could live off those haha. So my question is, who all has a year supply of food? Are you good about rotating them? Walmart here sells a lot of food storage, I have no room for it though. I think we need a bigger place haha. I mean we moved to a bigger place in Jan and I feel like we are already out growing it and there are only 3 of us. Our neighbors have 3 kids in a 2 bedroom I have no idea how they are doing it.

DucksLikeRain

04-09-2011, 11:03 AM

I think John's doing better. He won't really talk about his feelings, other than being 100% positive that we are not having any more biological children. My best friend and his wife offered her up as a surrogate and that offer is actually what tipped me in favor of adopting rather than holding onto trying again. I figure if I'm not going to be the one pregnant it doesn't matter to me if it's biological or not. John can't really understand why the pregnancy part would matter, but I just keep telling him he's a guy so he'll never understand it. I realized a guy I grew up with and his wife are working on adoption #2 through LDSFS so I emailed him to see if he or his wife had any clue on the infertility assessment-if it's a specific form or just a letter from a doctor? I know my doctor would support us to adopt in whatever way she could as far as writing a letter with the words infertility somehow used. She told me she won't tell me that I shouldn't have more children. And she has a tentative plan, should we want to, but it's only a guess and a very radical one at that, and so she was happy when I told her that John said absolutely not.

As for food storage...we have quite a bit but I've never set out to quantify it in terms of how long we could go. I know we have enough in the form of boxed "1-month kits" from the cannery for the 4 of us for 3 months, plus I've got a ton of rice and wheat, my mill to make flour out of it, oats, noodles, powdered milk, shortening, salt, plus 45 quarts of canned tomatoes, 50 quarts combined of canned peaches, nectarines, apricots and pears, 8-10 gallons of apple juice, another 4-5 of grape juice, 8 gallons of canned applesauce...and the 15 boxes of cereal John has squirreled away and whatever I keep on a daily stock in the pantry.

ashers

04-09-2011, 12:32 PM

Tif: I have several friends who have been able to adopt through LDSFS, I know that they all had to meet with their doctors and their bishop to get things rolling. I dont know much about the infertility statement though. Once each couple finished all the paper work and all the red tape things, being chosen and placement happened within a few months for most of them. I am sorry about all the thought and feelings you are facing since the blessing and what not, but remember the blessing was given for a reason, it might not take place here in our earthly life but in heaven. I hope that you and John can continue to heal, you are the perfect couple to be able to support each other so well!

About food storage, we have a couple of months worth of the boxed supplies from the distribution center that my grandparents gave us for Christmas one year. We had a great supply but ended up using most of it when DH lost his job, I guess thats why we had it, but its been hard to build it back up. We live in a small 2 bed apartment right now on the 3rd floor, when we move and have some space for storage racks we will probably work on building up a bigger supply. We also each have a general 72 hour supply in each of our cars for emergencies, but most of the food in them needs to be replaced...whoops :O)

LuTruPeMo

04-09-2011, 02:03 PM

Do any of you ladies have any knowledge about adoption through LDS Services? Things like timeline for match, if babies are easier to come by compared to other adoption avenues, cost and how you even get started? Like would our Bishop be who we go to or is it not handled through the wards? I was going to post in the adoption room but I don't know that any of those ladies are members?

We know three families who have used LDSFS. One of them it took about a year and the others it took a bit less. You do go through the bishop because it's one of those things where you get a 'recommend' though IDK if it's an actual paper like with temple recommends or patriarchal blessing recommends. I think each stake also has their own LDSFS person. We have one in our ward so there's at least one in each stake. She goes and meets with people who bishops and branch presidents refer to her - both adoptive parents and unwed mothers. Then there are some people who are paid to coordinate it all. My friend Michelle's mom has this job. She gets irritated because bishops always want to meet with her on Sundays because that's their day to do that stuff, but don't think about it means she has to WORK on the Sabbath. I digress....

I think it's really cool you guys are checking into that. I wish we could do it as well. They will not consider you if you are surgically sterile unless there was a health reason for it, and they won't let you have more than 3 kids anyway (I heard this was a fairly new restriction, so maybe the wait times are longer now too).

LuTruPeMo

04-09-2011, 02:06 PM

You have to have a documented infertility assessment...I don't even know what that means or how that would apply to us? I mean, we are anything but infertile in the typical sense...

My friend Eva (I could put you in touch with her if you want) had a daughter the same year I had Lucy, they were in primary together. Then she got pregnant but had a very early birth/very late miscarriage, however you want to put it. Basically I think like what has happened to you. The baby came far too early to survive. And so they adopted through LDSFS. They were not infertile, but she was told it would not be safe for her to have another baby, that it would not be safe for the baby and probably not for her either. So they adopted this adorable little black baby (they are extremely white and blonde :)) when their oldest was about five years old. So, I don't think it has to be infertile as in you can't get pregnant, but that you can't/shouldn't have biological children.

LuTruPeMo

04-09-2011, 02:09 PM

Did you all know that the prices at the cannery went up a ton this week? I just read about it on CafeMom. Like 11-49% depending on the item. I'm bummed because our ward was supposed to have a cannery trip last month but for some reason it got cancelled, so now we're stuck with the higher price! Eeek.

We have a fair amount of long term storage but not a year's supply for sure. We have like a dozen cans of wheat (which is stupid because A. I hate wheat, and B. we do not own a grinder), a bunch of oats and dry beans and a few cans of cocoa mix, fruit drink, and apple slices. I am totally lacking sugar somehow. I guess I used it up at some point. With the addition of some sugar, salt, oil, and baking soda/powder I guess we could technically stay alive 4-5 months on what we have stored. I don't have any water stored.

My short term storage is really dreadful though. I only have like a week's worth stored of everyday stuff.

We do have stocked 72 hour kits though! :) So I guess we have like 10 days' worth... LOL

BrandiB

04-10-2011, 08:50 PM

Okay so dont laugh at me lol. My husband and I are watching a show on TLC called Strange Sex and this couple used to be LDS. They are saying that they were told that sex was only for procreation and that was what the church taught them. Gah I can not believe this. Sorry just needed to have a little rant...

DucksLikeRain

04-10-2011, 09:05 PM

Wait, you mean you didn't know that, Brandi? And you can only have it missionary style. The apostles say so.

BrandiB

04-10-2011, 09:23 PM

Wait, you mean you didn't know that, Brandi? And you can only have it missionary style. The apostles say so.

I seriously just LOL'd at this. It seriously was interesting, they showed footage of the Salt Lake temple and said that they were raised as "strict mormons" and that sex was only for procreation and not for pleasure so they were having a hard time changing that. I mean come on they were married for 15 years, I sure hope their parents didnt teach them that. Of course its not the first time I've heard people say that when they get married it was hard because they were always told "no". I guess I was raised so differently. I was raised in a home that was told that you should wait until being married but we were also raised where if we had questions about sex we are able to ask our parents without feeling embarrassed. I'm the oldest out of 3, and both of my brothers were never in trouble or however you want to say it with my parents. Not like disowned or anything. WOW that became long...

DucksLikeRain

04-10-2011, 09:29 PM

I was so schooled in sex by the time we got married it's embarrassing. I went on this adrenaline rush thing where I knew what I was doing was exactly what I was not supposed to be doing and I got off on the rush. And so my personal hardship with regards to sex in marriage has been how to find that rush that I have in the past attached to intercourse.

But I'm pretty sure the church mostly stays out of our bedrooms...at least from everything I've been taught :laugh:

BrandiB

04-10-2011, 09:34 PM

LuTruPeMo

04-11-2011, 06:36 AM

When David and I were engaged we had sex. We were kind of horny idiots back then. So getting to the temple was tough (obviously) but we made it by meeting with our bishop every week and also with the stake president once in awhile too. The stake president said, "Before you get married, the church tells you to stay out of the bedroom. After you are married, the church stays out of the bedroom." I always liked that. :)

I think Mormons have more sex than other people, personally (not all but in general). I mean waht else are we going to do with our time if we're not drinking, having affairs, watching porn or rated R movies? :P

LuTruPeMo

04-11-2011, 08:16 AM

I paid the deposit for a vasectomy reversal.

The place has a weird online system for making an appointment, but only schedules them 3 months out at a time. Right now he's full for the next 3 months but on babycenter some moms say to stalk it several times a day because people cancel all the time, or get on at 10pm when it refreshes for the day and take the next day that pops up (so like July 10 is as far as it goes right now but at 10pm it'll ad July 11 to the schedule) and get an appt for that day. IDEALLY we could go in late May as we'll be passing through that state (OK) on our way back from CA but anytime in summer is ok with D's work schedule the way it is.

I'm pretty dang excited.

DucksLikeRain

04-11-2011, 09:14 AM

I'm so happy that he's on board with that now, Heather!

ashers

04-11-2011, 10:01 AM

Oh my...sex and everything surrounding it was always an open topic growing up in my house! My parents were not ashamed to tell us things when we had questions, my dad has always been a very 'hands on' guy with my mom, and he is now a Bishop. Whenever I am pissy at my parents house my dad always tells Kyle to take me home and have some good sex to cheer me up! He used to tell us to get busy making him some grandchildren, and since we announced our pregnancy he tells us to keep practicing, just so we dont forget how. He cracks me up. My IL's arent too shy about their sex life either, we have shared a hotel room with them many times and they always 'sneak' into the shower together thinking we dont know whats going on. So if as LDS individuals we should not have sex, unless we are procreating, my entire family is in some deep trouble! :o)

LuTruPeMo

04-11-2011, 10:13 AM

oh my goodness ashers! :) that is so hilarious. my in-laws don't even sleep in the same room most of the time.

BrandiB

04-11-2011, 10:34 AM

Oh how I love you guys! I'm so glad that you could talk about that and not get embarrassed. I would NEVER discuss the topic with my MIL but with my mom I can talk about it all I want. We are not shy, not to mention that I worked in a GYN office for almost 3 years and it was a regular topic.

Heather that is awesome!! I'm so happy for you guys!

hpfan04

04-11-2011, 11:01 AM

Many many hugs, Tif! :hugs: I have really been struggling with my faith since my miscarriage. And that was only at 6 weeks, so I can't even imagine how much you must be struggling what with losing a (third) child so far along. :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: I hope you will be able to adopt through LDSFS and get a quick match!

Food storage, we pretty much suck. We bought a bucket from Costco with a bunch of dried food a few years ago. It probably needs to be replaced now. We need to start getting that in order. You guys have inspired me to at least have my 72 hour kit ready. I am now setting a goal for myself to have the 72 hour kits ready before we go on vacation this summer. Does anyone have a good link to what should be in a 72 hour kit? (I'm too lazy to search right now, lol, so if anyone has a link right off hand, I'd love to see it. If not, I'll look it up later.)

I have always loved the saying, "Church says stay out of the bedroom before marriage, and after marriage the Church stays out of the bedroom." My DH and I sometimes debate whether everything is "okay" to do in the bedroom, or if there are some things that are frowned upon. But we've come to the conclusion that if it's between a married couple and it's consensual, then it's "okay." I agree that Mormons probably have more sex than other couples. In fact, I always laugh when people say that after marriage they don't have as much sex, because it's the opposite in our culture. After marriage, Mormons usually have 100% more sex. :laugh: I foresee DH and I being like your parents and in-laws, Ashley. :laugh:

LuTruPeMo

04-11-2011, 12:16 PM

I can tell you what we have in ours. Ours are not full of survival type gear, though we have a little bit of that (like a utility knife, whistle, flashlights), but mainly food and water. We have a day's worth of food for each person which consists of
breakfast - granola bar, juice box
lunch - canned food (like vienna sausages, small pop top can of ravioli, etc), crackers
dinner - same as lunch, with a little pack of cookies or candy for dessert
water for the day (depends on size of person)
We have this x3 in each backpack.
I need to add a change of clothes and some activity stuff for the kids, and copies of important documents for me and DH. That kind of stuff gets out of date so fast and I haven't updated it in a long time.

BrandiB

04-11-2011, 01:41 PM

I really need to get 72 hour kits ready. My DH and I have discussed this for a long time now and just have not done it. I'm going to be making it a goal to have it done by the time we get back from Yellowstone in June. I just need to get it done, I mean it cant take much right?

Heather thanks for your list.

BrandiB

04-11-2011, 01:48 PM

Heather I forgot to ask, what do you store your 72 hour kits in? Back pack? Rubber containers?

LuTruPeMo

04-11-2011, 01:59 PM

Heather I forgot to ask, what do you store your 72 hour kits in? Back pack? Rubber containers?

We have a backpack for each person in our family. We got them one year when Menard's was having a sale at back-to-school time, with a rebate they were like 99 cents each I think. :)

We rotate out the food and water at general conference and this seems to be working for us. Most of the stuff in there is good for about a year, some more some less, but we rotate it anyway. Then the kids get to eat that stuff GC weekend, which they are super excited about. It's not stuff we normally eat anyway so it's kind of a treat for them. I still need to get more water and a few more packages of snack cookies and crackers to restock ours, but we have all our canned stuff in there.

We also have napkins and plastic utensils in ours.

BrandiB

04-11-2011, 02:06 PM

We have a backpack for each person in our family. We got them one year when Menard's was having a sale at back-to-school time, with a rebate they were like 99 cents each I think. :)

We rotate out the food and water at general conference and this seems to be working for us. Most of the stuff in there is good for about a year, some more some less, but we rotate it anyway. Then the kids get to eat that stuff GC weekend, which they are super excited about. It's not stuff we normally eat anyway so it's kind of a treat for them. I still need to get more water and a few more packages of snack cookies and crackers to restock ours, but we have all our canned stuff in there.

We also have napkins and plastic utensils in ours.

I've heard of other people eating their food at general conference as well. I always liked that idea. Thanks!

ashers

04-11-2011, 04:25 PM

Heather, you have given me some great ideas on things I still need to add to your 72-hour kits. I guess I better be getting one ready for baby girl too with diapers, wipes, and what not. In our kits along with 'meal' type foods we have added in nuts and beef jerky, just for added protein, if for some reason we ended up needing it longer thank 72-hours. We also have basic survival things like those thermal blankets (the small fold up to wallet size ones), a pancho for each of us, flash light (a wind up one), toilet paper, kleenex, water purifier pellets, screwdriver, and extra cash.

Oh and Kyli, I believe Kyle and I will end up that way too. We have no shame in our relationship and have had plenty of our own fun on vacations with our families! :o) Its a good way to keep the relationship strong.

BrandiB

04-11-2011, 11:01 PM

DucksLikeRain

04-12-2011, 05:33 AM

Remember how I mentioned my need for adrenaline with sex? This most often comes out as sex at other peoples' houses or when visitors are here. Keira was conceived in a tent next to my parents' tent on a Labor Day camping trip. Scharae was conceived in pretty much the same location. Taela was in my parents' supercool cedar lines spa-style double shower, the miscarriage I had before Aiyana was Thanksgiving weekend in my inlaw's bed while they were out of town. Aiyana was at my parents'...you get the picture :laugh:

LuTruPeMo

04-12-2011, 07:06 AM

Tif :laugh:

Lucy was conceived on my in-laws' couch. We were staying with them on vacation. I think my FIL walked through the living room to get a drink of water at one point and we just held still. :eyeroll: It was funny because we'd been TTC for several months with no luck. And then people make jokes about naming their kid after the place where they were conceived, but I don't think "blue denim couch" is a good name.

