Late Nights watching Shakespeare movies... lends to being better at blogging!

So its been an interesting week so far. Monday was pretty chill, the only thing of note was that I got an email from my father telling me that my Great Aunt Debbie Keele Blair had suffered a massive heart attack and was showing no brain activity. I was sad to hear it and even sadder to hear the next morning that she had passed. She was only 54 and I wish I had known her better. I was talking to my Dad about her today and trying to remember her better. It was really cool to hear him talk about her and what a sweet and kind woman she was. Neither of us can remember whether the memory I'm about to share was her or her sister Becky but Dad says it would have been in total character of Debbie to do this. When I was about six my Great Grandma Keele (Debbie's mother) passed away. She had lived in Hawaii and I hadn't had the chance to spend much time with her but was still devastated by her loss. After the funeral the family all gathered at the family home in Spanish Fork where a table had been spread with various pieces of jewelry, handkerchiefs, and other small belongings of Grandma's for people to look through and pick a few of their own. Picture if you can a six year old girl having just come from her first funeral and absolutely devastated by losing a grandparent. Then, my aunt Debbie (or it might have been Becky) came and led me to the table and helped me pick a pair of earings and some cloth doilies to make into a shadow box. Afterwards she took me to the corner and tried to teach me to crochet. It is one of my most treasured childhood memories and shows the kind of person my Aunt was. Not many women, or people, would be aware enough at their own mother's funeral to comfort a small child that wasn't their own. I hope that someday I am that aware and caring of others. Debbie will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Tuesday morning David and I were invited to the temple by a couple in our ward. I have had a difficult time getting myself to go to the temple on a regular basis because I do not yet feel comfortable going without another woman with me. I am always grateful for the opportunity to go with others and am grateful that Greg and Erin Treasure thought to ask us. I did have a rather unpleasant moment while I was there. I had a "your mother was right moment." Those are always bitter experiences. Here is the story. When I was preparing to get married I went shopping for a temple dress with my mother and Grandmother. I wanted one of the more modern, fitted, and stylish dresses. My mother however insisted I get one that zipped up the front and had plenty of room in the waist for a baby belly, since Grandma was buying she and my mother won the argument and I got a nice but very simple and 'older' looking dress that fit all of their requirements. So... back to the present day. I got into the changing room at the temple and suddenly realized that I might have to rent a dress because I would not fit in mine. I put on my slip (barley squeezing my new 'ba booms' into it) then the moment of truth came and on went the temple dress with no problems whatsoever. So I am here to say, yes mom you were right, yet again I bow to your greater wisdom and am glad I took it.

Besides that unpleasantness going to the temple was a wonderful and blessed experienced. I am so grateful to live so near to a temple and especially so near to one that is large enough that you don't have to call ahead to make sure there is room int eh session. The temple is a place of such peace, beauty, and love that I always leave feeling so rejuvenated in my faith and my love of the gospel. I also always feel a renewed conviction to be a worthy wife and mother so that I enjoy the blessings and promises that can be ours if I am faithful. I am so blessed to have a temple marriage.

Tuesday night David and I went to dinner at our friends home. Laralynn and Rodney are friends from our first married ward and we love hanging out with them and their daughter Kaylee. Kaylee usually is tolerant but not excited about visitors but for some reason she really liked David. We had brought dominoes to play and he opened the box and set them up and knocked them over with her for a good half hour. Then she had to take him back and show him her toy kitchen and how she can fill her spoons with 'water' from the tap and make treats. It was really cute to watch him play with her. He is going to be such a good Daddy I am really excited to watch him play with our baby.

Today I woke up at 2:25 having to pee, only to hear David's alarm while I was in the bathroom. I didn't really feel like going back to bed so I sat up with him while he got ready for work. Right after he left I lost the small breakfast I had eaten and remembered that I had not taken my Unisom. So I took one then (around 4:30) and went to bed. Needless to say I slept till mid afternoon and did not have a very productive day. After David went to bed I went outside into the quad where several people were throwing around a football. Despite my usual distaste for that sort of activity I joined in, and what do I get for it? I jammed my left ring and middle fingers. I was able to pop the middle one out enough so that now it doesn't hurt any more, but my ring finger is another story. Its turning blue, wont bend, and has swollen to the point my wedding is uncomfortable but I can't get it off. I really hope I didn't break it, that would be like me though. I hoping that when David gets up he'll be able to pop it like I did the middle finger. Its actually hurting bad enough I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep till he gets up for work anyway, its moments like this that makes me miss being able to take pain meds.
Oh speaking of pregnancy this baby is still craving fruit like nothing else, specifically nectaries and watermelon. I have also developed a taste for croissants. In fact I could live very happily if all I was given was a bag of nectaries, a croissant, and half a watermelon with a spoon. In fact that might be heaven in food from. Yum, writing about has made baby and I both hungry so I shall pull out the watermelon and have a feast.

