March Madness (Sorry, this is not about basketball ;)

This past fortnight (haha, I was going to be a normal person and say two weeks then I decided I never get to use "fortnight" so I did here) has been the craziest of 2013 so far.

To give you all a little recap, the craziness began last Tuesday (February 26th) when my mom and Donovan flew in from New Hampshire for a visit (which I had been anticipating since December...at least).

I love, love, love having my family stay with us. My mom always is so helpful and our apartment always looks significantly cleaner when she's around. Donovan is seriously such a light in my life--he makes me laugh so much and he just has a fun, innocent attitude that makes everyone love being around him. I was so excited for him to be able to experience Utah, mostly because I knew he would like it here much more than I do and I was looking forward to seeing his reaction to the snow and mountains.

I still had to work while they visited, but it worked out well because while I was busy, they spent a day in Park City so Donovan could go skiing. While there, Donny not only met his favorite pro-skier (I can't say I knew him, but apparently he's famous), Tom Wallisch, but he also got him to autograph a picture Donny had painted of him (and conveniently had with him...), AND they skied the slopes together several times. To me, it sounds like Wallisch is a really decent guy to go skiing with a 13-year old more than just once and take several pictures with him. He has no idea how much that made Donovan's trip. My respect for the guy went up a few points for that.

Another day, we went to Hang Time gym and Dalin and Donny jumped around for a few hours while Mom and I went shopping together. I love those two boys so much! Donovan thinks Dalin is so cool but he acts all chill when he's around him. We got Krispy Kreme donuts and hot chocolate after Hang Time (yum!).

On March 1st, Dalin and I had the opportunity to go to the Provo temple and watch as his sister received her own endowment. It was very special, and so exciting to be there for her on such an important day. I love the blessings of the temple! They bring so much happiness to our lives! That night, we drove to Manti and stayed in a little motel right next to the Manti temple. We saw like infinity deer on the way there. Also, random note, it was like the best night's sleep I've had since being pregnant. My back really liked that motel bed. 

The following day, we got up early and dressed for the temple. The Manti temple is amazing! It is so beautiful and surprisingly colorful inside. I loved it so much. The sealing was wonderful. I was doing my best to remember the things that the sealer was saying to Shaina and Layton so that I could write it down later. Nearly everyone was in tears. Including Dalin, whom I have never seen cry before! When I told him that, he informed me that he cries at night when I'm asleep (ha ha). He also said that he was too happy to cry on our wedding day; he couldn't stop smiling. That made me feel good. It was wonderful being in there with my mom and all of Dalin's family members, including his grandparents and lots of his aunts from Arizona! It was a big family reunion.

The reception was back in Lehi and it was beautiful! There were so many different delicious types of cake available. We took lots of pictures and had a great time. But by the time we left, we were exhausted and happy to go home.

Two mornings later, we went to our doctor's appointment with Dr. Pace at Orem Family Medicine and he let us do a little bedside ultrasound for fun so my mom and Dalin's parents could see the baby. Jensen and Donovan got to see the baby, too, which was neat. As fun as it was, we weren't able to determine the baby's gender. We did get to watch the baby move a whole lot and even suck his/her thumb though (dang cute!), so it was worth it. Still, eager to find out the gender (especially after we had thought we'd be able to tell at the bedside), Dalin's mom and dad brought me to a fetal photo clinic at the mall to find out! I really liked the ultrasound tech there--he wasn't as rough as some others I've had and he did a good job at getting pictures of the baby. This was where he told us he was 100% sure that we are having a baby......

GIRL!!!!! 

I couldn't believe it! I still can't sometimes! I am so excited and so surprised! Dalin and our dads called it. The moms thought it was a boy. I wasn't sure. But I am thrilled! When we found out, I had my mom and Dalin on the phone (Mom was in Park City with Donovan again, and Dalin had to be at work) and they were both so excited of course. I really wish Dalin could have seen our little girl on the screen in person though...she was sitting upside down and kicking and punching around the whole time. She is so active! The ultrasound tech poked my belly and on the screen we could see as he pushed the wall of my uterus against our little girl's bum (since she was upside down). It was so cute to see her wiggle away.