DucksLikeRain

04-12-2011, 07:28 AM

BrandiB

04-12-2011, 09:19 AM

That is so funny Tif. I'm the same way though. We never stay at my parents house over night as they only live like 15 mins away from us. However, when we are in CA visiting Kev's family its the worst. I want it all the time. Or when they are here visiting.

Heather that is super funny!

The only story I have of conceiving was Preston and we were on vacation in a hotel. The last time we were in CA I was hoping to conceive while staying in Kev's aunt and uncles camp trailer, needless to say it wasnt happening as I dont think I was even close to O'ing.

hpfan04

04-12-2011, 12:40 PM

:lol: You ladies are cracking me up! I've only conceived at home, but maybe this July when we're on our vacation I'll conceive somewhere else. :silly:

ashers

04-12-2011, 01:50 PM

I am so glad that I am not the only one who wants to jump DH bones while not at home. It took me 4.5 years to convince him to have sex at his parents house, I had done other favors for him while we have stayed there though. We never stay with my parents though, although we have had a few great make-out sessions on their couch while waiting for them to get home! :o)

We were once on vacation with DH family in Cali, we were all sharing a suite in the hotel. We had our own little separate room and bathroom...oh how I long for that bathroom again...we had some of the best sex there, it was a great week.

We go with my family every summer to St. George, we always sneak into the shower together. We always have fun on vacations....makes me wish we were going on one.

I am really starting to agree with the comment made earlier about LDS couples having more sex...

BrandiB

04-12-2011, 02:28 PM

We are going on vacation June and I'll be honest, I hope we conceive before then. I'm sure we will not be able to get away from everyone because we will all be sharing a camping trailer.

LuTruPeMo

04-12-2011, 07:38 PM

Two times now, the temple has given my telephone number and name to people I do not know. This is really bugging me. A few months ago, a woman from a ward like 100 miles away called and asked if she could do a few family file baptisms during our youth's temple trip. Our YW president said okay. It was weird they gave her my # but whatever... then tonight the YM president from a branch about an hour away called me and asked if his branch's youth could tag along with our ward's temple trip next month. The temple gave this guy my name & # too! This really makes me made. They ask for my # when I make the appointment (I schedule all the temple trips for our ward) but I assume it's so THEY could call me if something came up as a conflict, not so that they can give it out to strangers.

Am I wrong to be bugged by this? It feels wrong to be irritated by temple workers. I just think this is not a right policy for them to have.

ashers

04-12-2011, 08:45 PM

I would be really bothered if the temple, or any other church member was giving out my number with out my permission, especially to total strangers! I would think the temple workers would not do that, its a breach of confidence, maybe if the temple workers called and gave you a message that way you could call the other ward/branch back I would be bothered. So weird!

LuTruPeMo

04-12-2011, 08:48 PM

I agree! If the temple called me directly and said, 'So and so from here wants to know about joining with your youth group coming to the temple,' then I could call them or pass it on to someone else to call them. But when they call me directly I feel all this pressure to not say no to them.

I asked the YW president and she said we need to find out how many of our youth are planning to go before we give them an answer.

I do need to call the temple and make an appt for our fall trip, so I will definitely mention that they not give out my number any more. I feel bad for the small branch that needs to go with another group, but maybe they can work it out with us ahead of time.

BrandiB

04-12-2011, 11:24 PM

I'll be honest, if you are the one who is contacting the temple to schedule your ward temple trips then no I dont see anything wrong with it. In their eyes you are the contact for your ward regarding this. However, I do think it would be more appropriate to have the temple contact you directly instead of someone you do not know.

BrandiB

04-13-2011, 02:15 PM

Ladies I need a little bit of help/ideas or whatever you feel to share. My brother and sister in law are due in Sept with their first baby. I asked to do the baby shower because she was so disappointed with the way her bridal shower turned out that her sister threw. So I know I have a couple months but I'm a HUGE planner. I things set in stone and my mind never shuts off so I'm constantly thinking about what there is left to get ready.

So my question is this. They are not active in their ward and know nobody. So I figured she should probably invite those in the ward she grew up in. But should we invite the ward my brother grew up in as well? He stopped going to church at a young age. Whenever I would get invites for peoples showers I did not know it really bugged me but now that I'm in that planning stage I understand why they are invited. Anyways so do you think we should do those ladies as well?

Also do you guys like games at showers? I'm not a huge fan but I'm thinking of maybe a couple small games would not be to bad? What about food ideas? Obviously my sister in law has the final say but I want to have ideas running in my head. Any help would be great!

LuTruPeMo

04-13-2011, 06:34 PM

I would not invite ladies from the ward the father grew up in. I'm irked when people I am not really friends with/close to send me invitation to stuff. Feels like they're just begging for a present or some money. Also I think it's kind of like a bridal shower - it's about the woman, so it should be people who are close to her. The DH's family should be invited of course but I wouldn't go too far beyond that. It's a woman thing IMO.

I don't mind games but I hate when they take forever.Mainly you want to watch the lady open gifts and shove some cake in your mouth and go home. :)

Can you tell I'm kind of the anti-shower? :)

Speaking of which I got an invitation to a baby shower for a woman in my ward. She's actually one of my VTs and her companion, who is also her BFF, is throwing it for her. This is her 2nd baby though so it seems weird to me to have a shower. It's a boy and her first was a girl, and when I had Truman my mom threw me a SMALL shower (just family) and we said "just boy clothes" because that's all you need really. Also this woman's husband is a doctor so I feel like it's not even about need. I guess they just want to have a party. I'm not going. It's the same day as our area day of service and we are taking part in that beginning at 8 a.m. The shower is 10-12 I think. IDK how long the service will run, but it's yard work so I will not be presentable and nice smelling anyway!

ashers

04-13-2011, 09:05 PM

Oh how I wish my shower planners were as considerate as you are trying to be Brandi...I dont get a say in what goes on at mine, who is invited or what food will be served.

Like Heather stated the focus should be on the mom and the coming baby, so in my opinion I wouldnt invite individuals she really doesnt know. I know it would make me very uncomfortable for strangers to be around. It was so hard for me to be around DH family for my bridal shower since I had only met a few of them before hand. For games I would do something short and simple. I cannot think of any ideas, as most of the showers I go to are open houses. I am sure what ever you come up with will be wonderful.

I dont understand the whole baby shower for the second child thing, especially for individuals who do not necessary 'need' it and if the children are born close in age. My SIL has a had little get togethers to celebrate a new life but the only gifts that were brought were diapers.

BrandiB

04-13-2011, 09:42 PM

Thanks for your input ladies! I talked to my sister in law for a little bit today and asked her about games she told me that she was fine with either. Mine was an open house, but I just dont want people to get bored ya know? I'm going to have her start compiling a list so I know how many to expect. They find out what they are having next month so then things can really start getting planned!

LuTruPeMo

04-14-2011, 08:11 AM

Just don't play the poopy diaper game! Oh my heck. :P

BrandiB

04-14-2011, 07:40 PM

Okay Heather just for you I will not do the poopy diaper game. I'm actually thinking of having them guess what day the baby will be born and how much they will weigh and whoever wins then I will get in contact with them and they will get a Scentsy prize :)

LuTruPeMo

04-15-2011, 07:39 AM

That's a great idea! :) So many shower games involve humiliation for the bride/new mom or doing weird things (like sniffing melted candy bars in diapers or eating baby food). I like it when people go around and say who they are and how they know the woman. It helps when you've got some church friends, some family friends, some relatives, etc., and you are thinking who's who? That's not really a game. Oh and something at one of my baby showers I really liked was instead of just a guest book they got a hardbound journal and each person there wrote some bit of advice to the new mom or well wishes. I still have that.

BrandiB

04-15-2011, 09:46 AM

Heather thats a great idea about the journal! I'm going to have to steal that :winks:

DucksLikeRain

04-15-2011, 11:00 AM

We have something like that from our bridal shower. It had more pages than people that showed up so it's become mine and John's "love note" book that we write back and forth sappy stupid little love notes (I think he owes me one from the last one I wrote about 8 months ago, come to think of it!).

Have everyone write their name and address on an envelope when they walk in-this gives a step up on thank-you notes.

I went to a baby shower recently where they didn't play any games (I love shower games...I tend to win them all :P) but they had tons of white onesies, an iron, fat quarters/other fabric scraps and some wunderunder type stuff and each person designed a onesie. They turned out really cute and it was fun.

BrandiB

04-16-2011, 09:18 AM

Tif thats a good idea as well. We started the "love journals" we were horrible at it haha. Lasted about 2 weeks and then we were done with it. We need to do it again though because it really brought the stupid little arguements into perspective.

I was actually thinking that instead of doing thank you cards having her type up a little thank you and then give that and a little party favor to all the guests. Then she doesnt have to worry about it in general. My cousin's wife did this at her bridal shower and I liked the idea.

Brandles

04-17-2011, 01:14 AM

I seriously love you girls!!!

I don't get much time on APA anymore so I'm hardly ever in here and when I am something always comes up and I don't get a chance to comment. And then when I do come in here I always feel like the new girl. :( I just read through the last couple of pages and I'm sitting here cracking up. I really like this saying too, "Before you get married, the church tells you to stay out of the bedroom. After you are married, the church stays out of the bedroom." I’ll have to pass this along.

Tiff, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. :hugs:

Brandles

04-17-2011, 01:48 AM

Sorry this might be long. I’m coming to this room today to vent a little… This, in a way ties into your whole sex conversations… just a little, Lol!

MY DH (non-member) has been a little distant this week and hasn’t been communicating very well. He’s even been “falling asleep” on the couch this week. :eyeroll: I keep asking him what’s going on and why he hasn’t been coming to bed and he just says that he “fell asleep”. I don’t know, I just have a hard time believing that. Finally, he sends me a text today while he was working and says, “hey, am I ever gonna get sex again?” First of all, I’m not trying to deprive my DH, but I was sick… then that time of the month came, and now he’s been on the couch. So, I replied and said that I’ve been hinting for him to come to bed, etc. and he hasn’t been communicating well and he seems bothered by me even talking to him. Then we went back and forth a little and out from no where after I said I love you, he says, “Sad to say, but you don’t really act like it… sometimes it seems like you spend more time with your church people than me.” He also said that he works crazy hours and when he’s off he wants to spend time with his family, but I always have church people coming over.

Ok, I have the missionaries come once a week, I go to church every Sunday, and I go to Enrichment once a month, and today was our families turn to clean the church. I hardly feel like I am there enough.

On Sundays, I wake up get my 3 children breakfast and get them all ready for church. (DH is a police officer and works Sat nights and some Sundays so he very rarely will ever come to church.) Sometimes, our Sunday mornings can be hectic and the older boys argue. My DH touched light on this today as well and said via text, “EVERY Sunday I hear you arguing with the boys while getting ready so I wake up to that and then when you get home you are yelling at them for something else. That’s not church, I can’t understand why you go and that’s why I want no part of it.” :ohno: This makes me sad that he sees it that way.

Like I said, “sometimes” our Sunday mornings can be hectic. My older boys take their sweet time getting ready and I admit, I do argue with them sometimes about staying on task and helping me get us out the door and to church on time… and it’s not EVERY Sunday that we argue.

I replied and told him that I respect his opinion, but I disagree. I told him that I know that sometimes it can be difficult to get three kids fed and ready for church, but once we are ready and no matter how hectic our morning was, once we walked through the church doors we all feel a sense of calmness and we are all humble to be at church. I told him how good the older boys feel when they do service for the church. I told him that he may not see the blessings that I do, but church is good for the boys, it’s good for all of us and that if he actually joined us on a Sunday he may be able to understand why we attend faithfully.

NO RESPONSE back yet!!

I have no idea how to handle this and it’s really bothering me. It seems like he doesn’t want me to go to church. I wish he were a member of the church, it would make things so much easier. He’s never had a problem with me going until now. Any advice? Anyone who has DH’s that are non-members? How do they handle you going to church?

Oh, and I think I need to mention to him that Mormons have “more” sex than other people! Maybe that will nudge him to get baptized, lol!!! :laugh: :winks:

LuTruPeMo

04-17-2011, 08:39 AM

I'm sorry your husband is giving you a hard time about going to church. My husband is a member (he was one of the missionaries who taught me) but I have a good friend who was baptized about 3 years ago and her DH has zero interest in coming to church (he's Jewish). It's been really hard for them at times.

My only advice would be to maybe do all you can to make Sunday mornings go as smoothly as possible. When we have 9 a.m. church, I have to do a lot on Saturday night to make sure we get out the door on time AND not have major fights on the way. Like laying out everyone's clothes (even mine) including matching socks, shoes, and getting a church bag ready and packed (coloring books, that kind of thing), and sometimes even getting breakfast ready ahead of time as much as possible (sitting boxes of cereal out on the table, and bowls and spoons, or putting oatmeal in the crock pot overnight). Anything you can do ahead of time will mean less stress in the morning.

BrandiB

04-17-2011, 09:08 AM

I agree with Heather about trying to get things ready the night before. We dont have a hard time getting to church on time but we are only a small family of 3. I can understand where your husband is coming from though that you always have "church people" come over. My husband and I are both members of the church but when he was in the Young Mens it was hard for me. I had no calling, as it was I stayed home all day because he worked. He would come home once a week and then turn around and leave to go to Young Mens. I hated it, I felt like we never spent time together as a family and after I had been home for hours with our toddler I needed him to be home with me. Sometimes though if he could sense I was really having a hard time with it then he would not go. He probably should of but he understood my feelings as well.

Good luck though I hope that things can change soon for you guys! Sounds like you need a good long talk!

On a side note: Heather I had no idea that your husband was one of the missionaries that taught you! My husband served his mission with several people who ended up returning and marrying someone either in their branch or someone they taught.

moosh34

04-17-2011, 01:19 PM

Brandles, I had this thought while I was reading your post but I have to start with a question. Do your older boys argue with you about getting ready for school on time like they do for church? I ask because if they don't it might be that they are trying to push the boundary of "having" to go because dh doesn't. Does that make sense? You could tell your dh that if he was setting the example of going they probably wouldn't see not going as such an option. On the flip-side, if they have the same trouble with getting ready for school then you can just chalk it up to being their age. I'm sorry it's been rough lately.

Brandi, I've felt that way about dh's callings sometimes because I am a SAHM too. He's been in two different Young Men's presidencies and is now a counselor in the Bishopric. We've had to figure out how to make it work. He would always take ds to YMs with him when he could. Sometimes I feel like we've figured it out and sometimes it's a big struggle...like when he has a 3-4 hour Bishopric meeting on Saturdays and then has to be at the church building from 8:30-4 or 5 on Sunday. It seems like a big sacrifice and I know that church leaders are counseled to not have parents of young children taken away too much from their families by callings, but the demographics of our ward just don't make that possible. Luckily (kinda) I also have a calling that has me very involved in knowing what the needs are in the ward so I usually know why and what is taking so much of his time.

