He is Amazing

It has been six days since Jared had his mouth cut up. And let me tell you, those six days have been one heck of a roller coaster. From Monday to Friday the most sleep I ever got in one night was 3 hours, and the least sleep I got was 45 minutes. I kid you not! Needless to say I was exhausted! Jared got that much sleep too, but he took naps during the day. I couldn't, I was at work. So its no suprise when my body tries to give up and catch a cold, but I will not let it! Health will prevail!

As for Jared, it really depends on the time of day whether he is feeling good or crappy. Sometimes he is up and moving around, getting food and medicine himself, and others he is just able to hang in there. The recovery time period for this surgery is 3 months until he is "almost normal", so in all reality more than three months. Adn the worst it is supposed to be is in the first 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. So, he is right in the thick of it, but doing temendously.

He never ceases to amaze me, and having this surgery is no different. Yes there are moments when he wishes he never did it, or when he is having a hard time, but those can be expected and they are few and far between. He is so strong about it all. He tries very hard to not be so dependant on everyone, and even to help. Even what he has to do becaue of the surgery is amazing. He has to learn how to function his mouth. And that is no small task. He needs to learn how to move his mouth to talk (although that is later in the recovery process), how to chew (also later), and he needs to teach himself how to swallow. Teaching yourself how to swallow is what amazes me the most! No one has to naturally do that! You naturally have to learn how to walk, talk, ride a bike, etc, but you come out of the womb knowing how to swallow. You even swallow in the womb from 20 weeks. I am just amazed that he is teaching himself something that should be natural and instinctive. Just thinking about al the times I swallow, and everything that goes into it makes me exhausted. Swallowing is hard work. And if swallowing with a whole new, and swollen mouth is not difficult enough, the only thing Jared can feel is his tounge. (because they stretched out the nerves in the surgery they will stay numb for at least 2 weeks, most likely months)His jaw, cheeks, and lips are all numb.

Ok, I will continue raving how amazing my husband is another time. Now its time for pictures! =>

This is Jared before the surgery, just waiting to be rolled up. He is trying to pretend that he is out of commission and all sick, but he had no idea what was coming to him. haha
This is the day of surgery, a couple hours after the surgery was finished.This is Tuesday, the day after surgery. He has swollen a lot in this picture, but he is even more swollen now. We do take a picture at least once a day to track the swelling and de swelling progress, I just have not uploaded the most recent ones to my computer yet. But I can describe him. I will quote from his surgeon "He will look like a Who from the Grinch, with sausage lips". Yep, I think that is pretty accurate. But also add that his eyes will swell to little slivers, not even close to the big eyes he has in the last picture.

That is our little update. To summaraize, we are still alive and fighting thru this recovery process. =>

Starting Off the New Year.... Right...?

This year has been an eventful one. Yes, I know it has only been four days long, but those four days have been full of interesting events.

It started off on January 2nd when Kalyn had her little "event". She started feeling sick on the first, with just the thing going around (sore throat and cough). Then on the morning of the second she threw up, and shortly after she fainted. A whole full on faint while standing up and brushing her teeth. She fell in the bathroom and hit her head on the floor and was unconscious (for about 45 seconds) Jared was walking down the hall (we were leaving that moment) and saw the whole thing and was able to catch her hands as she was falling. So 911 was called, while we waited Dad and Jared gave her a blessing, they came, started doing their little tests on Kalyn, and she could not move or feel her arms and hands. They took her to the hospital in an ambulance and did a CAT scan and all other sorts of tests. By the time the doctors were done with their tests Kalyn had regained the use and feeling in her arms and hands, and they sent her home. What a great manifestation of the power of the priesthood!!

That was hospital encounter number one.

