(Almost) One month later...

Isn't he a doll? He's getting so big! He doesn't look like a newborn anymore... which makes me sad. I am looking forward to hearing his little voice though:) He cries every time I see him, but I still love him. I would steal him if not for the crying part.


School has started and I am LOVING 6th grade. It's incredible how much one year can have such an impact on the maturity level of a child. I am having a great time getting to know these little people who are learning how to become adolescents.

Paul just started his last (!) year of undergraduate work.

That is all.

Ok seriously...

Have you ever seen a baby that is so incredibly perfect and beautiful (you know, in the boy way) as this one is? I suppose if you have your own children you might think so... But I have not.

This particular baby takes the cake for me. What an angel.

 Oh my. Are you jealous? It's ok if you are.  
Photos taken by BellaBaby Photography

Oh, and by the way. His name is Brox.

"There's nothing like a brand new baby"

That's what my friend Emily always says. Today, I realized how true that statement is.

I've tried and tried to formulate words to adequately describe the feelings I've felt today as I watched my beautiful sister and ever supportive brother-in-law marvel over their brand new piece of heaven. Heaven is the most accurate description of the little boy that has blessed our family, and has only been here a few short hours! Such unequivocal perfection can only come from one place... heaven. It is my belief that heaven was in fact very near this sweet baby, as he said goodbye to his angel brother that we said a tearful goodbye to 10 months ago today.

This is what a beautiful, perfect, amazing piece of heaven looks like.

As we drove to the hospital today, this time with joyful anticipation, the words of a dear Apostle ran through my mind.

"The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.

One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that when the curtain of death signals the end of our mortal lives, life will continue on the other side of the veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take from us the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father.

Because Heavenly Father is merciful, a principle of compensation prevails."

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Come What May, and Love It,” Ensign, Nov 2008,

As completely joyful as today has been, my mind can't help but recall the last time we drove to the hospital, that time with absolute sorrow at something that was taken from us. Tears flowed freely as I tried to understand why my sweet sister should have to bear the burden of losing a child, at such a young age. I still don't understand how so much pain can be felt by the human soul. I do know, now more than ever, that we have a merciful Heavenly Father, and "that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."

That day was today.

And he is such a wonderful kind of compensation.

As I looked into the beautiful, bright eyes of this brand new, fresh from heaven Baby Angel, my heart overflowed with immense love for him. And also for another Angel Baby that because of the Plan of Salvation, I will get to hold in my arms and admire with all the love an auntie can. Heaven felt pretty darn close at that very moment.

There really is nothing like a brand new baby.

To germs.

One of the very best things about being a teacher is constantly being exposed to germs. I'm being completely serious. Little by little, I've been inoculated by just about every disease/virus/bacteria known to the human species. In my classroom this year there were 11 cases of Swine Flu, 2 waves of the stomach flu, 2 cases of pink eye, 6 outbreaks of strep throat, and an endless stream of snotty noses. Nearly every person in the class was sick at least once. Every person, that is, except for the teacher. Thankfully, I am exposed to small amounts of these plague-like illnesses a little at a time, much like a vaccination.

Today I left Costco so thankful that the above is true.


I had to run and pick up a picture, and as I walked past the cafe my nose caught the scent of churros that had recently been pulled out of the industrial oven. One dollar seemed like a small price to pay for that cinnamon sugar small piece of heaven. I stood in line for far too long and received my celestial snack. As I turned to walk away, the little delicacy slipped from it's tissue paper house, and in slow motion, hit the cold, dirty, cement floor.


**Insert edited expletives here**


Quickly I picked it up and surveyed the damage. I had a choice to make. By all social rules, I should have immediately thrown it in the garbage. I tossed the idea back and forth in my brain, until the choice seemed obvious. The churro (with considerably less cinnamon and sugar on it) and I walked out the front doors of Costco and drove away. After about 3 miles, only one of us was in the car. Hint- it wasn't the churro.


All during the rest of the ride back to school, I wondered how bad on a scale of 1-10 eating a churro that had fallen on the ground was. It was pretty gross. I'd never let my own child do it.

As I walked back into the school and down the hall, I saw 3 kids pick their boogers and eat it, then proceed to give me a hug. Somewhere down the hall I heard a cough and a sneeze.

Eh, I figured, I think I'm inoculated against the Bubonic Plague. The churro most likely won't kill me.

as it should be...

For the first time in 2 years, our family is back together.

...as it should be.

Prom Pictures

I realize that I don't post much. It's not because I don't want to.

OK. I lied. It's mostly because I don't want to.

Also because without children of our own, there really isn't much to post about. I don't personally enjoy reading about the happenings of people without children... especially ones who lead relatively mundane lives. I figure others don't either, right?

Our existence lately can be summed up in relatively few sentences:

I turned 25
Paul finished spring semester VERY well
I'll be teaching 6th grade next year
Paul was awarded multiple scholarships for his large brains. I'm very proud.

Admittedly, this post comes purely because my dad, who I had no idea was reading my blog, asked why I hadn't posted lately. I could post my sibling's Prom pictures, he suggested.

They are pictured here:)

This Weekend

I can't believe they are this old... but Maddie and Morgan are 16 and dating! This weekend they asked boys to a dance called MORP (Prom backwards). It's a casual dance where they wear matching shirts. They were smart and did everything casually-They made their shirts with a stencil, I took their pictures and they made pizza at my parents house. Isn't that smarter than spending tons of money? Here are a few. I think they are just the most beautiful 16 year olds on the planet, but perhaps I am biased...