BrandiB

04-17-2011, 07:11 PM

Glad that you have a calling as well where you can understand some of the needs in the ward I'm sure that helps a lot. I think being in the bishopric has to be much harder then just in the Young Mens.

ashers

04-17-2011, 07:44 PM

Brandles, my advice would be to stop the conversation via text and make a time when the two of you can sit down face to face and have a conversation about what you individually are feeling. Its really hard to do and takes a lot of self discipline but make sure to use 'I' statements like 'I feel...' instead of using statements that begin with 'You'. I know that doing this has helped a lot in building my relationship with my husband. Sometimes we just have to set a time limit and just discuss things in stride, 30 minutes one day, take time to think about it, pray over it and then discuss our thoughts the next day. My DH is a member, went on a mission and everything, but has really been struggling with his faith and with going to church for the past couple of years. Just keep praying yourself for the best way to get yourself through this and a way to help your DH see what you need from him. Lots of hugs.

moosh34

04-17-2011, 08:39 PM

So I totally spaced my son's first ever talk this week. I'm so sad. He had the scripture in February and we practiced it all week and he did such a good job. Today I'm sitting in R.S. with dd toddling all around when the primary pres comes in a whispers to me, "does V have a talk memorized?" That's when I realized I'd forgotten. He told them that he had a talk and they asked him if he had it memorized and he said he did. I ran over there and one of the presidency was trying to whisper some things for him to say. Kinda funny...but still I'm sad. I hope he has another opportunity soon.

BrandiB

04-17-2011, 09:38 PM

Brandles

04-18-2011, 12:51 AM

I agree, and think that I need to start preparing for church the night before. The biggest thing for me is the food, clothes, snacks... and then there is Danny, my 14 year old that waits until the last minute for everything. We have never been late, and matter of fact we get there at least 15 min early so Danny can help prepare Sacrament. I'm going to this next week and set all the clothes and snacks out the night before.

Brandles, I had this thought while I was reading your post but I have to start with a question. Do your older boys argue with you about getting ready for school on time like they do for church? I ask because if they don't it might be that they are trying to push the boundary of "having" to go because dh doesn't. Does that make sense? You could tell your dh that if he was setting the example of going they probably wouldn't see not going as such an option. On the flip-side, if they have the same trouble with getting ready for school then you can just chalk it up to being their age. I'm sorry it's been rough lately.

I think it's more stressful on Sundays, but Danny is lazy and always goes back to bed. I wake him for Seminary and he falls back to sleep. I even wait for him to shower and after he goes back to sleep. :headbang: Makes me so frustrated sometimes.

Brandles, my advice would be to stop the conversation via text and make a time when the two of you can sit down face to face and have a conversation about what you individually are feeling. Its really hard to do and takes a lot of self discipline but make sure to use 'I' statements like 'I feel...' instead of using statements that begin with 'You'. I know that doing this has helped a lot in building my relationship with my husband. Sometimes we just have to set a time limit and just discuss things in stride, 30 minutes one day, take time to think about it, pray over it and then discuss our thoughts the next day. My DH is a member, went on a mission and everything, but has really been struggling with his faith and with going to church for the past couple of years. Just keep praying yourself for the best way to get yourself through this and a way to help your DH see what you need from him. Lots of hugs.

I would love to stop the text messages, but my DH hates to talk in person and turns his head away from mine. He has always been a horrible communicator and it drives me nuts. I appreciate and like your advice though. I really do think that we need some couple time and have date night or something without the kids.

ashers

04-20-2011, 12:13 PM

DucksLikeRain

04-20-2011, 01:59 PM

We don't do anything for them for Easter. It falls right there with mother's day, father's day and also my parents' anniversary so we try to be and sure and do something for those occasions.

I made the call and got the first part of the LDS adoption process emailed to me. It is a ton of paperwork already, plus I have to go online and do the first of three online segments :indifferent: forums and blogs I've read all talk about it being like 8-9 months from this point to having adoption approval and being able to put up a profile which is why I decided to get started. Our LDSFS office says it's typically 2-3 months!?

BrandiB

04-20-2011, 06:07 PM

Tif I hope in your case its only 2-3 months instead of 8-9 months.

Ashley we do nothing for my parents for Easter. Just something small for Mothers Day and Fathers Day. Even though we are doing better now then we have in a couple years we still arent well off so we cant afford a lot.

ashers

04-20-2011, 06:12 PM

My thinking immediately went to the idea that Easter is so close to mothers day and fathers day, I think it would be better if we just did something nice for them on these days and leave Easter alone.

Tif I hope that the process goes smoothly and quickly for you. I have heard about the amount of paper work there is, but the faster you are able to get it all filled out and the online profiles complete the faster birth moms are able to find you. I cant wait to hear about your progress with all of this.

LuTruPeMo

04-20-2011, 06:28 PM

Sometimes though if he could sense I was really having a hard time with it then he would not go. He probably should of but he understood my feelings as well.

I disagree. I'm glad to hear he sometimes didn't go when you were having a rotten day! I wish more people would be like that. The Church WILL go on without someone! Our families are the most important thing. (Now, I do know a couple who take this to extremes and refuse any calling outside of Sunday meeting time - like teaching a class - claiming it will take too much time away from the family... so it goes both ways I guess.) There have been a few times, not many, but a few when DH or I opted to skip a church thing we were supposed to be at because we needed to be together. Sometimes callings just take a lot of time, and usually we're blessed for fulfilling them but sometimes the blessings come when we DON'T go to a meeting. Sorry I'm off on a tangent....

LuTruPeMo

04-20-2011, 06:30 PM

While in the car with my DH the other day he mentioned that we should do something for our parents for Easter. He said because they have done so much for us over the years that its time we start giving back some. I had never thought of this, especially since my parents never really did anything for their parents, Easter was always for us kids. Do any of you ladies do anything for your parents? Any ideas on what we could do?

Whaaat? What does that even mean?
My mom is having us out to her house for Easter. So I guess for her I'm going to eat her food. :)
I have no idea what you'd DO for a parent for Easter?
I always got a new dress and an Easter basket of candy when I was a kid. I don't do Easter baskets for my kids because my mom does and it's MORE than enough candy and junk toys. I do buy jelly beans and we have little Easter egg hunts (with 1-2 jelly beans in each) a few times leading up to Easter.

LuTruPeMo

04-20-2011, 06:32 PM

I made the call and got the first part of the LDS adoption process emailed to me. It is a ton of paperwork already, plus I have to go online and do the first of three online segments :indifferent: forums and blogs I've read all talk about it being like 8-9 months from this point to having adoption approval and being able to put up a profile which is why I decided to get started. Our LDSFS office says it's typically 2-3 months!?

This is great! I hope it goes smoothly for you guys. And quickly! I guess that's kind of weird isn't it... to in a way be hoping that some single Mormon teen or young adult is going to get knocked up and face this terrible situation. But it's all part of a larger plan for everyone. It's so exciting!

LuTruPeMo

04-20-2011, 06:33 PM

BrandiB

04-20-2011, 06:48 PM

Oh! We got our vasectomy reversal appointment! Holy schnikies! It's July 18th. It's a Monday so we'll probably drive there on Sunday. The surgery is early in the morning so we may drive part way back that afternoon (since I'll be doing all the driving I'd like to split the 10 hours into two days). So exciting!

Heather that is awesome!! I'm so excited for you guys! How soon after the reversal can you guys start trying?

I went shopping today with my SIL she's due in Sept and she wanted to get some long sleeve onesies in colors. She was told that Kohls was having a HUGE sale on baby clothing so she was going to buy some for a girl and some for a boy. We could not find them, but found girl ones at Tj Maxx. They find out what they are having in 2 weeks. I find it super funny that she's totally stressing about it. I pray for her sake that its a girl and she doesnt have to take the onesies back haha. I did however get Preston a super cute summer outfit and the shirt he can even wear to church :)

moosh34

04-20-2011, 07:56 PM

While in the car with my DH the other day he mentioned that we should do something for our parents for Easter. He said because they have done so much for us over the years that its time we start giving back some. I had never thought of this, especially since my parents never really did anything for their parents, Easter was always for us kids. Do any of you ladies do anything for your parents? Any ideas on what we could do?

I think that's great. I don't know what you'd especially do for Easter though. I know that there was actually an article in the Ensign about making the transition from child to adult child and part of that was giving back to your parents. Anyway, I find that the things I can do usually just involve my time. Like, for instance, my mom works full-time now and so sometimes I'll show up at her house and have dinner made. Or, I recently made a photo book on Shutterfly of pictures from a trip we took a few years ago. Or, we help with the yard work and garden since we don't have our own yard yet. Hmmmm...maybe you could offer to plant some perennials. That would be nice for Easter.

ashers

04-20-2011, 09:19 PM

Whaaat? What does that even mean?
My mom is having us out to her house for Easter. So I guess for her I'm going to eat her food. :)
I have no idea what you'd DO for a parent for Easter?
I always got a new dress and an Easter basket of candy when I was a kid. I don't do Easter baskets for my kids because my mom does and it's MORE than enough candy and junk toys. I do buy jelly beans and we have little Easter egg hunts (with 1-2 jelly beans in each) a few times leading up to Easter.

I was confused by him asking me about this too...I asked if he had any examples as to what he wanted to do and he had no idea. His mom still does Easter "baskets" for all of us, she just loves to do it. We do a family dinner but other than that its really just a time of year we think about the Atonement.

I think that's great. I don't know what you'd especially do for Easter though. I know that there was actually an article in the Ensign about making the transition from child to adult child and part of that was giving back to your parents. Anyway, I find that the things I can do usually just involve my time. Like, for instance, my mom works full-time now and so sometimes I'll show up at her house and have dinner made. Or, I recently made a photo book on Shutterfly of pictures from a trip we took a few years ago. Or, we help with the yard work and garden since we don't have our own yard yet. Hmmmm...maybe you could offer to plant some perennials. That would be nice for Easter.

The article in the Ensign is a great one. I would love to plant flowers for my mom and MIL but that would not go over well :laugh: They are both so anal about what happens in their yards. Maybe we can come up with some type of service to give them.

LuTruPeMo

04-27-2011, 07:16 AM

Did everyone have a nice Easter?

My kids as usual got gobs of candy from my mom. What's not eaten today will be mysteriously disappearing into the trash can after the kids go to bed tonight. I can't take the wild mood swings any more.

DucksLikeRain

04-27-2011, 07:20 AM

I still :lol: about the ceramic cows your mom got them, Heather!

We had a crappy Easter. Our hearts weren't in it and luckily the girls do not like things likeyhe Easter bunny coming to their house so we didn't have to worry about that. We skipped church because we honestly did not feel like going and being reminded about the eternal nature of families via the Atonement, etc. So we went for a drive and did some geocaching instead.

BrandiB

04-27-2011, 09:46 AM

We had a decent Easter. We skipped church. I know horrible. My husband worked the night before so he was exhausted, we went to my grandma's for lunch and for an egg hunt and my husband slept while we were there. We got Preston a fishing pole and he LOVED it!

Tif sorry yours was so crappy :hugs:

ashers

04-27-2011, 11:18 AM

We ended up skipping church too...felt horrible about it but pregnancy hormones got the best of me that morning and I was overly emotional about everything, first the alarm didnt get set so we were already running 30 minutes late, then DH said something stupid and got me crying over that, so we just chilled at home till we went to see family. We were able to enjoy some time with both of our families but nothing really special.

BrandiB

04-27-2011, 01:18 PM

UGH so I need to vent....
I just called my VT companion which also happens to be my cousin. I mentioned to her that we didnt get our teaching done this month but I wanted to call them and let them know who we were (they split the ward not to long ago) and that if they needed anything then to just let us know, and that we will do better next month. So my cousin says she will go ahead and do it.
Then she asks if someone just called me to tell me that one of our girls had a baby. Well I guess one of our girls moved no one told us, and we just got our list in March. Then they said that the girl that moved into her old house just had a baby and they were trying to get some meals brought into her and was wondering if we could do it. Not a big deal at all. But why werent we told that the other girl moved and that we were getting a new girl to replace her? They called my cousin assuming that we knew that they had moved. We did not get our teaching done last month because I had surgery and then my companions sister got married.
Shouldnt they of let us know when that happened? Oh and not to mention that my cousin found out that the girl that was on our list is still in our ward but now we arent her VTers. I'm a little irritated. Sorry if this makes no sense though.

ashers

04-27-2011, 01:33 PM

I am sorry Brandi! VT troubles just really stink, we didnt make it out either this month, no real excuses but it just didnt happen. We faced a similar situation last month when we found out that one of our girls was moving, no one had told us and my companion had just had a conversation with the VT supervisor about the ladies we visit. Also, how were you supposed to know that they girl who moved in was going to be on your list? And how were you supposed to know she had just had a baby? I hope that things get better!

LuTruPeMo

04-28-2011, 06:12 PM

It didn't make any sense, but that's okay. The whole situation sounds nuts! Hopefully you now know who you have and who has and has not recently had a baby! :)

My visiting teachers are coming tomorrow! Oh happy day. I'd been complaining for awhile (well really only once officially, but in my head, a lot) about my visiting teachers. I think I told you all about them - they are together every day but only came to visit me once last year? - anyway, one of the bosom buddies moved far away last week, so my other one has now been paired up with a member of the new RS presidency, and she's on top of things! So this will be good.

I didn't do my VT this month. I decided to wait for my companion to initiate it. Every month I ask HER, when do you want to go? Do you want to make appointments? etc. So I thought, I'll just wait and see if she'll take the ball this month. I guess not since we have 2 days left in the month, and she refuses to go on weekends, so only 1 day left really.

However, this irks me. As long as I've lived here and been partnered with this woman, we've had the same 3 sisters, and 2 of them she had from before. Well with one of them she is good friends. It bugs the heck out of me because at our visits they are constantly talking about things they have done together or plan to do together or past experiences... and I'm just there. Well I heard from my husband that this woman's husband was having major surgery - he's in the EQ presidency so he knew - and I know my companion has been over there a bunch, without me. I guess she goes as a friend and takes meals as a friend, but she didn't even TELL me. As far as she knows, I don't even know he had this big surgery. How is that supposed to make me feel? I really am starting to dislike this woman. It is wearing on me. I don't want to dislike her. But she keeps doing these odd things. She's kind of passive aggressive I think. I think she has issues with me for some reason and finds all these ways to let it out.

Oh. sorry I made that all about me. :)

BrandiB

04-28-2011, 11:42 PM

Heather your fine make it all about you all you want :) I'm glad that your VTers are coming tomorrow!
Just read on facebook that you booked all your camping sites to CA. You guys are super brave lol. I love to camp though. How long will it take you?

LuTruPeMo

04-29-2011, 07:59 AM

We're not brave, we're poor! :) Well, sort of brave I guess. But mostly poor.

We will leave home on Mother's Day (May 8) and will arrive at California on Thursday May 12. First night we're camping at a cabin outside of Topeka, KS (about 8.5 hours of driving). The next night we're at another cabin on the east side of Denver (8 hrs). Then the next night is our favorite - tent camping at Arches National Park in Moab! Then we could drive straight through but that'd be a super long day, so we're cutting it in half and sleeping in St. George on Wednesday night, in a hotel so we can properly bathe and be clean before we see family on Thursday. ;)

I want a camper so bad! A great big ridiculous one too. Like on Meet The Fockers. They are so expensive. But I covet them.

DucksLikeRain

04-29-2011, 08:10 AM

Fun! I wish your trip was a week later-we could possibly have met up! We're driving down on the 20th and playing around until the 29th!

BrandiB

04-29-2011, 11:43 AM

I hope you dont freeze Heather. It actually just snowed here, of course I'm like 4 hours from Moab. I hope guys have a lot of fun!
We have camp trailers. We rarely camp in a tent.

LuTruPeMo

04-29-2011, 12:12 PM

Tif how far south are you going? We will be in southern CA until May 21. Dang the timing! We actually wanted to stay until the 23rd... we might still, I don't know. The only reason to head back a little earlier is Lucy's show choir is having their recital on the 23rd. But she's less enthusiastic about that whole thing now than at the beginning. I'm getting kind of irritated with it too. (that's another story) So we might leave it open-ended on when we head back.