Hospital encounter number two came somewhat voluntarily (I was not willing, Jared was). It is for Jared's jaw surgery. This is the surgery all doctors had been telling Jared he needed to have since he was like 5 years old. To shortly and briefly sum up the purpose of the surgery: one side of Jared's lower jaw grew longer than the other, so they had to cut both sides of his lower jaw and move it back, then cut both sides of his top jaw and move it forward. This procedure could not be done until now because the doctors had to be sure Jared had stopped growing and get his mouth properly set up for it.
This surgery took place today. That is where I currently am, in the hospital. Jared's mom came down on Sunday and is going to stay for the week to help look after Jared. All three of us got to the hospital at 6:00am and started all the pre-surgery stuff. They began Jared's surgery at 8:30am. I had to leave then and go to work but Karen was able to stay at the hospital and be here when Jared got out. His surgery finished around 1:00pm (yes a 4 1/2 hour surgery) I came back to the hospital after work (around 3:30pm) and he was just coming out of the anesthesia.

The surgery went well. Jared's jaw did not crack so they did not have to wire his mouth shut, which is a huge relief. And Jared did not die on the table (what I was so scared for) and that is an even bigger relief! Now it is just the long recovery process. He is not going to be able to chew anything for at least six weeks, which means all liquid meals. The doctor said that the surgery will significantly change his appearance (no joke, moving his whole bottom half of his face around), but in addition to that his face should be swollen to almost the point of nonrecognition for the first two weeks. After that the doctor said he will still be swollen and look like a Who from the Grinch. And to fully get to normal should take at least three months, most likely more.

I don't know how I feel about that. I love Jared so much, and I hate seeing him uncomfortable or in pain. And believe you me, he is in a lot of pain right now, and I can't do anything about it. It is driving me crazy!! I just want to make him all better! But I can't. All I can do is sit and watch, and aid in any minute way I can. But I also know that this surgery needed to be done, and we are greatly blessed to have the opportunity and ability to have it done now. This will be a good lesson of patience, hopefully I can learn to have some so I only have to go thru it once haha. And I know both Jared and I will learn to rely on our Father in Heaven even more, for He is the only one who can truly do anything to help.
I am grateful for the opportunity and ability Jared had to get this surgery done. And I am glad he will have a better and easier time because of it. I am especially thankful that the surgery went well and that Jared is alive. And I am so thankful and indebted to my Father in Heaven for all He has done for me and my family. And even though this year started out with two dramatic hospital trips I hope its not an indication that this is how the whole year will go. I am shooting for just one more visit to a hospital (in May to get my baby out of me) and then not to be back for a looooong time. => So here is to a Happy New year, and to its very interesting start! =>

Feeding the Homeless

On Monday (the 28th of December) Jared and I had the opportunity to chaperon the youth of the Las Flores ward and feed the homeless down in Los Angeles. The youth do this every year, and have done it since before I was in young womens. My Dad has a calling in Young Men's, so he was going, and allowed Jared and I to come too. It is such a neat experience.

Jared drove the food car. I like to think we were the most important car because without us, they would have had nothing to give the the homeless. haha Kalyn and Kimmy came with us too!

I am constantly amazed at the workings of our church, but that day I was amazed at the youth. They needed little instruction and just organized themselves in an assembly line and packed and made the lunches.

They were all so great, and they all helped so willingly and excitedly. The homeless were guided to make a line and when the youth finished packing a lunch they would personally deliver it to the people in the line. I am so grateful to be part of a church that encourages service and selflessness, it really is a thing of beauty.

Trey, Kalyn, and Kimberly after selflessly serving the homeless. Great job guys!

Me and my love in Skid Row in downtown LA.

Even though I have gone to downtown LA and fed the homeless many times it never ceases to amaze me. I am one, amazed at the quantity of people down there, and two amazed at the immense love my family and Father in Heaven has for me. I am eternally grateful for the gospel and for the love and support of family, and for all the blessings I receive.

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Christmas! Santa definately came to the Walker house!

The morning started out by the little boys waking up early then going around the bedrooms (with Mom) and caroling everyone awake. They were so happy to be up and it be Christmas!

