She's ALIVE

Yes, I truly am alive. I took a bit of a blog-vacation, and then I had a real vacation, and now we're back to almost-real life (Bradley is in San Francisco for a conference till Wednesday night, so we're not all the way back to normal). And I have a ton of fun things to share.

So I've already told everyone this personally, but just for posterity's sake: Baby Awesome is due November 10. YAY! Or, at least, YAY! after I'm done being sick. Which should be approximately November 11. Huzzah.

Although this little incident happened before I knew I was pregnant, I'm still very amused with it:

I've been loving and hating being a mom these past few days--the kids have alternately infuriated and delighted me. I'm in a loving it mood right now, and so as I was rocking out to my Hilary Weeks music on my iPod, cleaning up the kitchen, I ask Mercy, "Mercy, what do you want be when you grow up?" Maybe this will be teaching moment for telling her how wonderful being a mom is! Maybe I can teach her to want to be a mother when she grows up...

She, walking away from the kitchen to the family room, says, "I throw up?" and then pretend gags, hand to mouth.

When you consider pregnancy, maybe she already gets it...

LaDale and I had a marvelous time during Spring Break, doing...absolutely nothing. Seriously. We watched at least five movies (and several McGyvers), ate take-out, read books, and talked. And got my haircut--which took 100 minutes, from start to finish. No joke. It's really cute, though, and easy to style (which is essential). As soon as I get a proper picture of it, I'll share, I promise. Lost probably five pounds doing it, too, what with losing two feet of thick hair. (Easiest five pounds ever...)

While at Grandma and Grandpa Ross's house this weekend, Ezra told Aunt Kim all about Jesus. "Jesus is in charge of grown-ups. Grown-up's are in charge of kids. Kids don't have to listen to Jesus until they die." No, I don't get it, either, but it's really cute....

My least favorite place I lived was the Keele's house, because it was so stressful to keep everything perfect. Although if you count the hostel LaDale and I stayed at in Kona, Hawaii, with the flying cockroaches and all...it was only three nights (for me) and one (for LaDale).

My favorite FHE has pretty much been mentioned, going to UNLV to play games and then to the Dairy Queen afterwards. Or scripture chases and scripture pictures. Although much later, I remember making applesauce cookies while Daddy read the Proclamation to the World on the Family (since that was given while I was in college, I must have been visiting home for this FHE).

Ummmmmmm, what else? Mercy is three and loving it, and loving her tea set and books and fake wooden food to "cut" with the wooden knife. Ezra is four and I'm loving it, as he is getting old enough to do certain things by himself (but not to wipe his bum, apparently). Gideon is one and ADORABLE, trying to stand up even without DAFOs and talking (unintelligibly, naturally) up a storm. He thinks that any food on the ground is fair game, and if he can reach it, ANY food ANYwhere is fair game. Cute boyo.

And I love you all. Hope you are having a lovely almost-spring. (We got five inches of snow yesterday and today. Sorry, LaDale.)