BrandiB

04-29-2011, 01:59 PM

Thats a long time to be in CA. I could be there that long if we werent visiting my husbands family lol.
The 23rd is my birthday! I think you should stay and enjoy your trip or just judge how you are feeling after being there.

LuTruPeMo

04-29-2011, 03:30 PM

Thats a long time to be in CA. I could be there that long if we werent visiting my husbands family lol.

:laugh:

I agree. We are lucky. David's grandma lives in this weird little place in Seal Beach (Orange County) called Leisure World (a gated retirement community). So we will spend half our time down there at the beach with her. His sister who lives in San Francisco is flying down with her husband and 2 year old son and we'll do stuff with them, as well as his brother who lives in San Diego who will come up with his wife and two kids. Then we'll split the time up at the high desert with his parents the rest of the week, and probably go back down to the beach the last 2 days and get together with one his friends from high school and his wife and new baby. So we'll not be with the in-laws for too long a stretch. :) David's grandma, I could spend every day all day with. She's such a darling person and so laidback and fun to be around! One time when we were out there it was a Sunday night and she said, "Let's get pizza!" and David said, "Grandma, it's Sunday," and she replied, "It's okay. I won't tell your dad." :laugh:

DucksLikeRain

04-29-2011, 03:58 PM

Man! We're going to just miss each other! We're planning San Diego for the 23-27 I think. Before that we'll be in Arroyo Grande which is like 2.5 hours north of LA on the coast.

BrandiB

04-29-2011, 04:14 PM

:laugh:

I agree. We are lucky. David's grandma lives in this weird little place in Seal Beach (Orange County) called Leisure World (a gated retirement community). So we will spend half our time down there at the beach with her. His sister who lives in San Francisco is flying down with her husband and 2 year old son and we'll do stuff with them, as well as his brother who lives in San Diego who will come up with his wife and two kids. Then we'll split the time up at the high desert with his parents the rest of the week, and probably go back down to the beach the last 2 days and get together with one his friends from high school and his wife and new baby. So we'll not be with the in-laws for too long a stretch. :) David's grandma, I could spend every day all day with. She's such a darling person and so laidback and fun to be around! One time when we were out there it was a Sunday night and she said, "Let's get pizza!" and David said, "Grandma, it's Sunday," and she replied, "It's okay. I won't tell your dad." :laugh:

Thats great!! I love my husbands grandma as well! She's such a sweetie and I love it with she visits. I feel closer to her then to my MIL. She's more of a grandma to Preston then a great grandma or then my MIL.

LuTruPeMo

05-01-2011, 04:29 PM

Okay, pet peeve time.

How do you ladies feel about church meetings that run late? Young Women in my ward perpetually runs over the allotted time. We are supposed to end at 2:00. It's the 3rd hour. When I teach, we always end on time, sometimes 5 minutes early so we go ahead and have closing prayer and then a few minutes to chat about other things. I like that. But when someone else teaches, we always go late! Ack!

I feel like that 5 minute bell at 1:55 is to tell the teacher, you need to wrap it up so you have time for a closing prayer!

I admit I also have anxiety about my kids wandering the halls without me or DH. I'm kind of a nut about that stuff. But I also don't want them disrupting anyone else's class. And today DH was teaching EQ so I knew for sure he wouldn't get out in time to go get them. Lucy is just released from Primary to wander and then half the time Truman is too. Penny at least (usually) has to be picked up by a parent.

Anyway. It just ticked me off. I admit my blood sugar was plummeting and that made me uber cranky as well, and I've been PMSing for like a full week now so I'm tired and mean. And I was bitter about the lesson in general. It was about preparing to go to the temple and the 1st counselor forgot she was supposed to teach so had her husband from the bishopric do it. And he asked did all the leaders go to the temple with their mothers and of course all of them said yes except me. And the teacher made a big show of using her brand-new iPad to show a video (it was waaaay too small for a whole group to see) and has been sending me emails with "sent from my iPad" all week... DH says give her the benefit of the doubt that she doesn't know how to turn off that snide automatic signature on iPads/iPhones. I shouldn't feel less because we can't afford to have iPads. But of course I do! It's funny because the SS lesson today was on not accumulating things and treasures on earth. :) I guess it was timely for me. We talk a lot lately about moving and being in the other ward. It's less 'affluent' and we'd live a whole lot closer to DH's work. But there's a lot fewer youth. So... IDK. I'm just rambling.

BrandiB

05-01-2011, 04:59 PM

Heather I hate it when it runs over as well. My first sunday in our new ward they ran over and I just got up and walked out. Several other moms did as well. I needed to get my little guy out of nursery. My cousin is in my ward and she left the same time I did, she told me that her younger kids freak out if they cant find her. Sure enough they were waiting at the door in tears.

LuTruPeMo

05-02-2011, 11:13 AM

Brandi I'm so glad I'm not alone. I can't post about this on FB because I'm 'friends' with the other YW leaders on there. :) I feel like it's so incredibly rude! General Conference never goes late!

BrandiB

05-02-2011, 12:13 PM

Your right conference never runs over. Have you thought about mentioning to the other YW's leaders that you would like to get out on time because you need to make sure that your kids arent wandering the halls without an adult? Otherwise, I'll be honest, I'd just get up and walk out.

ashers

05-02-2011, 02:14 PM

Before I was married I was a primary teacher and then our first year married I was in the nursery, we weren't supposed to release kids to run out around the halls, they had to be picked up by their parents. So when meetings ran long it made it hard for me to get out out time, some times we would be waiting 10-15 minutes over time. It is a big pet peeve of mine, its almost as bad as people being perpetually late!

DucksLikeRain

05-04-2011, 10:34 AM

I'm the education counselor in RS and it is one of my pet peeves when my teachers go over. To the point that I have instructed my pianist to get up and go sit down at the piano at 5 minutes before the hour to sort of prompt two of them who habitually go over!

Ok, so this is sort of weird to me (and I just realized it's really loooong. Sorry!). I was talking to my mom on Monday about birth control. I started on the Nuva Ring 2.5 weeks after having the baby. I had been done bleeding for nearly a week. And within 2 or 3 days of putting in the ring I started bleeding again. Not just spotting, but not super heavy either. Like a light to medium period for me. And it never stopped for the 3 weeks of having the ring in. I finally took it out on Sunday instead of yesterday because I was tired of it. So now I'm bleeding heavy, starting to taper off, like I would expect from a period. But what I was telling her was that if when I put the new ring back in, I keep on with the light bleeding like before, I don't know what I'm going to do. I've been bleeding daily since December and I am DONE with it. Seriously finished. But I really cannot be without birth control because we get pregnant so blasted easily and for us right now it's not just a "we don't want to get pregnant" but is "we should NOT get pregnant" so more of a dire issue.

So i was mentioning to her that I was thinking on Monday at my 6 week appointment I would talk to my doctor about having my tubes tied. John is very supportive of it-he's actually the one that is adament about not having me get pregnant again. Crazy me would give it another go :eyeroll: But it seems like the general feeling, at least around here, about tubals and vasectomies is that they aren't right-even though the church doesn't come right out and say that as doctrine.

So I assumed my mom felt that way. I'd talked before, when pregnant, about having my tubes tied during my c-section if we made it to a point where the baby would almsot definitely be coming home barring any out of the ordinary circumstances. And every time I mentioned it she'd say something about how it's our decision, but not to jump to anything, not to make brash decisions, etc.

All my life I've believed that she had the 5 of us and 5 miscarriages in the course of 7 years and then when she was 27 her thyroid gave out and it "just quit letting her get pregnant." Because that was essentially what she'd always said. Which was part of why I wanted my kids fairly close together-"what if I'm like my mom and my body just quits getting pregnant?"

So on Monday she sort of got teary and said "I have a true confession to make." And this first part I knew-after my 3rd brother she told the head nurse at the hospital that she wanted her tubes tied. When he was born my older brother was 5, I was 4, the next brother was almost 2. The hospital was still run by the Catholic nuns and Mother Bridget told her no-both because it was against hospital policy and because "you've just had a baby. Of course you don't want anymore!" And my mom felt dejected, thinking about the 5 miscarriages and 4 children she'd had in 6 years. She was scared of getting pregnant again. Each baby was sicker and sicker when born-I spent 3 weeks in the NICU for jaundice that wouldn't go away. That 4th baby spent 5 weeks in and out of the hospital. So she was scared to have another. 3 months later she was pregnant again.

And that's where what I thought I knew ends. She had Erik and at that point had a 6, 5, almost 3, 1yo and newborn. And Erik was really really sick. Our family doctor told her she needed to not have any more babies. She had hemorrhaged with each of us and it was super bad with Erik. She was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks having blood transfusions, etc. So my dad had a vasectomy, which is what she had never told anyone except her two best friends...and within 2 weeks each of their husbands went out and had themselves snipped (one after 4 kids in 5 years and the other after only 2 kids over 5 years) "because Roy had it done, it must be ok to do." And she always felt horribly guilty that anyone would base their decision off of her and my dad's.

So...can someone help explain to me WHY she (or anyone!) would have such a stigma about it? I have the Handbook #2 and in the section regarding elective sterilization it just says something about it being discouraged. But really, is there such a stigma? In my mom's case, and in my case, it's a bit more than just elective. But even if it weren't...? I don't know. It just stunned me that she would keep that a secret for 25 years?

BrandiB

05-04-2011, 11:01 AM

Tif I had no idea that it was even discouraged. My mom had her tubes tied and then later went on to have a hysterectomy. I know several women who have had elective sterilization. Infact when we are done having our kids I will have an ESSURE. I honestly say do what you feel is best for your family. Who cares what anyone else says. I would look into an ESSURE rather then tubal if you are for sure done. Its much less invasive. My only question is, when it comes to adoption through LDSFS I know that if you have had an elective sterilization then you do not qualify. But would you qualify because of you are super fertile but deliver early? I think before you do anything I would look into that so it doesnt change your chances of adoption.

Also I was put on the NuvaRing before I got married and I loved it! I think I had only spotting for the first little bit. I was only on it for 2 months though. I gained 12 pounds in those 2 months so my doctor took me off it.

DucksLikeRain

05-04-2011, 11:07 AM

We've actually tabled adoption for right now, for various reasons. One of which is that for the first time since I had Taela I had a situation arise recently that I thought "if we don't have add anymore children to our family" and it was a happy thought, not one filled with sadness and regret. Before Aiyana I had gotten to the point where I figured I could be ok with just the two here because I knew John was seriously not even going to talk about another. But I wasn't happy about it. This time I'm feeling like I can be content-will eventually be content-and it's the first time I've really let myself feel like we don't have to keep on adding and adding to our family! Hard to explain. John's feeling the same way, too, though. But like you said, if we did want to adopt through LDSFS the elective sterilization thing is difficult to get around. I'm going to talk to my doctor on Monday and see if she feels like she can justify coding things, or putting down in my chart or something like that, something that would make it not be purely elective. Yes, we could do birth control. But I got pregnant with Keira 3 months after we got married...while on Nuva Ring. I got pregnant with Scharae 3 months after K was born while breastfeeding and using the patch (not sure if they even still have that out?) and I got pregnant with Taela while temping and avoiding apparent fertile times, and using condoms EVERY time. And IUDs fall out of me and I've gotten pregnant and miscarried while on 2 different pills :headbang: So you would think that it could be looked at as not simply elective?

I have no problem with elective procedures of that nature-the only reason I even care is because we MIGHT change our minds about adopting down the road, kwim?

ashers

05-04-2011, 12:41 PM

Tif I honestly didnt realize that there was stigma about it. My mom had her tubes tied after having her 5th child, somewhat due to the fact that she was diagnosed with lupus and was in and out of the hospital during that last pregnancy and she was advised to not have any other children. I know that the church doesnt say much about all the different forms of birth control, its one of those 'in the bedroom' things where its not really 'dont do it' kind of situation. Personally I dont see anything wrong with you getting your tubes tied, physically it may be what your body needs to start healing fully. Lots of hugs, I am sorry you are facing so much right now.

Another thing Tif is I have been following your thread in the adoption section, and I know that John is worried about the cost of adoption. I know that through LDSFS the amount of money they charge is on a sliding scale and I know that they have a cap so that no family is paying a ridiculous amount of money. I dont know if you have any information on that and where you guys would be placed on the scale but seeing that amount compared to the fees of an adoption through a different agency might help him. Just wondering.

ETA: I must have been writing this as you responded to Brandi, but I will leave it out here just cause. :o)

LuTruPeMo

05-04-2011, 07:32 PM

There are also big tax incentives for adopting. I'm sure John knows about those though. Just as a little nudge. :) We looked quite seriously as Ethiopian adoption for awhile. I read "There Is No Me Without You" (HIGHLY recommend) and wanted an Ethiopian AIDS orphan of my very own.

As for surgical sterilization - I think the term discouraged is just a notch below "you can't go to the temple," along those lines. I believe it's because of the permanent nature, not necessarily that the Church teaches women should have as many babies as humanly possible (which according to my MIL is what was taught in her childbearing years, the 1970s). My MIL says in her opinion, at that time the brethren had no understanding of PPD or the severe physical and emotional toll having baby after baby after baby had on a woman. Men in general (not just in the church) have changed in that time and now they are more sympathetic, and families should have as many as they can (not put off having them due to wanting a nicer car or better vacations, for instance) but not necessarily take it upon themselves to personally multiply & replenish the earth. Maybe that's why your mom was weird about it. Because in her day it was a big deal. I've known several LDS women who had their tubes tied and were very open about it.

I do now regret David's V but that's just us. We'll have it reversed and if it works, great, and if it doesn't, we are happy with the three children we have. We prayed about it at the time and it felt like the answer was yes. I don't think we got the wrong answer or we did the wrong thing. I think at that time it was imperative that I not get pregnant again. However, at the time we both felt like there was something more in store for us down the road. We just didn't know (and still don't) what that might be.

LuTruPeMo

05-07-2011, 04:56 PM

And as far as I know, LDSFS is the only one that has the caveat about sterilization. No international agencies have that.

so, we are leaving tomorrow morning for vacation! Woot woot! So excited. Nervous yes, but excited too. We are camping in a cabin in Topeka, Kansas the first night, a cabin just outside Denver the next night. A tent in Moab the next night, and a comfy hotel in St. George the final night before we roll into CA. :) I'm also stoked about the trip home. Tent camping one night and motel another night on route 66. Should be fun. I'd like to see the cadillac ranch in Amarillo too.

BrandiB

05-07-2011, 05:15 PM

Heather have a blast!! Dont forget about us while your in sunny CA!!

Brandles

05-12-2011, 02:23 PM

:laugh:

I agree. We are lucky. David's grandma lives in this weird little place in Seal Beach (Orange County) called Leisure World (a gated retirement community). So we will spend half our time down there at the beach with her. His sister who lives in San Francisco is flying down with her husband and 2 year old son and we'll do stuff with them, as well as his brother who lives in San Diego who will come up with his wife and two kids. Then we'll split the time up at the high desert with his parents the rest of the week, and probably go back down to the beach the last 2 days and get together with one his friends from high school and his wife and new baby. So we'll not be with the in-laws for too long a stretch. :) David's grandma, I could spend every day all day with. She's such a darling person and so laidback and fun to be around! One time when we were out there it was a Sunday night and she said, "Let's get pizza!" and David said, "Grandma, it's Sunday," and she replied, "It's okay. I won't tell your dad." :laugh:

Lol! I know exactly where that weird little place is... I live in Los Alamitos. I drive past there all the time! If you go to church, I'm sure you'll be coming to our ward. I wish I would've seen this sooner, maybe we could have met up. My fault for not logging on more often. Hope you enjoy your visit in California!!!