Next there was the traditional eye closing train to the kitchen (Santa normally leaves candy in the stockings, and you have to eat breakfast before we can eat candy) But legend has it that if you peek to see if Santa came, before its time to open presents that all the presents will disappear. So we make a train of closing eyes (youngest to oldest)and Mom leads everyone to the kitchen. I caught this picture right as the train was dispersing.
After breakfast the youngest kid goes with Dad to see if Santa came. And he did! He ate all the fudge we left out for him and the reindeers gobbled up the carrots, and Santa even left us a note! The three little boys took turns reading parts of the note aloud to everyone!
Then it was time to open the presents! Dad is always in charge of passing the presents out, he does such a good job with it. Look at that beautiful tree and all those presents! =>
It just so happens that the boys all got blue robes for Christmas. Mom had planned it for Trey, Kaden, Cameron, and Cole and I had bought Jared one without knowing her plan. So it was a fun suprise to see them all with their robes. And now everyone has a robe! Mom, Kalyn and I have matching pink robes that we got a couple Christmases ago, Dad has a dark blue one, and now all the other boys have dark blue ones! We are just a robe full family! =>
Me and my love on our second Christmas together!
Actually its me, my love, and our little one! Thats a crazy thought! =>
I couldn't get the little boys to stop playing with their toys long enough to take a picture of them in their matching jammies, but I did get one of the big boys in their matching jammies! Aren't they so handsome!?!
Later that day/evening we went over to Gram and Pa's house to see the rest of the family. While we were there the fam presented Gram and Pa witht heir family present (Jenny collected pictures and favorite thoughts about Gram & Pa and put the into seprate books. One book all about Pa and one all about Gram) And the fun part is that Lindsey & Zach and Jenny and her kids got to watch them open their presents via the internet (Skype). That was a fun treat! (Jenny was on the computer on the chair and Lindsey was on the computer Kayln is holding)
They loved their books! That was such a great idea for a present, and I am so glad I was able to contribute to it!

I love Christmas time and I am so thankful that Jared and I could come down to California to spend it with my family this year! I love celebrations, I love Chrsitmas, and I love my family!!

Christmas Eve Traditions!

Christmas Eve is where most of my families traditions come into play. It is kind of like a big party. We start off Christmas Eve by having a big dinner. My Mom's friend Lee and her kids come over as well as a lady in our ward Lisa and her grandson. After dinner starts the festivities.
We first play Christmas Bingo. My mom had made all these cards and colored them a couple years ago. You don't win any prize, but its fun to go a couple rounds at this game.
After the bingo everyone gets in a circle and we play the pass the present game (i don't know what the technical name for it is). My Dad will read "The Night Before Christmas" and everytime he says the word "the" we pass the present we have to the left. And when the story finishes you unwrap and keep the present you end up with.
The next thing, and probably the biggest of the night, is the reenactment of the Nativity. We draw characters out of a bowl (Mary, Joseph, Donkey, 3 Wise Men, 2 Angles, 2-3 Shepherds, Inn Keeper, and Choir {basically choir is everyone else}), dress up as them, and act out the Nativity.
A lot of years back my Mom made many copies of the Nativity program so that everyone can follow along. The program has scriptures, songs, and quotes depicting the Nativity story. My Dad narrates the story, and people follow along and enjoy the presentation.
Then a new tradition that we started a couple years ago is to go out on our patio and sing Christmas songs. Lee brings over the candles and we sing as many songs as we can think of.


Throughout the whole night my Dad and the little boys are tracking Santa on the interent. They can see footage of Santa caught by the army, NASA, etc and when he is getting close they know its time to go to bed. We also unwrap one present on Christmas Eve after all the guests go home. The present is always pajamas, but it is still fun to get. And this year all the girls got matching ones, the "big" boys got matching ones, and the "little" boys got matching ones.

I love Christmas and I love being here with my family, and I love all our traditions we have!

We Are Having....