Over and Out!

First Belly shots!! 16 weeks

I thought it was probably time to start documenting my belly, despite having lost weight (about 5 pound from where I was when I took the pregnancy test) my tummy has made a rather grand arrival... so here it is!

I would like to say that my dress is hiding my toes as much as my belly is... or at least that is what i tell myself

I think this kid may like attention as much as his/her mother does... "look at me everyone! I'm in here in case you hadn't heard already!"... of all my traits I don't know if thats the best one for my kids to inherit! :(

Sixteen weeks! almost halfway there!!!

So last weekend I took off and left poor David on his own:( Poor man he gets so sad when I leave him like that. I went down to Richfield with my Grandma Keele to watch my cousin Kylee compete in a Jr Miss pageant. It was tons of fun to sit and visit with my Grandma and talk about pregnancy and infants and learn from her. Also spending time with my Uncle Ric and Aunt Jen and their girls is always fun. As I get closer and closer to becoming a mother myself I pay much closer attention to the good examples of parents in my life and see what it is about their parenting style I like so much. With each it is something different and I am so lucky to have so many examples of righteous parenting in my family that I worry less about knowing what to do and more about executing it. Any way the big thing I learn every time I am with Ric and Jenn is how much each of those little girls know that their mommy and daddy love them completely. They are constantly reminded of how beautiful and talented they are and how much mom and dad love them and are willing to sacrifice to make sure they have the chance to do all the good things they want to. I hope that is something I will be able to emulate with my children by constantly reminding them beyond a doubt how wonderful and loved they are. Any who, Kylee did an amazing job in the pageant (she didn't place but pulled off a stunning and very poised performance). We were all so proud of her, I don't know if I would have been able to do what she did when I was thirteen, but she rocked! While I was there Jenn turned me on to some vitamins and meds that really helped her with morning sickness, I got them approved by my doctor and am feeling so much better its a miracle. For anyone out there struggling with morning sickness check out "Spray 4 Life: Vitamin B Complex" which you can find at most health food stores, that combined with a Unisom at night is an amazing thing (of course make sure its okay with your doctor first buy mine said it was fine and so did my Uncle the pharmacist). So now that I have been feeling better I have finally started getting caught up on all the house work that had fallen behind while I was dying. It feels so good to get up and be able to move with out throwing up every few hours. Friday we went to our 16 week appointment. David and I were both a little nervous when the doctor had a hard time finding the heartbeat but once he did it was really loud and strong (the doctor said that sometimes babies get shy and try to hide from him). He said that the heartbeat was about 150 so we are really excited. Everything is looking really good and all the blood work came back great! But the most exciting part of the day was scheduling the Ultrasound! We get to see our baby for the first time on July 13th! I still think this baby is a girl and David is convinced that its a boy, we have a dinner riding on it, but I'm going to win so he should just get over it! In other news my brother Clark is hitting the year mark on his mission this week! I am so proud of him for all he is doing and sacrificing to serve the Lord. I can't believe its already been a year since we dropped him off at the MTC... or that in only a year I'll be packing up baby to drive out for his homecoming (I informed David that I'm going out and taking our child, he's welcome to come if he wants..lol). Okay wow I have written a lot. Well over and out!

Nesting... Oh dear...

So things have been 'fun' in the Pelon house these days.  On Friday we got to hear the babies heartbeat, which was amazing!  David got to be there with me and both of us were amazed by the tiny little heartbeat.  Not going to lie it sounded more like I had an upset stomach than a heartbeat, but I still teared up a little bit.  I did get in a little trouble with the doctor because I'd lost 3 pounds since my last appointment, so the doctor gave strict orders to "Get bigger, and feel better."   Well apparently little Pelon doesn't like being told what to do because the morning sickness has doubled to the point I consider myself lucky if I can hold down 500 calories and 1/3 cup of water in a day.  Needless to say I've dropped even more weight and am very low energy.  Then tonight I woke up at 1 am with a nasty stomach ache and a irrepressible need to scrub the shower walls and ceiling.  I think that I had a serious bout of nesting to say the least.  Yes it was nice to get something done but the nagging obsessive feeling was less than fun and cleaning products do very unpleasant things to an already upset digestive system.  Oh well, baby will be/is worth all this.  I can do it!
Over and out!

Little Pelon on the way!!

Dear world, we are pleased to announce that sometime around November 27, 2011 a new member of our family will arrive!  I'm about nine weeks pregnant and we are really excited to be expecting.  Despite morning sickness and all the other nasties that go with early pregnancy we can not wait for the little one to get here.  We are hoping for a boy *fingers crossed* but will be happy either way.  Names are picked out and pretty much set in stone (as David says it would take angelic interference to get us to change).  So in about seven months either David Jeffrey or Rachel Elizabeth will join our family.  Hopefully baby cuteness and pictures will help make me a better blogger... we'll see!