BrandiB

05-18-2011, 01:26 PM

Lol! I know exactly where that weird little place is... I live in Los Alamitos. I drive past there all the time! If you go to church, I'm sure you'll be coming to our ward. I wish I would've seen this sooner, maybe we could have met up. My fault for not logging on more often. Hope you enjoy your visit in California!!!

I know Heather has been on facebook, I wonder if she'll see this before she leaves.

Brandles

05-19-2011, 11:20 AM

I know Heather has been on facebook, I wonder if she'll see this before she leaves.

That would be awesome if she did... I don't think I have her on my fb though.

BrandiB

05-24-2011, 07:58 PM

So my visiting teacher just called. I guess I got new ones since I moved in 5 months ago. Anyways they are coming on friday, I hope that I can meet someone new and maybe have play dates with.
I've been horrible, I've gone to this new ward twice in the 5 months I've lived here. Granted 2 sundays was conference and stake conference, then I had my gall bladder out and then we've had colds after cold here. DH works every other weekend and we only have one car and the weather has not been good enough to walk. I'm not sure I want to walk that far with Preston anyways. So yeah we have been slackers.

ashers

05-24-2011, 08:54 PM

Brandi, I am so glad that your VT got a hold of you and set an appointment. We have been major slackers in going to our ward too, of course we have had conferences, missionary farewells, vacations and family things that has kept us from church. Overall though we have never felt welcome or wanted there and cannot wait until we move this summer to make a fresh start in a new ward.

One question I have for you ladies is have any of you had your babies blessed in a different ward, like if you live out of state and bless them in your parents ward so that family is around? We live 50-75 miles away from family and if we blessed her in our ward we would have to travel to my parents or the ILs house for a get together after, so some people would be traveling a lot that day, so we figured it would probably be easier if we blessed her in our parents ward (yes they are in the same ward, my dad is the Bishop and DH dad is his secretary) that way we save a lot of travel for people and my grandparents would most likely be able to come then. What are your opinions, thoughts, advice?

BrandiB

05-24-2011, 09:07 PM

I say go for it :) If your place isnt big enough and your parents ward feels more like home for you then I would do it there.
I've never done that but my aunts all had their kids blessed at my grandparents house. Preston got RSV about a week before his blessing, if it had been worse we would of done it at home as well. I told DH that with this baby its not being blessed until May or June at the earliest. No more winter crap it scares me.

DucksLikeRain

05-24-2011, 10:39 PM

All of our babies have been blessed outside of our home ward. I know with Keira we blessed her in the ward I grew up in and the Bishop knew John and knew he was a Melchizedek Priesthood holder. And then with Scharae we blessed her down here in Oregon at my parents' ward, even though we lived up in WA. I can't remember for sure, but I think John just needed to show his Temple Rec. to the Bishop for him to fill out the paperwork. And then the other 3 have all been done at the hospital w/the permission of the Bishop to do it at a place/time other than Sunday at church.

ashers

05-25-2011, 01:14 PM

We would be much more comfortable blessing her in our parents ward, its the ward we both grew up in and we know all the people and it would make things so much easier for our families and friends that would be coming. The earliest we would be blessing her would be September or most likely October.

BrandiB

05-25-2011, 04:44 PM

Ash I say do it at your parents ward then.

ashers

05-26-2011, 02:04 PM

Thanks for the advice Brandi and Tif, we will be talking to my dad about doing it there when he is a little less busy with his ward members. :o)

Heather I am so glad that you are safe, its amazing the little things the spirit whispers to us and the choice we have to listen or push it aside. I am so glad that you listened and your little family was blessed because of it.

LuTruPeMo

05-26-2011, 02:45 PM

Oh crap Brandles! I just saw this. Yes, I'm slow. We did go to church while out there, not this past Sunday, but the one before - 15th? We went to whichever ward is part of Leisure World now. It used to be Los Alamitos (when we went with grandma a few years ago) but they changed now and are part of... I forget the name of the ward we went to. It was kind of a smallish ward. The patriarch spoke. Were you there? If you were I am just so mad at myself for not checking APA! Add me to Facebook so an atrocity like this never happens again! (Heather Harper - I'm friends with a lot of APAers so it should pop up for you)

BrandiB

05-26-2011, 09:43 PM

Heather glad you guys made it home safe :) Loved seeing your pictures on facebook, looks like you guys had a good trip :)

LuTruPeMo

06-10-2011, 05:56 PM

How is it no posts since last month??? Everyone busy with the dog days of summer?

DucksLikeRain

06-10-2011, 06:10 PM

um...I have only been to church like 2 times in the last 6 months. And for once in my life I actually feel ok with that. I am bewildered as to why John is still EQ Pres and I'm still 1st counselor in the RS Pres. Neither of us are operating in our callings, to be honest, and beyond weekly emails with my RS president I don't think anyone from our ward has even attempted at contacting us since the memorial service we had for Malcolm. John and I are doing ok. We're just sort of in that spot of not feeling like physically going to church is a priority for us right now. We still read scriptures with the girls every night, prayers, etc. But the actual going to church part is so very much taking a back seat for us right now.

BrandiB

06-10-2011, 07:00 PM

Tif your not alone in not going. I have seriously only been to my new ward 2 times and we moved here in Jan. Glad that you guys are okay with it. Have you thought about asking to be released? Sometimes is hard to get to church. My issue is I get nervous about being around new people and my husband works every other sunday and we only have one car. The other sundays he's home we have been sick. We seriously have had like 2 colds since moving in and I refuse to send Preston to nursery with a cough.

We leave next saturday for vacation. I'm so super excited! We are only going from saturday until thursday and we are only going to Island Park/Yellowstone. So only 4 hours from home. But I really need to vacation and to get away from home for a while. We are taking camp trailers and planning on spending a few days in Yellowstone and just hanging out and fishing and what not. Really excited :)

hpfan04

06-10-2011, 09:55 PM

:hugs: Many hugs, Tif. I so feel you, and I don't blame you one bit. Since my miscarriage in November, I just have not been feeling very spiritual at all. I don't really say my prayers or read scriptures anymore. Though we still go to church because DH's family is in the ward and if we didn't show up we'd get flack from them. Otherwise we wouldn't be going very much either. :( :hugs:

I just got a new "calling" that I'm not very happy about too. There's an autistic boy in our ward (I think he's 5, maybe 6), and I was just "callled" to be his babysitter. :( :ohno: I was so happy in the library. I got to be social and have adult conversations in the library. And now I am basically babysitting a 2 year old - which I do all freaking day, everyday with my own child. Not at all what I wanted. But I felt too guilty to say no when they asked me. Oh, and by the way, our Bishopric doesn't call people based on prayer and inspiration. They just say "Oh that person would be good" and put them there. So I know this isn't an inspired calling. My DH asked the second counselor why they put me with him, because I was really happy in the library and he was like "Oh well, they needed someone and he likes pretty girls, so we thought she'd be good." So not even was it not inspired, but they didn't even base it off of whether I'd be a good fit or not - it was just that I was the only "pretty" one available. :ohno: I seriously am dreading going to church on Sunday. :ohno: My DH said to just do it for a few weeks and then say this isn't a good fit for me and ask to be released. But then I feel guilty because the parents are so nice and good people, so I don't want to offend them if I'm suddenly not doing it anymore. Sigh.... :truce:

Sorry to vent. I just needed to get it out.

That sounds like fun, Brandi! It's been years since I've been to Yellowstone. We are going to my dad's cabin in Colorado for a couple weeks in July to get out of the AZ heat. I'm really excited to see my dad and to just get away. We live right behind DH's family and we see them every.single.day. so it will be so, so nice to get away from them for a while too. :silly:

BrandiB

06-10-2011, 10:20 PM

Oh wow Kyli they want to be a babysitter? Hmmm weird. I would of turned it down. After asking to be released from the YW I now have no problem saying no to things like that. I hope that it goes better then you expect though.

Have fun on your vacation in CO. You know I've never been there even though I dont live to far away from CO. Guess I need a vacation there!

DucksLikeRain

06-10-2011, 10:23 PM

When my brother was 5 (he has pretty significant Aspergers and at age 5 he would have been considered fairly low-functioning) they called a man to essentially be his "babysitter" for the 2 primary hours. It was the best thing that could have happened for him at that point in time. BUT that man was A)older and did not have children of his own at home anymore B) a child psychologist who had actually consulted with my brother's other doctors during their diagnosis stage and C) someone that Beau already had a pretty significant connection with, not some random person from the ward.

Having a one-on-one for primary isn't that uncommon for kiddos on the spectrum. But it should most definitely be done with more consideration that what it sounds like you got slapped with, Kyli!

LuTruPeMo

06-11-2011, 07:50 AM

Kyli I'm sorry you got that horrible calling! I would be mad too. I would be fine if they could honestly look me in the eye and say it was inspired and they felt strongly it should be ME. But just to fill a slot... that's not right.

Our bishopric is the other end of that. They want so badly to be sure callings are inspired, they go weeks and weeks (sometimes months) before filling a calling.

ashers

06-12-2011, 03:59 PM

We have been to church a few times over the last few months, just havent been very good about making it to our ward :o) Now that I am on bed rest I believe we probably wont be making it any time soon either. I feel so guilty about that but I know I have been doing what I need for me and baby.

Brandi I am so jealous about you going to Yellowstone, my in-laws were in Jackson Hole over the weekend and drove up and around, I love the beauty up there.

LuTruPeMo

06-12-2011, 06:37 PM

I do not want to do my calling anymore.

If I just stop, they'll release me, right? (Well maybe not if I'm in Tif's ward, apparently...)

I just found out my dad is in the hospital for the next week with some severe colon issues. He can't eat or drink anything. Should be fun.

BrandiB

06-12-2011, 07:14 PM

Ash glad your home from the hospital! Make sure you do that bed rest we want that baby to bake a little while longer. I love Yellowstone as well! We go at least once a year. I just love it up there :)

Heather sorry to hear that about your dad. I'll be sure to keep him in my prayers.

LuTruPeMo

06-13-2011, 03:40 PM

Question. (I sound like Dwight Schrute) Are your female friends mainly LDS or not LDS?

I ask because last weekend I was invited to a girls' night at the home of a lady I know through homeschool co-op. The other ladies there I had known from the co-op too, but I don't see them regularly anymore because we don't do co-op anymore. Anyway, it was so extremely fun. (So fun in fact, I ended up forgetting what time it was and my poor husband was riddled with anxiety when I was out past 11 p.m. :) )

I realized I had way more fun with them than I do with my LDS friends. And we weren't doing anything naughty. No one was drinking or smoking or anything. There was an instance of an off-color story a woman told about her husband's penis turning blue on their honeymoon and they had to rush to the ER (turned out to be a side effect of some aspirin she'd given him). It was hilarious though.

DucksLikeRain

06-13-2011, 03:51 PM

I hope your dad comes out of this all ok and that resting his body does the trick :hugs:

I don't have all that many lady friends anymore-definitely none in my ward! If I think of my 3 closest friends, 2 are LDS and one is not. But the one that isn't is my very very best friend. Doesn't matter that she's not LDS. She and I met when I was taking my break from church and so we forged our bond over activities that neither of us partake of any longer. But I think having been able to stick together through that and then walking away from it has let us stay as good of friends.

The other two are LDS. One of them very molly-Mormon, lives in Salt Lake, and we are honestly the most bizarre matchup, but it works. The other one I have known since we were 3 and 4, our mothers are best friends and she was my one friend from high school that still made efforts to keep in contact when I was sleeping around, drinking my heart out, etc. She would come to town and hang out at the bar with me-even though she didn't drink. She'd get up and sing karaoke with me stone-sober while I was sloppy drunk. She's just one of those tried and true friends and being LDS isn't a part of that, it's just a small detail of who she is within our friendship.

BrandiB

06-13-2011, 04:01 PM

Yes most of my friends are LDS. I seriously only have one friend who is not. She lives in Nevada and I see her when we are traveling through to CA to see DH's family. We were super close in high school then our junior year she moved to NV and my parents would take me there over the weekend and I would stay with her. We used to do a lot together.
My very best friend is LDS she lives 1.5 hours away. Not that its a long way but I never make it up there to see her and she comes down to see family so thats when I get to see her. We've been friends since we were in the 5th grade.
But like I said most of my friends are LDS but not active. I dont really care, we dont talk about church. Only once in a while, and I have no friends in my ward, of course it doesnt help that I've been to it twice. I have no friends from my old ward, they were all a lot older then me or my mom's age.

hpfan04

06-13-2011, 07:13 PM

Thanks for letting me vent the other day, ladies. I feel a little bad about being so upset by this new calling, but it's just not for me, and they just kind of threw me into it. And church really is my only outside interaction, so it's like the last thing I want to do when I finally have a few hours without a child clinging to me, I don't want to spend chasing around another child, you know? Yesterday I just wanted to cry in frustration because he ran away from me and I had to chase him. I just do not do that. I lose it when children run from me, nothing makes me angrier. My DH had to get him and help me with him the rest of church. I am just not the person for this job. I know, I am the idiot that said yes to this. So I think I'm going to try it for a couple more weeks and see if I can make a connection with him, and if I can't I will just have to ask them to release me.

Hugs, Heather! :hugs: I hope everything will turn out okay with your dad.

As far as friends go, all my friends are LDS mainly because, like I said, I don't have any outside interaction other than church. But when I worked and interacted with other people, I honestly felt like I got along better with non-LDS people. Maybe it's because I have an off-color sense of humor and most of the LDS people I know are prim Molly Mormons. :laugh:

LuTruPeMo

06-28-2011, 06:21 PM

Kyli how did church go this Sunday?

I am so ready to ask to be released. I feel terrible doing that. I really do. I just hate my calling so much. I have hated it from the start, and it's been like a year and a half now.

I had hoped it was like one of those things, where, you put yourself into it, and then the love comes. Like exercise, or reading scriptures... sometimes you don't feel like doing it, but if you try and do it, you will enjoy it. I've tried, and I still do not enjoy this calling. I hate going to church because I know I'll have to deal with stuff related to my calling. I am responsible for a personal progress themed mutual activity next month and can barely come up with any ideas. I had ONE idea which I emailed to the presidency to get their feedback, and none of the three of them responded at all, so I can only assume they think it's lame. I hate our presidency meetings because invariably there will be something said at which I will have to bite my tongue. Like snarky things about the girls, or about how much a decent house costs, or homeschooling, or the way I parent. I'm so tired of turning the other cheek. I'm out of cheeks!

I should just do it. I am thinking I will do it when the YW president is out of town (all of July). I'll send her an email and the bishop a separate email. The first counselor was supposed to move this summer and I'd hoped that would mean a change of presidency altogether, but now she's not moving, so I don't think anything will happen.

ashers

06-28-2011, 08:46 PM

I am sorry that you are struggling so much with your calling Heather, I would talk with your Bishop about your feelings. I have had one calling that I have truly hated, and I wish I would have expressed how I was feeling instead of it driving me mad. I hope that you can figure everything out.