On Wednesday I worked until noon, then Jared and I went to the doctors to find out the gender of our baby! I can say that ultrasound is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! Our baby is 100% healthy and as it should be! And it gave a clear shot of its "parts" so there was a definate surity (ok as much comes with an ultra sound, you can never be sure sure until the baby comes out =>) We even got a copy of the whole ultrasound on a dvd as well as the pictures they printed out (ill scan those in when we get back home) And the result it:

We are having a baby Girl!

After we found out that wonderful news we headed straight down to California to be with my side of the family for Christmas! And I kept the gender a secret the whole way! I had planned how to tell my family the gender of our baby for over a month now, and there was no way I was going to spoil it haha. I had bought almost 280 jelly beans (140 in green and 140 in red) and the game was: Each color stood for a gender (green=girl, red=boy) and whichever color has more, thats what the gender of our baby is. Jared would eat one jelly bean of the color its not (so he ate one red because our baby was not a boy, therefore green would have more jelly beans, telling the family it was a girl)

We got to my parents house around 10:30pm and the little boys were already asleep, so we decided to wait until morning to let the family find out. It was good, and everyone agreed to it, but it did make Mom and Kalyn want to know even more. They were just dying to know. haha And at that time I had not decided which color was going to represent which gender, so I appreciated the extra time. In the morning I set up this white board and put the jar by it so they knew which gender the colors represented.
279 jelly beans for the counting. We waited until everyone was awake and home and then we let them have at the counting!
My dad was video taping the whole event and Jared and I were standing back and watching the madness. And let me tell you, it was quite the funny thing to watch. Everyone was so anxious and excited and trying to move so fast, it made for some good amusement.
The tactic they came up with was to put the beans in piles of 10. But they were so excited some piles had 11 some 8 or even 12. And occasionally piles would be scattered into big ones.... so they had to recount a couple times. =>

When they finally felt confident enough in their number Mom and Kalyn just about couldn't contain themselves, and when we told them that they were right, that there was more green and that it was a GIRL Mom and Kalyn let out the biggest screams and jumped all around. I am so glad my Dad recorded it, because that is definately something you want to keep for all posterity to see. haha

Jared and I are very thrilled to be having a girl, but truth be told we would have been fine with any gender as long as it is healthy! And according to doctors our little girl is very healthy and even a week bigger than the average baby her age (although they changed my due date from May 7 to May 12, so pushing it back almost a week.....) That makes me a little more nervous for delivery, but how can Jared and I NOT have a bigger than average baby? haha And as for the due date, I still say the baby will come around the 7th, so we will see who is right me or the doctors haha. But the baby will come when she is good and ready => We are excited to be having a little girl and evevn more excited that she is healthy!

As for names, the middle name will be Arlene. Both Jared and I have Grandmas named Arlene (and they are both ones that passed away prematurely) so we feel like that should be the middle name. As for the first name, we haven't chosen yet, and our list changes from week to week. The list this week is: Makayla, Lia, Callie, Keira, and Miley (ok Jared doesn't liek Miley but thats my favorite, so I jeep it in there anyways) =>

Cutest Husband Ever!

I love Jared! I love him for so many reasons, and if I wrote them all down it would be the longest list anyone has ever saw. But today I want to mention two happenings that made me love him even more!

On Friday Jared and I watched the movie "Julie & Julia". This movie is cute, but it made me really hungry, but it just made Jared want to cook something. I was in the mood for stew (a dish they repeatedly have in the movie reminded me of stew) but Jared wanted "To cook man food, something I can bite into". So we compromised. He would be able to cook mashed potatoes, rolls, and fancy green beans while I ran to the store and got a rotisery chicken. (I got my relatively fast meal and he got man food)

When I got home, not only did he have all his delicious food ready and on the table he also decotrated it with fancy glasses and candles! It was like a fairy tale! He is so romantic! =>