Picture of the Pee stick! It's hard to see but I promise there are two lines!

So Proud of my Missionary Brother!

My brother Clark is on a mission and one of his investigators wrote a letter to the Ensign.   We are so proud of him and all his good work, so here is the article... maybe we will see it again in the Ensign.. who knows

Confession of a Baby-Boomer (by Romeo Prado III)

Every day “Laptop,” my 3-yr old min pin and I walk for one hour at Cortez Park in Phoenix, Arizona. One breezy morning I suddenly pulled his leash as he was about to “bless” the foot of an olive tree. My rude interruption was moved by the sight of a pocket-size reproduction of Del Parson’s “He is Risen” painting which I saw at the foot of that often-blessed tree. I picked it up, placed it in my pocket and continued our walk. 

On the way back home I was able to read without my eyeglasses these words printed in large font at the back of the card: Faith in Christ can help you resolve personal and family challenges. A toll-free 800 number was also printed to request for a free DVD. It was only after asking for the DVD that I read the fine print at the bottom of the card: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I do not regret that call. For me it was the beginning of many baby steps that now challenge me to make a quantum leap of faith. 

As a baby-boomer with a chronological advantage over the “punk” generation of today, and who is proud of having read the Bible at least once from cover to cover, my questions proved challenging to the two young LDS missionaries who visited me shortly after viewing the DVD. One of the them, named “Elder Young,” is literally one year older than his companion, Elder Keele who, however, is five months his senior as a missionary in my area in Arizona. 

What impressed me during their twice-a-week visit is their enviable zeal. These men are not paid at all. They pay for their own ride and room and board. With the patience of Job, they try to answer every tough question I hurl at them without mercy. Later, to console them, I told them something that would embarrass members of my own faith group. I sincerely said that putting aside our differing images of God, I could already count at least eight things I admire in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They are :

1) their emphasis on the family, not only in this life but also in the next
2) their specific ideas about eternal life, 
3) their great respect for the temple,
4) their universal outlook, seeing the good in the world and in humanity, 
5) their desire to save the souls of their beloved dead, 
6) their systematic work for the underprivileged and needy among themselves and in the general public, 
7) their seriousness in following Christ’s commandments especially chastity and honesty, and, 
8) their detachment from the allurements of money, alcohol, tobacco and a life of ease. 

As I see Elder Young and Elder Keele going about their missionary rounds dressed in their black pants and white shirt with a tie, standing out as heralds of the good news of salvation on two wheels, in season and out of season, I ask myself this question, “Do they know something I don’t?” 
I’ve always considered myself a happy person, so when I see another person happier than me, I would like to ask that person, “What’s your secret?”



Part 2

The gospel records that when Jesus sent his disciples to prepare people for his coming he told them to go in twos, that they also eat what is offered to them. This the two missionaries did one late afternoon. After sharing with me a simple meal, Elder Young showed me his secret. He got a gadget from his pocket which I thought was a whistle. It was a bubble-maker. He said that kids laugh whenever he uses it. 

What a simple gadget to make children laugh! I’ve seen children play with electronic toys of games. Alone and for hours they are glued to their gadgets, with the seriousness of a soldier shooting down an enemy. I seldom hear the laughter of children now, or see them play as children. How true it is that heaven is exclusively for children or adults with a childlike heart!

It is indeed refreshing to be reminded that unless we become children we cannot enter the kingdom of God. Now, going back to the things I like about the Mormons, I can enumerate eight more things, not necessarily lined up according to importance, which are:


1) Their unity. They seem to be united in mind and heart,
2) They remind me of the early primitive Church,
3) Their devotion to Christ,
4) Their simplicity of life,
5) The involvement of all members in the activities of their Church
6) Their intensive and continuous formation
7) The one-on-one attention given to children and spouses in the family
8) Their all-volunteer membership (they even pay their dues), making it easier to be detached from money, and their Church to be well-supported for religious and charitable purposes.

I hope I continue to learn from Elder Young and Elder Keele as I enjoy my sunset years. 

New Year, New Life

     Well its been way too long.  We had a great holiday season in the Pelon house.  End of October we moved out of grandma's house and into our new apartment at Wymount.  We love living in our own place.  It has been especially fun having a place of our own to decorate for the holiday season.
     We spent the Thanksgiving weekend with mom and dad in Porterville and were able to be a part of the pie party which brought David even more into the family through another family tradition.
     We spent a quiet Christmas at home.  My family came out for New Years Eve and we were able to show off our new apartment.

     In other news I have gradated BYU!! I am officially a college graduate!! Yeah! Not only that but I have a job working as a substitute teacher for the Provo school district! yeah for tender mercies!!

Well over and out!