I have told you ladies before how we do not feel comfortable in our ward at all. There is only a few sisters that I even communicate with. One of those sisters I email back and forth weekly if not on a daily basis, I let her know that Kenzie came early and she had it announced in Relief Society, which doesnt bother me, but didnt change the fact that I didnt expect to hear from anyone else in the ward. Last Thursday though the compassionate service leader called to see if they could bring in two dinners, just two dinners no 'is there anything you need help with' or 'do you need a ride anywhere' or 'can we bring you anything else', it was simply as a ward we bring two dinners. I accepted for them to bring one dinner in tonight, we had family that had taken care of other dinners for us. Well 5 PM rolled around, then 6, then 7, then 8 and we still hadnt heard from anyone about dinner. It makes me mad that I finally humbled myself enough to admit that I could use some help and that I could give someone the change to serve me and then nothing happens. We hadnt made any other plans for dinner, hadnt pulled anything out of the freezer, it just makes me mad, and really peeves my DH and makes him want to avoid this ward even more.

hpfan04

06-28-2011, 10:44 PM

Oh Heather. :hugs: I honestly think you should ask to be released. If it is making you hate church and dread going each week, then I definitely agree you should ask to be released. You tried - for a year and a half you tried - and it just isn't working out for you. Plus the other ladies in the presidency...well, they sound like rhymes-with-witches, to be honest, and you don't really click with them. So I wouldn't feel guilty at all about asking to be released. I'd tell the Bishop how you feel - that you've given it your best and you just aren't feeling it's the right fit for you. I'm sure he'd understand. Hugs!!! :hugs:

Ashley!!! I didn't even know you had your baby!! She is darling!! And what a good size for being 5 weeks early! Good job baking her, momma! Congrats!!! Sorry about your ward though - that stinks. :( Is it mostly a young ward or maybe a lower-income ward? The only reason I can think of that nobody would sign up to bring you dinners is that they are either young and forgetful or they don't have money to make extra dinner?? IDK, I'm reaching here, and just hoping that they're not all just self-absorbed, I guess. Or you just have a really crappy relief society presidency and compassionate service leaders. :hugs:

As for me... I ended up telling the bishopric I couldn't do it. I feel a little guilty, but the only reason I survived the last three weeks is because my DH was helping me. I tried to be nice and loving to him, but he needs someone a little more firmer and someone who can take him when he gets physical or can chase him if he runs off. I'm not strong enough or fast enough for that. :laugh: And I just never made a connection with him, he didn't like me - wouldn't even talk to me or look at me. But when he saw my DH, his eyes would light up and he would hug DH. I don't necessarily think it wasn't because I didn't give it enough time to make a connection based on him connecting with my DH in that short time, I just think I really wasn't the right person. And this Sunday, I had my back turned for a few seconds answering a question from another primary teacher - and he just took off, ran outside and halfway around the building before I could catch up with him. Even though I was already going to ask to be released, that was pretty much the last straw for me. So I just told the Bishopric that I'm sorry, but I tried and I'm not the right person. They know what a tough case he is, so they understood.

Thank goodness they never released me from the library, so I can go back in there after I get home from vacation. I liked hiding out in the library and being social with the people that came by. :laugh:

EvandAl

06-29-2011, 11:18 AM

Hey Ladies! I'm still around, mostly stalking from my phone though!

Ashley congrats McKenzie! I agree she was a great size for being so early!

Big hugs to those struggling. I've been there a bit lately too. Just in a spiritual rut I guess. I've just been going through the motions at church each week. Although on the way to church last week I had a nice spiritual experience that really just lifted me up and so far still has me going.

I have to say that it's been really hard to do my best in my calling because Alan is not super excited to go to Nursery. I can only get him to go and stay in there if the regular leader is there, but she goes on Vacation A LOT. With her he will cry as I'm leaving but within a minute he stops. Anyone else he will just keep screaming and I'm just not one of those moms that can leave him like that.

I am super excited though that they are switching our blocks around. Right now we have primary first and Sacrament last and more and more I find myself just leaving because I am mentally done. But starting this Sunday Sacrament will be first so I will be fresh and ready!

BrandiB

06-29-2011, 12:19 PM

Heather I would asked to be released. I had to ask when I was in the YW's because I felt like there was no need for me and I just took role.

Ashley I cant believe your ward. That is so sad. I read what you wrote to my DH and he said he remembers when his mom had babies his ward would bring in meals for a week. I'm sorry you didnt get meals yesterday. I find it super sad :(. When I had DS our RS presidancy came and seen him and brought a blanket they had made. I did not want any meals because we lived with my parents and they took care of that. With the ward I'm in now when I had my gall bladder surgery I received 3 meals of course 2 of them were the same thing but at least I received something.

Kyli glad you told them that you could not do that job anymore.

Alison it makes it super hard to take anyone to nursery if there is not a consistant leader in there. My DS had a hard time with that because every other sunday in our old ward it was someone new. They had 2 sets of teachers and switched sundays. We are now in a ward that has sacrament first and I find it much better then having it last :)

LuTruPeMo

06-29-2011, 03:53 PM

I have told you ladies before how we do not feel comfortable in our ward at all. There is only a few sisters that I even communicate with. One of those sisters I email back and forth weekly if not on a daily basis, I let her know that Kenzie came early and she had it announced in Relief Society, which doesnt bother me, but didnt change the fact that I didnt expect to hear from anyone else in the ward. Last Thursday though the compassionate service leader called to see if they could bring in two dinners, just two dinners no 'is there anything you need help with' or 'do you need a ride anywhere' or 'can we bring you anything else', it was simply as a ward we bring two dinners. I accepted for them to bring one dinner in tonight, we had family that had taken care of other dinners for us. Well 5 PM rolled around, then 6, then 7, then 8 and we still hadnt heard from anyone about dinner. It makes me mad that I finally humbled myself enough to admit that I could use some help and that I could give someone the change to serve me and then nothing happens. We hadnt made any other plans for dinner, hadnt pulled anything out of the freezer, it just makes me mad, and really peeves my DH and makes him want to avoid this ward even more.

Well, first off, CONGRATS! What a little doll! :wub:

Second...ugh. I feel like I could have written that about the two meals. When I was pregnant with Penny, every week the RS email would say "if you are expecting, let Sister So-and-So know so we can celebrate with you and tell us how we can help!" So after she was born (and Truman was 13 months and Lucy barely 4 and my husband working FT and in grad school FT and we had NO family nearby) I emailed that sister and told her I'd had my baby, and it'd be great if we could get dinner every other night for the first little while. This is what our previous ward did when the first two were born - dinner every other night for about the first two weeks (we'd cook or have leftovers on the other nights - it was a huge relief!). Well, she informed me that they only "do two meals unless you had a c-section." And those 2 meals are assumed to come from your visiting teachers, so unless they can't or won't, pretty much the RS does nothing. Seriously it was a horrible experience for me. I was so depressed. But, I told my VTs about it and they were livid, and the two of them arranged for a bunch of meals for us, so we were taken care of. And the RS president felt really bad about it. She said the two meals thing was kind of their standard because there are SO MANY babies born in that ward (college students), but that they needed to adjust it because they assume that moms or mothers-in-law come to help out, or husbands are ONLY in school, not school plus work, or you are having your first baby, not having 2 others at home already. So, she admitted it was a flawed system.

So I guess some good came out of it for someone after me, but for me, it sucked.

But you have a pretty baby, so who cares about them. They're the ones who won't get the blessing of serving others!:laugh:

LuTruPeMo

06-30-2011, 02:08 PM

I got tickets for me and DH to go see the recording of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me tonight in Nashville. It's about a 2.5 hour drive. My niece is coming over to stay with our kids. She has a 14 month old little guy too. I hope it goes okay. We're leaving at 4 p.m., so she'll have an hour til dinner (I pre-ordered pizza to be delivered at 5), and then we got a movie, and then it'll be near 7 and she can start dressing them for bed. So really it shouldn't be too bad. We won't get home til like 1 a.m. probably (yikes!). I am nervous, but also SO FREAKING EXCITED!
DH and I really need a diversion. He's been so cranky with work and stuff.

BrandiB

06-30-2011, 05:23 PM

Hope you have fun Heather!

Whats everyones plans for the 4th of July?
My husband works this weekend so Preston and I are going camping with my parents. My husband is working graveyard shift so I wouldnt see him anyway. We leave tomorrow afternoon and come home monday. My husband has monday night off so I dont know what we will do. Hopefully see some fireworks :)

LuTruPeMo

07-01-2011, 01:01 PM

Is 'hopefully see some fireworks' a euphemism for something Brandi? :)

We will go to our neighbors' back yard Sunday night to watch our little town's fireworks show. We live right on the river, but their back yard is ON the river (our house faces the river). It's a great view and you can't beat the traffic. ;)

Monday we are going to French Lick, IN (doesn't that sound naughty?) to ride an old train and they do a mock robbery in the middle of it - guns and horses and everything. Should be pretty fun. Monday night we're getting together with our neighbors to do some home fireworks.

DucksLikeRain

07-01-2011, 02:41 PM

Heather-have you seen the music video parody of Katy Perry's song? Your comment totally made me think of that. John's obsessed with Katy Perry's music :eyeroll:

We are putting out tent up out at my parents' on Sunday and will probably go to the big fireworks show their town has on the 3rd. Then we'll have a little parade that the girls are putting on-all two of them-before we might head to the next town over for a parade and definitely will take Dad's boat out on the river since summer seems to FINALLY have arrived here in Oregon!

ashers

07-01-2011, 03:20 PM

Thanks for all the congrats on McKenzie, we sure do love her and its been fun to see her change these past few weeks. We are very blessed that she was such a good size for being so early, makes me scared to think of what she could have been had she baked til her due date! :o)

I am so glad I am not alone in being a little peeved about the whole dinner fiasco, Kyle is still not happy with it and not wanting to go back to this ward at all. The ward is a good mix of old and young, there are a lot of apartments but the core of the ward is established housing of people who have been there forever. I just dont really care anymore about the whole situation.

Our plans for the 4th are kind of up in the air, my parents are out of town so we dont have to worry about having to visit them, so we will probably spend time with Kyle's family. They want us to go swimming Monday afternoon, but I cant get in the pool and Kenzie shouldn't be out in the sun that long so we will just have to see. We were going to try and avoid fireworks but the more we think about it, its not going to be possible since so many areas around us are shooting them off this year, so it will be an adventure to see how Kenzie reacts to them.

EvandAl

07-01-2011, 06:51 PM

We don't have any plans here.

Evan works all weekend and Monday, so it's just basically a normal weekend for us. On Monday we will have a vistor though. My friends little boy is coming to hang with us for the day since daycare is closed. He is the same age as John and they are best friends. The boys have a blast when he's here all day so I'm looking forward to it.

LuTruPeMo

07-03-2011, 09:17 AM

I am so irritated right now. It's 10:15 a.m. We go to church at 11. I emailed the YW presidency over a week ago with an idea for the personal progress activity I'm in charge of on the 12th. I wanted to know if they thought it was a good idea and would help me out. NO ONE HAS RESPONDED. Okay. So now it's the first of the month and I need to pass out the YW newsletters. But the president has the assignment of doing the 'message' this month and I emailed her yesterday to remind her, and no response today. So I'm not going to do a newsletter that basically just tells the girls to come to church on Tuesday nights in July. They already know that.

Also none of them responded to my newsletter message - I asked if they had any 'good news moment' type stuff about the girls I could include.

I'm so tired of this calling.

Maybe we're all getting released and I'm the last to know and that's why they haven't responded. That'd be pretty sweet.

BrandiB

07-04-2011, 09:38 PM

Heather just ask to be released. I totally would.

I got home from camping this afternoon and I'm exhausted so no fireworks show tonight for us. My husband works in the morning so I'm really thinking bed sounds good. I went camping without my husband because he worked all weekend and so I went with my parents. I will never do that again. It was fun and enjoyable but Preston asked several times a day for his dad. It was just to hard on him to be away from him.

LuTruPeMo

07-05-2011, 06:30 PM

Brandi, I know what you mean. I remember we hit a point with Lucy where it just was not worth it for me to try and do stuff with my family if DH wasn't around because she liked him better than she liked my family. :) Good for you for going! I do not like camping and would have totally used the 'no husband AND pregnant' cop out cards!

BrandiB

07-05-2011, 07:46 PM

Glad I'm not alone in this. He woke up 3 times the first night telling me he wanted to go home and that he needed his dad and that his legs hurt. I think he's growing. The last 2 nights were much better on him, although during the day he would tell me he needed his dad. I love camping so I was excited to go but then when I got there I got hit by major allergies. When I got pregnant with Preston my allergies went away and I havent had them until this summer. I thought I was going to die, my eyes itched, I kept sneezing and just couldnt hardly breathe. Luckily my cousins love my little boy and kept him busy while I could lay down with a wash cloth over my eyes. I'm not sure I have any other plans for camping after my allergies hit me so hard.

Tsuuriki

07-07-2011, 05:00 PM

:hi: Haven't been here for a while.

Brandi, I didn't know you were expecting! Congrats!

Ashley, congrats on your adorable little girl!

Heather, I'm with Brandi. There's only so much you can do if no one is going to help you out. Have you tried calling any of them and asking why they're not communicating ?

BrandiB

07-07-2011, 05:21 PM

BrandiB

07-22-2011, 05:06 PM

Wow its dead in here!

We drove past the new Brigham City Temple the other day and I cant believe how fast its going up! Angel Moroni is on top! The open house is scheduled for next fall and I cant wait! I'm really hoping that we can even attend the dedication.

ashers

07-22-2011, 10:51 PM

That is wonderful Brandi, it's going to be a beautiful building. We were in Ogden the other day, they are working on taking the facade off of the Temple, its so crazy to see it all torn up.

I am debating on whether we should venture to church on Sunday or not? We haven't heard anything from the ward since the failed dinner, oh what correct that we got a call when I was 2 weeks Please asking if I could come help clean the church. DH about lost it, the guy who called is lucky I let the call go to the machine and that DH didn't answer it.

Ok since we are technically inactive, how many weeks do you think we need to attend for DH to be in good standing to be able to bless Kenzie? He is worthy in every other way besides actually attending church.

DucksLikeRain

07-22-2011, 10:55 PM

You don't technically have to be active as in, every sunday. As long as your Bishop knows you guys a little bit and understands the reasons he's been gone-life happens, you know? And life happening, getting in the way of every Sunday attendance, doesn't equal a person being unworthy for things like Temple attendance, blessing a baby, etc.

I've been to church 3 times in the last 8 months. And I still can't manage to get released from my calling :pokey:

Just kidding. Sort of. Some days. My latest escapade is getting purple streaks in my hair tomorrow...just "hair bling" but still, purple is purple, right? My hairdresser-aunt tells me that I won't be Temple worthy if I do it. and I :eyeroll: at her. Because the color of my hair totally reflects my moral and spiritual choices...

LuTruPeMo

07-23-2011, 08:11 AM

Glad I'm not alone in this. He woke up 3 times the first night telling me he wanted to go home and that he needed his dad and that his legs hurt. I think he's growing.

You know, Penny gets this quite a bit. She's the only one of my kids to have this problem - leg pains at night from growing. She'll go through several days up to 2 weeks waking up with crying every night, then it goes away for months. It's so hard to not be able to help them!