Another recent event happened Sunday night. We have our ultra-sound to find out the gender of our baby on Wednesday (yes, tomorrow!!!) and I have been nervous about it. I am so excited to find out what we are having and to suprise my family with it! but I am nervous that BECAUSE I am so excited our baby will be stubborn and not let us see. Jared is cute and will talk to my belly and on Sunday night he said, "If this is a Dax, do Daddy a favor and show off your wang to the world this Wednesday. If this is a Callie, this is the only time you are allowed to do this but just let us know who you are on Wednesday". Isn't that just the cutest thing? I just about cried I loved it so much, but my laughing kept me from tears. =>

I love Jared! Especially all teh cute and funny things he does! And I am excited to find out what we are having tomorrow! (hopefully) =>

The True Meaning Of Christmas!

Its Christmas time, its Christmas time!!! I LOVE this time of the year! And although I have been slacking in the decorating department (only two decorations up and no tree yet) I still try to get into the Christmas spirit! I have made Christmas treats (fudge), listened to Christmas music, etc. My uncle emailed the family a copy of a talk my Grandpa Pommerville gave last Christmas, the subject was "The True Meaning of Christmas". I thought this would be a good way to bring good Christmas spirit to my blog, and to let others enjoy the great insite my Grandpa had on this subject! It is a little lengthy, but its worth the five minutes to read. Enjoy!


The True Meaning of Christmas

Every time we hear that a speaker’s topic is “The True Meaning of Christmas”, we know that the talk will begin by stating that Christmas isn’t really about Santa Claus, or presents, or parties, or Christmas bonuses, or big dinners – wait, we might have to make an exception for big dinners. But you will hear that Christmas is about the babe born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago, and in one sense, it is. But in fact, it is really about something more – something so immense in scope that it is always difficult for us to fully comprehend it.

All of our Heavenly Father’s planning and preparation, all of his interest in his children and all of his desires for them, all of his aims and goals for the entire universe, came down to a singular moment in a specific time and place on this earth in a garden called Gethsemane, and at a place called Golgotha, and in a Garden Tomb; all of which are located outside of the walls of the city of Jerusalem in the Kingdom of Judah. Without these three places and what happened in them in God’s eternal plan, everything else would have been a colossal waste – everything. Without the events involving one particular Man in that olive vineyard over two thousand years ago, God’s purposes would have been utterly frustrated. Sin, death, decay, destruction, hell, and endless torment would reign supreme forever and ever. If Gethsemane and Golgotha had turned out to be places associated with suffering and failure rather than suffering and triumph, everything that went before and everything that came afterward would have been reduced to a series of meaningless events in the eternal scheme of things, for there would have been no eternal life. Deterioration, disorder, and chaos would ultimately fill the vastness of the universe; all beauty, human kindness, refinement, and acts of goodness would be forgotten as wasted energy. Truly, Gethsemane was the place where eternity hung in the balance.

Scientists tell us that the natural order of things in our universe is an irrevocable, steady movement toward decay: from life to death, from organization to chaos, from a condition or state of lesser degeneration to one of greater degeneration (a concept called entropy). This state of being is true for all kingdoms and creations – animals, plants, stars, and other systems. Without Christ’s atonement, human beings and the worlds on which they reside would be locked forever in the vise grip of death and dissolution. But with and through Christ’s atonement, all things are made new. The process of decay is not only halted but reversed. Because of the Atonement, which includes the events in Gethsemane as well as those at Golgotha and in the Garden Tomb, all things in the universe are empowered, renewed, and revitalized. Thus, Christ is the light and the life of the world.

Alma fully understood and taught exactly what the atonement means. (Read Alma 7:10-13)
“10. And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

“11. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

“12. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

“13. Now the spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold this is the testimony which is in me.”

It seems that suffering for our sins was only part of the great atoning sacrifice of the Savior in the Garden and at Golgotha – He also suffered for our pains, our sicknesses and our infirmities; and He suffered to save us all from death and from meaninglessness. We will all live forever because of Him. He also suffered to provide a way for those of His children who would be obedient and humbly accept His gospel and endure to the end to be exalted and to live forever in the presence of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Please pay attention to a statement by C.S. Lewis concerning the Savior’s temptation and atoning experience:

“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is; after all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not be giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives into temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.

“That is why bad people in one sense know very little about badness. They’ve always lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because he was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means – the only complete realist.”

Yes, Christmas is about the child lying in the manger in Bethlehem, but only because that child symbolizes what it was he was sent to this earth to do. The great and infinite atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ – the eternity shaping events in Gethsemane, at Golgotha and at the Garden Tomb – made life for all of us meaningful and significant. Thus, Christmas is about us, about you, about me, it is about the man and the woman that we now are, and it is about the man and the woman that we may become. It matters that we learn to forgive others, that we perform many acts of goodness and kindness, that we learn to love everyone, that we build families into eternal units of exaltation and glory, that we learn, finally, to give all that we have and are and all that we ever will have or be to our Father in Heaven and to trust Him in everything. I testify that Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem, is the maker and finisher of our salvation, our Savior, the great Jehovah, God of Heaven and Earth, our friend and advocate with the Father. I know Him – I trust Him – and I love Him.

That we might learn to become the very best we can be, that we might learn to become more like the Savior each and every day of our lives, that is what Christmas is really about, and it is my prayer that we might so live and so learn, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lights In Temple Square!

My dad and Trey drove up from CA yesterday. Kalyn's semester at BYU ended and she was moving home for a couple weeks so they had to come up and get all her stuff. After they packed up the van they came to mine and Jared's apartment (which is where they stayed the night). And we decided to go see the lights at Temple Square!

I love Christmas time! And one of the things I love about it are all the lights!! I just can't get enough lights, and temple square has plenty of lights to see! This was Jared's first time on Temple Square at Christmas time! He was amazed at the volume of lights they had!
There were nice people there who took a picture of the whole family!
I love that Dad and Trey were able to come up! And I find it funny that in this picture I am the shortest one. haha That is unique for me, but not around my family.
Kalyn and I took a picture in front of the relief society building.
I thought the wreath of the building was so pretty, so we took a sister picture by it! There are some days that Kalyn and I look like sisters and some that we dont, I think last night we didn't. haha And you can see my baby bump under the coat. I predict about three weeks until I can't zip up that coat anymore. =>
Jared took this picture of the temple and lights. I love temple square at Christmas!!!
Kalyn and Trey were playing around, dancing and singning in the lights!
My love and I enjoying the lights at Temple Square! After temple square we went to PF Changs for dinner. I had been wanting their lettuce wraps, and Dad had never been there. We all loved it! It was a great way to end our little Salt Lake adventure! I am so grateful Dad and Trey could come up and we could all play! And I am so excited to go down to California next week and play with them for more than a night!

Sensitive Skin VS Hypo Allergenic

I have ultra sensitive skin, thats no secret nor is it a new thing. I have to be super careful on what I put on it. No scented lotions bodywashes ect, only certain kinds of perfumes and hair sprays, limited kinds of chapstick and lotion, etc..... trust me the list goes on and on. And there is not one ingredient that I have to stay away from, its a plethora of things, which basically means I find out what I am allergic to by trial and error. For most major things (lotion, make up, shampoo, bodywash) I have found some that work with me and not against me. But I have not found any lip gloss that works with me. All I can wear is the vasaline and the plain chapstick brand chapstick. This drives me crazy!


I love lip glosses and feel so pretty when I wear them. So last week I was at Target restocking on my makeup and I saw this "hypo-allergenic" lip gloss in the perfect color! I read the ingredient (like that would help, but it made me feel better) and it was 98.5% all natural ingredients (it was advertised on the pouch it came in) I thought this could be my momentous occasion, to finally have a lipgloss that I could wear! So I bought it, brought it home and couldn't wait for Sunday so I could try it out and look drop dead gorgeous for Jared!