LuTruPeMo

07-23-2011, 08:18 AM

Re: blessing the baby. I know that in a ward we used to go to, there was this family, the Lewis family. The dad had left them - moved out, started dating other women, filed for divorce - when the son was like 2 or 3. Fast forward to the son's 8th birthday and the dad was not in the church AT ALL. Hadn't been in all that time. He wasn't excommunicated or anything, but just stopped going. He did see his son on weekends and stuff. So then the boy wanted his older sister's husband (who was active and a big role model in his life) to baptize him, and this idiot in the bishopric was opposed to it, and said it should be the boy's father! And said, "As long as he pays tithing he could baptize him." Like, nevermind the adultery, abandoning your family, walking away from temple covenants, etc. Just pay your tithing and you can baptize your son. Crazy! So... my opinion is that the requirements for blessing a baby - a nonsaving ordinance compared to a saving ordinance - must be pretty easy peasy. I don't even think you have to have a current temple recommend do you? It's never been questioned when DH has blessed our kids. Just holding the M. priesthood is all that was required, I thought. You don't even have to do it at church. If your bishop ok's it you can do it at your home.

Just kidding. Sort of. Some days. My latest escapade is getting purple streaks in my hair tomorrow...just "hair bling" but still, purple is purple, right? My hairdresser-aunt tells me that I won't be Temple worthy if I do it. and I :eyeroll: at her. Because the color of my hair totally reflects my moral and spiritual choices...

:laugh:

BrandiB

07-23-2011, 10:04 AM

Ashley we were in Ogden a few weeks ago and had seen all the ground just torn apart at the temple. I also think you dont have to have a current temple recommend to bless a baby. I think you just have to have the M. priesthood like Heather said. When we blessed Preston, Kevin was not super active. Most of my pregnancy with him I was just way to sick to attend church and Kevin would go once in a while. Our bishop did not question anything.

Tif thats so funny your aunt said that. Please post pictures when your done :)

ashers

07-23-2011, 03:46 PM

I was thinking the same thing about just needing to be a worthy priesthood holder, maybe I will see if I can get Kyle to go talk to the Bishop about it.

Tiffany my dad is a Bishop and allows my sister's to have purple in their hair, I also did a session with a lady that had hot pink hair.

DucksLikeRain

07-23-2011, 05:03 PM

I'm sure things will be fine for blessing her. Or you could do it at your parents' ward if you're more "connected" there or something. He just would need to OK your husband to do so. We blessed Keira at my parents' ward and the Bishop didn't know John but took his current Temple Rec. as a sign of being worthy. Likewise, all 3 of the babies that have been blessed at the hospital before they passed have been blessed by my dad-John hasn't been emotionally up to it-and our Bishop has said the same as far as ok'ing that as the official naming and blessing-the fact that Dad has a current rec. is enough for him.

John has a faux hawk right now (at my urging) and he doesn't hardly every style it that way. He won't wear it to work that way but this morning when I was blowing my hair dry he stepped out of the shower and I attacked him with it and made it stand up. I love it. So he's got that going on, the girls and I all got hair bling stuff in...I am so tempted to go out and get a 1-day wash out hair color to do his tips in and have him go to church that way tomorrow. But I don't think he will. He will at least wear his hair up that way to church-so he says-but I think he'll draw the line at the color!

ashers

07-27-2011, 10:16 AM

Tif, we are planning on blessing her in our parents ward, it will be easier for everyone to come there then have to travel 30-50 miles. I would much rather do it there anyway because it is the ward we both grew up in. So hopefully we can get it put together. What we would really like to do is find our new apartment, transfer our records ASAP and start attending there and avoid our old ward altogether.

We got a call to our home phone Sunday night while we were visiting family, it was from the 1st Counselor of the Bishopric asking if we still lived here. I found it hilarious, DH not so much, he felt like if they really cared then they should be coming over to check on us, especially since we have our cell numbers down as our contact information.

ashers

07-27-2011, 10:17 AM

Double post, stupid phone.

Thaby

07-27-2011, 12:20 PM

Hello sisters :)
I'm glad I found this...I battling a demon right now and could use some LDS help...Brandi knows what I'm talking about. After I recover from my previous post on Rant.Venting room I'll post here.

BrandiB

07-27-2011, 01:49 PM

Ashley glad you guys are going to bless her in your parents ward! I cant believe they called to see if you were still in the ward. Why do they not have visiting teachers or home teachers coming by?

:hugs: Thaby glad you found this room! We are here for you!

BrandiB

07-27-2011, 02:10 PM

So I've been thinking lately that all the ladies that live here in Utah we should do an APA meet up!

We went to church last sunday, not this passed sunday but the one before. Gosh its been so long. We've been so busy with either DH working or being sick we have missed way to much. It felt good to be back. Of course we had to leave early. We have RS and Priesthood last. Preston was in nursery and was doing fine when all of a sudden one of the nursery leaders brings Preston into me while I'm in RS. He was crying so hard saying "I want my mommy and I want my daddy". I left the RS room with him and he would not stop crying for his dad. So we had to go find his dad and then he just kept saying "I want to go home", he cried all the way home and then for about 10 mins after we got home. We have no idea what happened, the nursery leader said he was fine until he heard someone say daddy and then he started crying. He has such a soft heart that I'm wondering if maybe another little kid took something from him, when that happens he gets so upset. We are going this sunday, DH does not work and I'm hoping that we do not have another repeat.

DucksLikeRain

08-03-2011, 10:18 PM

I went out with the RS President to try and do some new move-in visits last night (I say try because these never work out, wrong address, no one's home, no one lives there, etc. I think the Priesthood-missionaries or otherwise-should always be the ones doing the initial contacts because some of these places we've gone have been downright scary/shady and then to not even know if we're going to be at the right place...ugh). Anyhow, she told me she needed to talk to me about something. And then said that she wants to release me. And of course I start crying. She assured me it's not anything I have or have not done, she just feels like either John or I need release to quit drawing on the both of us in aux. leadership positions and the reality is that he is not going to get released any time soon. So she thinks I need to be to relieve my stress level. And then she wanted to know what I thought/felt. I was perfectly honest with her and told her that I am at a place with my emotional struggles that if I were put into a calling like primary where I had to have a lesson prepared every single sunday...I wouldn't likely come very often. right now I need to be able to just come to church on sunday and be there. I have not much to give and am in the position of needing to get/receive/be filled. I think we all have seasons of life and I've been in the position of being the one to give and really not get much out of sundays. that's fine. But right now that would be so bad for me. As 1st counselor in the RS presidency, as long as I have touched base with my teacher during the week before and know that my music is all lined up, I'm good. I can come and maybe I'll have to conduct RS, but that's all drawn up and put in front of me, not really a big deal. Other than that I can just sit in the lesson and be fed. And I worry that because of the size of our ward (it's really a branch by activity level, ward on paper) I won't get left alone. YW is short a counselor and an advisor and I KNOW that. But I also know that is one place that I will struggle. I don't connect well with them, I feel too young to be an authority figure and too old to relate. I live with two primary kids all day and I am so nervous and bad at teaching that I feel like putting me in primary would be so horrible for me.

I finally told her that if she was feeling impressed by the Spirit to release, then by all means she needs to. But if she think releasing me would relieve my level of stress, the opposite is probably true. If John were released it would probably be relieving. But that's not on the table.

I don't particularly LOVE my calling, but I like it. And I just feel like it's a good spot for me to be in, the right spot. I really hope this was just HER talking, and not her feeling prompted :(

BrandiB

08-04-2011, 07:51 PM

Tif I'm wondering if its just her thinking and her thoughts and that she's not actually prompted. I will tell you though that if you are released and asked to do another calling say no. Tell them that you need to be taught, and that you need it. Let us know what happens.

How are you feeling by the way? I hope your doing okay!

LuTruPeMo

08-09-2011, 03:21 PM

Tif - that is nice that she talked to you about it. Maybe it was just a thought she had and she was feeling out the situation. I can understand what you mean about being worried about getting an even more taxing calling. That is one of the reasons I've not asked to be released as YW secretary. I don't like it, I don't get anything out of it, but at the same time there's no real reason I CAN'T do it, and the thought of some other things might not be much better. So I will wait for the bishop or whomever to feel that I should do something different. Or I'll just snap. One of those. :)

DucksLikeRain

08-09-2011, 06:30 PM

I am thinking/hoping it was mostly feeling out the situation. She made mention of how long I'd been in the presidency and I pointed out it was only coming on 3 years and she was all confused, thinking it had been at least 5 (which is longer than we've even lived here :laugh:) I think my biggest fear is the loss of the relationship. She's older than me-she's 45-but is one of my closest friends in the ward. That was how it was with the former president and I also. And when she got released and I was left in the presidency to fend for myself with the new presidency (and I did NOT like the new president at the time! I know I vented in here about it, too) well, the old president and I haven't seen each other, even on Sundays, more than 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years because she's buried in Primary. And I just worry that would happen again with this president if I got released and shoved into primary or YW or something. Mostly...I'm comfortable where I'm at. Don't like change.

hpfan04

08-09-2011, 09:08 PM

I hope she was just thinking about it because she thought it would help your stress level, and not because it was inspired. If it was inspired to release you, and you are asked to do another calling, I agree with Brandi, I'd say no and that you need a break for a little while so you can be spiritually fed. :hugs: Good luck with whatever happens! I hate change too! :laugh:

I need to get into some good habits again, with personal prayer and scripture study. I'm done being hurt and angry and prideful, and I'm ready to start building my spiritual side again. But it's been so long since I've said my prayers that I worry that I'll kneel down and not know what to say, or that Heavenly Father won't be listening, and maybe I don't deserve to be listened to anyway. I know it's silly, but I still worry. :eyeroll:

What do you ladies do when reading your scriptures? Do you read straight from beginning to end? Or search for certain topics? And how do you make yourself do it? I have a really hard time because I'd rather be reading a book than my scriptures before bed. :eyeroll: But I need to force myself to do it, and hopefully it will become a habit. Our family sure could use the blessings from doing what we're supposed to. And I've had a feeling for a long time that not reading my scriptures and praying often has been what's causing the holdup on getting pregnant. Maybe I'm crazy but it's kind of like a little voice in the back of my mind keeps saying over and over "you know what you need to do" each month when I despair not being pregnant. So maybe this little spirit isn't ready to come down until I'm spiritually ready. I don't know. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to start doing what I'm supposed to.

Sorry to ramble so much. I just needed to get some thoughts out. :)

BrandiB

08-15-2011, 09:00 PM

Kyli I'll be the first to admit that I'm the worst person there is to talk to about scripture study. I do not find it interesting to say the least. I know it needs to be done but I just dont do it. I'll get really good for a long time and then something comes up that it doesnt get done one night and then its out the window again. However, I'm much better at personal prayer. I never kneel to pray because I get into bed and then say oh yeah I need to pray and I'm to lazy to get back out. DH and I need to work on praying together better. We are not perfect and have a lot to work on.
You'll get there :) sometimes it just takes a little while of feeling angry or hurt. I believe that God understands :). Oh and I'm sure that little voice telling you that you know what to do is the Holy Ghost so I guess you better do it :P

LuTruPeMo

08-17-2011, 02:36 PM

I'm not great at reading scriptures. I actually like it when I have to teach a lesson in YW or sub in primary because it forces me to read some. I like reading by topic more than just reading front to back. Especially with the Book of Mormon. I have started and stopped that thing so many times, it's ridiculous. I find it terribly boring. (Am I allowed to say that?) And confusing! Maybe because I grew up on the New Testament. I love the NT and whenever I have free time and do turn to the scriptures, I either read by topic, or I read the NT.

DucksLikeRain

08-26-2011, 11:09 AM

I am getting really annoyed by the leadership in our Stake and our Bishop. I shouldn't, but I can't help it.

Sunday is the Teaching For Our Times lesson and it's supposed to be the Bishop's choice which talk from April we are doing. I have my poor teacher hounding me, John his EQ teacher hounding him, John and the RS President have been hounding the Bishop. I've emailed him multiple times, I even got John and the RS pres to give me some talk suggestions to narrow it down for him. Nothing. On Wednesday night he told the RS Pres he knew he had an email from me (sent Sunday night) but he hadn't gotten around to reading it even though the subject line SCREAMED that it was time sensitive! I just think it's rude and inconsiderate and disorganized. And it's all because he's been in 8 years and thought he was being done over 2 years ago. The other 3 bishops put in at the same time as him have all been released over the past 2 years, but not him. And our ward can TELL he's done. He hesitates to make any changes-even simple ones-because he doesn't want to deal with it and keeps thinking he won't have to if he waits long enough.

And then Stake RS Presidency...ugh. I'm not even going to get going on them, other than to say it's more of the same last minute disorganization only they're asking us to have the sisters in our ward donate their time, efforts, resources and money in 3 weeks but keep changing what's going on, giving us minimal details, changing those details and not responding to requests for more information.

LuTruPeMo

08-26-2011, 11:17 AM

Ugh. That is so very frustrating Tif. I know changes happen slowly in our ward, but not that bad!

I did finally email the bishop about my YW situation. There was a nasty incident at the airport the other day that kind of tipped the scale for me to do that. And yesterday we had a YW presidency meeting and now 12 of the other ladies' 13 kids are in school (one toddler still home) but of course I have my kids with me all the time. So we were discussing where to have our next meeting, and the 1st counselor said, "Oh my kids would be so mad if they came home from school and saw someone had been playing with their stuff," and the president said, "Oh yeah, mine too!" And then I felt like they were just STARING at me waiting for me to volunteer. So finally I said, "Well I guess we can have it at my house." Though I really didn't want to. Because they do them at 1 p.m. Which means I have to finish with homeschool, clean that all up and put away, make lunch, and have my kids eat their lunch and get that cleaned up, before 1 p.m. Which is a bit hard to do, especially since I really have to have dinner started in the crock pot too that day since Lucy will be going straight to girl scouts til 4:30 and we won't be home til 5 and David gets home at 5:30 starving. It just complicates my day. So I emailed the president and said, can we do the meeting at church? The church is only 2 minutes from my house so it shouldn't be a problem. And then I don't have to contend with cleaning my house, just all the other stuff. I really am just so sick of these ladies and their attitude.

So I did email the bishop - I didn't come out and say 'release me,' but I did tell him I've struggled in this calling and told him about the issues with the meeting time and how it works for them but not for me, and that maybe it's not the right time for me to have this calling because I do feel I should be putting my kids first. But I told him I would keep doing the calling, but I wanted him to be aware. So I guess that's all I can do really.

DucksLikeRain

08-26-2011, 11:22 AM

I'm glad you finally emailed, Heather. I hope he'll take it to heart. I know with our bishop there are times where he seems to not have heard a word you said-like when John asks to be released from his calling-and others where is response is very much of the "thank you, I wouldn't ever have guessed that's how you were feeling" nature. I guess lately we've had a number of people in primary literally just quit their callings. Like they tell the Primary Pres that they're done, they're quitting and she's all :eyebrow: and asks them if they realize it's not like a job, and that they have to be released by the bishop before she can get anyone to fill in for them. And they just don't care, walk away and don't show up to teach their classes anymore. And she has had NO CLUE that they were unhappy, bored, stressed, whatever the situation might be. To me that's just weird. It's one thing to let the bishop or whoever know, and if nothing changes to then speak up and say I'm not asking to be released, I'm telling you to release me. But to just quit???

BrandiB

08-26-2011, 12:24 PM

Sorry you ladies are being frustrated by the leadership in your wards. We still dont make it every sunday so I dont really know how it is in our ward. My old ward was great though, you asked to be released and within 2 weeks we were done. They always had a problem finding primary teachers though, so that may of taken longer then 2 weeks but not normally. I hope things get better and get better quickly!