Well Sunday came around, I got ready and put on my lipgloss. I looked good! => It was just one of those days when you know you look good and its a major confidence booster. That night Jared had some friends come over for dinner. That went great but my lips were starting to be irritated just a little. Like a faint burn/itching sensation. I didn't think much of it because as soon as I started eating it went away. But as the guests all left I began to notice it more. I still didn't think it was an allergic reaction but I knew the lips were not happy with me. So I put on my lip medicine and went to bed.

The next morning I woke up with swollen lips that just burned. Thats when Jared and I decided the "hypo-allergenic" lipgloss was a fake, and it should be called hypER allergenic. This was one of the worst reactions my lips have had in a long time. But I just put more lip medicine on and went to work.

I took this picture at work because my lips were burning so bad I wanted to see if ther was an outward physical sign of the burning. Yes I half expected fire or something. But there wasn't, and this picture you can see the swollen lips. (yes htta night we went to the basketball game and you can see my bigger than normal lips in that picture too)

This is where the story gets gross, so I will omit details. just know that when I got home that night and went to bed my lips were still burning like all get out and puffy. I hardly got a good nights sleep because my lips had swollen as big as they could go, but apparently wanted to swell more, so they started making little puss bubbles that would leak. So when I woke up for work the next morning with HUGE lips that were burning and stinging (basically hurting like the dickens), and crap coming out occasionally, Jared and I decided it would be a wise thing for me to stay home and go to the doctors to see what I can and can't (can't because I am pregnant) do for this. The doctor gave me some pills to take, told me to keep putting the medicine on my lips and that I would have to "tough it out" until my body got through this little reaction. (and at the doctors is where we found out that puss was happening because it could not swell up anymore)

I did not want to take a picture of it because trust me, it was gross. But just imagine the picture above but with double the lip size. No joke! Jared nicknamed me Alyssa-lina Jolie. And now, a week later my lips are back to normal size but still not completely healed. Moral of this story: Alyssa has dumb sensitive skin and hypo-allergenic stuff does NOT get along with it! And hypo-allergenic stuff is sometimes hyper-allergenic.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

Monday night Jared and I went to a Utah Flash basketball game. The Flash is Utahs (or one of Utah's) semi-pro team.The big deal about this game was that Bryon Russel challenged Michael Jordan to a one on one game and whoever wins the Flash will donate $100,000 to their charity of choice. Apparently there is this big smack talking going between MJ & Bryon Russel. Michael Jordan slammed him in his 'Hall of Fame' acceptance speech, Bryon slipped and MJ scored big and won a big game, Bryon Russel claims he can beat Michael Jordan, etc... get the picture? So this was supposed to be this huge smack down........ Jared and I were skeptical about it. If I were Michael Jordan, why would I have a 'come back' play with a semi pro team, in a junior-turned-senior colleges gym, in Orem Utah, without national covereage, selling tickets for $7? Wouldn't I want to do it in as big of an arena witht he most publicity possible? I mean Michael Jordan playing, come on!The publicity for this game was always like "Bryon Russel will be there, will you?" but never anything about Michael Jordan being there. So JAred and I figured we would go anyways. Because if MJ is there, dude we get to see MJ play!!! And if not, we still get to watch a basketball game and have a fun Family Night. All thru the second quarter the main announcer guy was counting down the minutes until half time. He would say things like "Only five more minutes until Michael Jordan and Bryon Russell get their game on in this court" etc. Over and over about how Michael Jordan was there and was going to play Bryon Russell.
So naturally, we would believe the announcer and we got SUPER excited for half time! And half time comes and again they announce thta Michael Jordan will play Bryon Russell! And they put on this big production. Bryon Russell comes out, talks smack about playing Michael Jordan, then this group of people come out and they pretend to be Michael Jordan. But then Bryon was like "Thats not michael, MJ where are you? Well I guess he didn't show up. My shorts were on, he just wasn't willing" and the lights turned on and the announcer and dancers started handing out free stuff and doing dumb games with the fans. Yep that was it.

We were LIED TO!!! It would have been totally fine if they came out and said that MJ wasn't there, but to announce that he wasn't there and to go thru the big charade? What dirty rotten liars!!!! That made me and Jared so upset! Ok more so Jared than me, but I was still pretty aggitated. So our family night lesson was "don't be liars like the flash. Liars go where murderers go" haha but all in all, we were glad we went, its always fun to have a date night out of the norm!
I love this man! And I don't think we will be going to anymore Utah Flash games soon, but we were glad we went. What games next? I want to go to a BYU game and a Harlem Globe Trotters game, so we will see. =>

Kalyn's Choir Show

On Sunday Jared and I went down to Provo to see Kalyn perform in her choir show. She is in the German Foreign Language Choir. When Jared and I got there we didn't know it was a foreign language choir, nor that it would be in German the whole two and a half hours, but we were glad to be there. This si what her choir looked like singing. We were not supposed to take pictures but i just couldn't not document this. I know its a blurry picture, but it gives the idea of how they were singing. They performed int he Provo Tabernacle.
This is my close-up of Kalyn. => I thought it was fun how the two men in front of us just framed her. (she is in the bright blue shirt).
Me and my sister! I love that we were able to go and support her, even if we didn't understand what was bein sung/said. =>
At the beginning of the performance Jared leaned over to me and jokingly said, "Is this all in German? How do you know they are not saying 'hail hitler' and we are at a nazi meeting?" And again at the end of the show I asked Jared what he thought. His words were, "At times I felt like I was in a beer commercial, but it was good." Oh my little racist husband. Oh how I love him and his sense of humor! The show was very good, and had very pretty music, and I gathered that is was celebrating Christmas, but that was about all => Good job Kalyn! We are so proud of you!

First "Utah Writing"

When we moved to Utah Jared said "Don't decorate our house all utah" haha I have to say, I like the way people in Utah decorate their houses. Lately I have been especially liking the vinyl lettering they put on their walls. I was at the store one day and saw a way cute saying that would go perfect in out second bathroom, so I bought it. I came home and Jared accused me of buying 'utah writing'. haha Yep, I will fully admit I let Utah influance my decorating taste! => And so, the other night I put up my first 'utah writing'!

So here I go, bravely putting up my first 'utah writin' aka vinyl lettering. The words came all on one strip and they were, in my opinion, too close together. So I cut them apart and spaced them out more.
Jared thought it was funny that when I concentrated really hard my tounge would come out. haha I can't explain why, i didn't even know I did it, but this picture proves it. haha
And here it is! The masterpiece of vinyl lettering in the bathroom! I just had to stare and admire it for a while. => Jared still says its a little too 'utah' for him, but that "i (jared) like it because you (alyssa) like it". Isnt he just a dream? => And I am very proud and excited for my first 'utah writing'!!

17 1/2 Weeks Pregnant!

I have finally remembered to take pictures of my baby bump! I am 17 weeks and 5 days pregnant!

We took a semi-normal picture first,
then came the fun photo-posing pictures! Those are my favorite!
Believe it or not, there is no sucking in or poking out. This is what it looks like. And the weird thing is that it is hard to the touch. I don't know why but I expected it to be squishy, like a fat belly normally is. In reality, it fells tight, almost like I should have a six-pack, it just looks like a fat belly =>
Jared and I went to the baby doctor yesterday and everything is doing well. We were able to hear the babies heart beat but then the little bugger was zooming around and the doctor chased it around my belly for a while. That was actually pretty fun. And they measured my uterus and it measures 16 inches right now. I know it needs to get a heck of a lot bigger, but it seems huge to me already!

On Sunday I had my first real encounter with my pregnant body. I wanted to wear a certain skirt, but it would not zip up all the way. =<> I hsuspect I have a long way to go before I feel comfortable with my body getting bigger, but I am sure I will be super excited about getting a pregnant belly in a couple weeks =>