LuTruPeMo

08-26-2011, 02:24 PM

Brandi how did you get to be 19 weeks already? Girl!

BrandiB

08-26-2011, 02:42 PM

Brandi how did you get to be 19 weeks already? Girl!

I know its crazy right? It has seriously flown by! Sunday we hit 20 weeks and I'm so excited to be half way done! We are super excited to be expecting a little girl. Its the first grand daughter for my parents and on my mom's side there has not been a girl in 11 years so its about time!

ulovettfox

09-01-2011, 08:40 AM

We are super excited to be expecting a little girl. Its the first grand daughter for my parents and on my mom's side there has not been a girl in 11 years so its about time!

I know that feeling! DD#1 was the first girl in 30 years on my father-in-law's side of the family. To say they were elated would be an understatement. We just had our second daughter a month ago and so I'm claiming that we have broken the Fox curse of having all boys.

Congrats!

DucksLikeRain

09-01-2011, 09:55 AM

I know that feeling! DD#1 was the first girl in 30 years on my father-in-law's side of the family. To say they were elated would be an understatement. We just had our second daughter a month ago and so I'm claiming that we have broken the Fox curse of having all boys.

Congrats!

congrats on baby #2! You should stop in here and chat with us more often :winks:

I am feeling so liberated from my garments. No, that does NOT mean I quit wearing them. I just finally, for the first time in 7.5 years (yikes!) replaced all of them. Like cleaned out all but 3 pairs that I had bought earlier this year, and demolished the old ones and have all news ones-and now all I have are the Carinessa and I :wub: them! I love putting them on in the morning and don't feel like I'm fighting with them to stay in place. Liberation!

BrandiB

09-01-2011, 10:48 AM

BrandiB

09-01-2011, 10:48 AM

congrats on baby #2! You should stop in here and chat with us more often :winks:

I am feeling so liberated from my garments. No, that does NOT mean I quit wearing them. I just finally, for the first time in 7.5 years (yikes!) replaced all of them. Like cleaned out all but 3 pairs that I had bought earlier this year, and demolished the old ones and have all news ones-and now all I have are the Carinessa and I :wub: them! I love putting them on in the morning and don't feel like I'm fighting with them to stay in place. Liberation!

Oh man I LOVE that feeling. There is seriously nothing better then purchasing all new G's. I dont have the Carinessa tops but I plan on it after I have this baby :). I love the bottoms and they are seriously the best!

ulovettfox

09-02-2011, 07:12 PM

congrats on baby #2! You should stop in here and chat with us more often :winks:

I am feeling so liberated from my garments. No, that does NOT mean I quit wearing them. I just finally, for the first time in 7.5 years (yikes!) replaced all of them. Like cleaned out all but 3 pairs that I had bought earlier this year, and demolished the old ones and have all news ones-and now all I have are the Carinessa and I :wub: them! I love putting them on in the morning and don't feel like I'm fighting with them to stay in place. Liberation!

Thanks, I always forget about this forum :( It's so far down on the page. But you're right, I should stip in more often, I'll have to make an effort!

I haven't replaced all my old garments but I did just buy some of the new Carinessa tops and bottoms. I LOVE the feel of the new bottoms and the Carinessa tops are awesome for nursing in. I will gradually be replacing most of my garment tops for the carinessa ones.

Congratulations on your new found freedom, haha!

LuTruPeMo

09-07-2011, 09:56 AM

I just can't find on particular style or fabric that I love. I bought some, I forget what kind they even are, and I think I accidentally got petites because they end up being way too short on my legs. :/

ashers

09-07-2011, 11:18 AM

I love the carinessa bottoms, I have yet to try the tops but think I might next time I get new G's.

Well we got all moved and started going to our new ward 2 Sunday's ago, it is already a million times better than our old ward. We felt so welcome and wanted, the bishop was sincere in meeting with us. So many people came up and introduced themselves, they were all so nice. Kyle was also to get all the paper work from the bishop that we need to bless Kenzie on Sunday in my parents ward. He completely understands why we want to bless her there for family and everything. I went with my mom on Monday and bought Kenzie's blessing dress, it is so beautiful, I cannot wait for her to wear it!

LuTruPeMo

09-07-2011, 11:35 AM

Ashley that's awesome! - all of it! ;)

BrandiB

09-07-2011, 01:14 PM

Ashley thats awesome! I'm so glad you like your new ward. You must share pictures of Kenzie's blessing!

BrandiB

09-08-2011, 01:57 PM

Gah I have seriously been in such a blah mood when it comes to church. We moved into this ward in January and I've attended 3 times and I have only been to all 3 meetings once. Almost made it twice but then my DS had a breakdown and we left just before RS started. I do not even want to go. I have not talked to DH about it but I'm pretty sure he feels the same way. I cant go alone, Preston is to hard to handle in church by myself during sacrament meeting and my DH works every other weekend. He's actually volunteered to work a couple extra weekends this summer because of the double time also. I was really hoping when we moved into this ward we could make a fresh new start and become more active then what we were in our previous ward. We attended church in our previous ward but did not do any of the ward activities ever. I really dont like this ward, I know very few people and the rest arent to friendly. It seems to be pretty clique as well. My VT's have came by once. I havent even gone to the ladies I VT. I just feel so blah about it and I need to snap out of it because we need to go, I need to feel the Spirit more in my life and I know this but I just have no desire to go. A few sundays where we planned on attending my family did a family lunch (none of them attend). Please tell me I'm not alone in feeling like this?

LuTruPeMo

09-08-2011, 05:06 PM

BrandiB

09-08-2011, 05:42 PM

I'm sure you are not alone. I can't say I'm in your shoes, but I do see how easily any of us could be that way. I mean if not for me going or DH going, I know there are weeks when it'd be easy to just not go! But then there are the kids too and they fully expect to go. So I guess for us it's just been a decision that church is just what we do on Sundays (barring illness or traveling) - even if we don't want to. And every Sunday one of the kids will announce that they don't want to go to church. Or they hate church. Mainly I think it's the clothes though. :) Truman just hates wearing anything but basketball shorts.

Do you have a VT companion? Maybe you should try to do YOUR visiting teaching. Maybe one of those sisters really needs you.

My cousin is my VT companion and I seriously keep thinking that maybe one of those ladies needs me but I seriously have like no motivation to do it. My cousin has 4 kids, trying to sell her house and runs her own business and she's a wreck. She's told me she is. I'm going to call her tomorrow and see if we can schedule a time to go. I know she cant go unless her mom will take her kids and I cant go unless my DH is home.

LuTruPeMo

09-08-2011, 06:32 PM

You should just go by yourself if she can't or won't go. I mean, if the ladies are willing to accept a visitor.

So... the bishop called me tonight. No idea why. I didn't answer, but not on purpose! I mean, I didn't know it was him. It was during dinner and since it wasn't a # I recognized I figured it might be someone wanting to use the building. Oh wait a minute... that actually may have been what he wanted! They are trying to schedule a ward deep-cleaning day and they said Sunday it was going to be the 17th but that day is already reserved for a wedding reception (and no one asked me about cleaning that day or I would have TOLD THEM... sheesh, I do have the all powerful binder and key!!!). Or he may be asking me to give a talk or it may be about my calling or it may be something else entirely! Who knows.

BrandiB

09-08-2011, 07:36 PM

ulovettfox

09-08-2011, 10:09 PM

BrandiB

09-08-2011, 10:34 PM

Do any of you guys actually attend Stake Conference?

Ours is this weekend and now that they've called DH as EQ Pres and me as RS secretary we're kinda feeling the pressure to go. We've lived here for almost 6 years and only ever gone to 1 Stake conf. It's hard enough to get our 3 year old to sit through sacrament, 2 hours of stake conference would be a disaster plus now we have a 1 month old! I thought of at least attending the adult session on Saturday but I don't really wanna leave my 1 month old with a babysitter yet.

This is going to sound so horrible but I think in my entire life I've attended Stake Conference twice, once being married. This last time we went was about a year ago Elder Holland came and spoke. We actually could not watch it, the stake center it was held in was not big enough and the other rooms they had it playing on tv. Preston would not sit still and behave so we found an empty room with a speaker and let him play in there. Would that be an option for you? Also I would think you would be fine to take your 1 month old to the adult session. At least I either would or I would not attend.

ulovettfox

09-09-2011, 08:28 AM

This is going to sound so horrible but I think in my entire life I've attended Stake Conference twice, once being married. This last time we went was about a year ago Elder Holland came and spoke. We actually could not watch it, the stake center it was held in was not big enough and the other rooms they had it playing on tv. Preston would not sit still and behave so we found an empty room with a speaker and let him play in there. Would that be an option for you? Also I would think you would be fine to take your 1 month old to the adult session. At least I either would or I would not attend.

That doesn't sound horrible to me actually. I was baptized when I was about 12 and from then until I left for college I probably went to stake conf a total of 3 times and DH's family were never big on going to stake conf either but for both of our families it was mostly an issue of distance - we lived pretty far from the stake center. Now we live like 20 minutes from it so distance isn't an excuse. Maybe I'll have DH look for possible alternate rooms tonight since he has to go set up chairs.

ulovettfox

09-09-2011, 08:28 AM

ulovettfox

09-09-2011, 08:33 AM

sorry for the duplicate post, not sure how to delete it.

BrandiB

09-09-2011, 10:47 AM

That doesn't sound horrible to me actually. I was baptized when I was about 12 and from then until I left for college I probably went to stake conf a total of 3 times and DH's family were never big on going to stake conf either but for both of our families it was mostly an issue of distance - we lived pretty far from the stake center. Now we live like 20 minutes from it so distance isn't an excuse. Maybe I'll have DH look for possible alternate rooms tonight since he has to go set up chairs.

It worked really well for us to find a seperate room that still had the speakers turned on and no one else was there. Our toddler could run around and be loud and no one could hear him but us. We did make sure to take treats and toys for him as well. Good luck!

LuTruPeMo

09-09-2011, 07:50 PM

I thought of at least attending the adult session on Saturday but I don't really wanna leave my 1 month old with a babysitter yet.

I've actually seen lots of people bring little babies to stake conference adult session. Presumably, nursing babies, I don't know. There was a couple last fall though who brought their TWO kids and they were both walking/talking and oh my goodness... the death looks they got. :) But we had an apostle there and it was kind of a big deal (we hadn't had one here since the 1970s).

We usually try to go, but until recently we did not last the full 2 hours. We'd usually last an hour, MAYBE 90 minutes at most. It is very hard. It is almost like a 'freebie' Sunday if you have a calling that normally requires you to be there (like teaching a class or a ward-level presidency); it's kind of nice to have no obligations for two Sundays a year. It's also crazy hard with little ones. We live 3 minutes from our stake center (not even in Utah! Ha!) so distance is not a factor, but sanity is!

ashers

09-12-2011, 11:42 PM

I am really weird and like going to stake conference, it was always a nice break from the norm of weekly church meetings. We have been really bad about going to them this past 18 months or so though, mainly because we had no idea where they were held! Whoops :o)

Kenzie's blessing was yesterday and it was so beautiful. Kyle was so nervous about saying something weird or wrong but he was really able to listen to the spirit and he did so good. We had so many family members there to support us, we held a little brunch afterwards that went pretty well. The funny thing is during the middle of the blessing Kenzie started fussing some, come to find out that they almost dropped her, but my FIL grabbed her by the butt and my dad caught her head and they saved her! She looked so pretty in her dress, we got a few good pictures so as soon as I can find time to resize them I will post a couple.

BrandiB

09-12-2011, 11:55 PM

Ashley so glad that Kenzie's blessing went well! Cant wait to see pictures! So glad that they were able to catch her and not let her drop. That would scare me so much!

LuTruPeMo

09-13-2011, 07:32 AM

I would love to see pictures! I'm glad it turned out so well. ;)

ashers

09-17-2011, 10:49 PM

Here are a few pictures from Kenzie's blessing that I finally got uploaded to photobucket, I still dont know exactly how to use it so if the pictures are HUGE forgive me. :laugh:

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b466/ashfor7/DSC00120.jpg

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b466/ashfor7/DSC00136.jpg

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b466/ashfor7/DSC00148.jpg

ashers

09-17-2011, 10:50 PM

Okay so those are way big, but I am too tired to figure it all out right now. :o)

BrandiB

09-18-2011, 10:24 AM

Oh Ash she's beautiful! I love her dress!

LuTruPeMo

09-19-2011, 06:38 AM

What a cutie! The laughing one is so darling!

EvandAl

09-19-2011, 01:53 PM

She looks so pretty! Glad it went well!

DucksLikeRain

09-19-2011, 05:17 PM

what a smiley little girl! Her blessing dress is beautiful. And I love the siggy pic with her tongue out!

ulovettfox

09-19-2011, 08:50 PM

She's gorgeous! I, too, love the one where she's laughing!

EvandAl

10-04-2011, 07:40 PM

Just wanted to see how everyone is, we've gotten quiet :)

Did you guys watch conference? I only caught little bits since I was trying to watch online or listen on my phone and my kids had a hard time being quiet. I'm ready for the Ensign to get here so I can read the talks :)

BrandiB

10-05-2011, 11:59 AM

I actually didnt get a chance to watch conference but I have it recorded and we plan on watching it during my husbands days off from work. He had to work over conference weekend and we like to watch it together.

LuTruPeMo

10-06-2011, 11:28 AM

We watched Saturday morning session, and just a bit of Saturday afternoon. DH went to Saturday night priesthood session, and we watched most of Sunday morning. After that, I couldn't take it anymore! Not that I don't like spiritually uplifting messages, but just the idea of sitting and staring at the TV and writing notes and listening to choral music.

And can I say, what was UP with the pepto bismol pink dresses?! Those were the worst. Those poor women.

I liked most of what I heard. Some talks seemed like 'no brainer' type talks (I hope that's not rude to say) - just stuff we've heard a million times before, but I guess some need to hear it again. A few were hard for me to hear but I guess that is kind of the whole point, right?

hpfan04

10-31-2011, 04:17 PM

It's been quiet in here again! How's everyone doing?

DH and I finally started reading the Book of Mormon together every night, and praying everyday. It's only been 3 weeks, but we feel SO much better. We were in a really bad slump, pretty much to the point where we agreed that if we didn't have his parents in our ward expecting us to come every week, we would have gone inactive a long time ago. While our financial situation still sucks (which was what was triggering our slump - the whole "we've done everything right, why are we struggling so hard?" thing), but even though we have no money, our faith and peace has increased tenfold. Truly amazing. DH has received a very clear answer to his prayers that he needs to find a new job, so hopefully if we follow the Lord's direction He will take care of us and things will get better.

On a separate note, I want a new temple dress. Mine finally fits again (woohoo!) but it's non-stretchy material and with my fat arms, I can't move in the arms much or raise my arms overhead, and I have to pretty much dislocate my shoulders to get it off. (It fits fine around the middle, lol, just in the arms it is ridiculous.) What dresses do you ladies have? Looking at the website though, it looks like most of them are polyester and only one is cotton. So I guess I don't have much option if I want one that is kind of stretchy. Sigh. I remember there used to be a lot more dresses on the online store, now there's only 7. Hmm.... Do you have to buy one from an approved place (like the website or distribution center), or if I found somewhere else that made appropriate temple dresses but wasn't "official church affiliated" (I guess you would call it) would that work? Anyone know?

:hi: Hope everyone is doing well!