That same day (much later), we moved apartments within Wymount! We just moved from apartment 300 (3rd floor of building 5C) to 268 in 5B (2nd floor!). It took a really long time. We were blessed to have lots of help from Dalin's friends, Anthony, Jason, Daniel & Rachel, Isaac, and of course, Dalin, my mom and Donovan. (Well, and myself, though I couldn't lift a whole lot). It definitely was a huge project, especially the night before Mom and Donovan were leaving for New Hampshire :/ but I'm so glad they were there to help. My mom helped me clean a lot and she also helped organize our new kitchen before bed (which was really all we had time to do). Even filled with boxes, I love the new apartment. It is going to take a LOT of work to unpack everything though...especially with me working so much. Bringing Mom and Donovan to the airport the next day was really hard for me, but I didn't let myself think about it too much. I know I'll see her soon...probably when the baby is born.

I was happy, however that my mom made it home in time for her and Donovan to have one last night with Grandpa French before he passed away early Wednesday morning at 3:06am on 3/6 (at 36 Larch Drive I might add). He was surrounded by love and I'm just so grateful that he went peacefully. And that we knew it was coming. It would have been so much harder if he had died suddenly from a heart-attack or something where we would not have had the time to prepare. As you may already know from my other posts, I love my Grandpa French very much and although it makes me sad that he is gone from this earth, I am grateful that I had my 21+ years with him. I am also grateful to know that families are forever and I will see him again. As hard as it is, I am glad he is back to his old self and no longer so weak and uncomfortable where he is now. And he is with his parents and fraternal twin sister who died at birth, which I am sure was a wonderful reunion. I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and knowing that we can be together again because of Him.

The next weekend, Thursday night, we left on our annual trip to Sun Valley, Idaho. It was definitely not the same as last year for a few reasons--one, I'm pregnant meaning I can't ice skate or go in the hot-tub (or even the heated pool really); two, JeNeale couldn't come because of her job and she had some preparations for the Boise reception; and three, I came down with a terrible cough and head cold right before we left and it only worsened while there. We still had fun going to all the shops we go to every year, but it was not so fun feeling so congested and gross. My cold and sore throat got so bad that we made plans to visit a doctor in Boise on our way there. Apparently I have strep and sinusitis. The reception, as beautiful as it was, was not so fun for me. Particularly because I lost my voice. But it was awesome to see Dalin's family and meet his friend, Connor. Plus JeNeale made the reception GORGEOUS. I loved the vintage furniture and the mint-themed foods. So awesome.

Anyway, with all visits, trips, moving, weddings, the passing of my grandpa, sicknesses, work, and being pregnant, you can see how our March has been a little overwhelming so far. Let's just say I am really looking forward to April and hoping it will be a little more tranquil ;)

<3

Also, everyone keeps asking--yes we have a name for the baby that we're pretty set on, but we probably won't announce it publicly so if you really want to know, you can message me and I'll tell you that way. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait and see! ;)

surprise!

wonderful bridal shower thrown by my roommates. even though they kept me cooped up in my room for the entirety of the morning, i forgave them fast when i saw how fantastically they did. the shower was sweet and small, with creative game ideas, an amazing home-made mint ice cream cake (my favorite!!!), and exquisite yellow and blue (wedding colors!) balloons and decorations. and, best of all, it concluded with a surprise visit from my wonderful, handsome fiance himself!!!!!
              before he arrived...
the girls had a game where i had to answer questions about dalin, (thus testing my knowledge of my future husband). for each question i answered incorrectly, i had to put a piece of double bubble in my mouth. did i do well? well, not going to lie, dalin's answers to a few of those questions totally threw me for a loop. like his favorite movie?! Madagascar 2??!!?! since when??? all in all, i think i remembered more than i thought i knew. i got maybe 5 or 6 wrong. but i can promise that now i will remember those answers!!!

anyway, as the game was coming to a close, courtney and rachel suddenly started to get antsy and began to hurry things along. i was confused about them rushing things all of a sudden. i was thinking we have all the time in the world today, what is going on?? i admit i was totally oblivious that dalin had driven all the way from provo that morning.

in fact, dalin had fed me this stupid story which i was dumb enough to believe...especially since i had known for a fact that he had nothing planned for that saturday--no work, meetings, or anything apart from watching the Wimbledon--so it was incredibly silly of me to not suspect a thing when he told me that someone from his ward randomly came to his door and asked him to go on a service project with them to salt lake. having been cooped up in my room all morning, i was annoyed at first when he told me that he couldn't skype but was easily satiated when he promised to talk to me on the phone on the way to "salt lake." he told me he was in a van with a bunch of others and that his bishop was driving. when i asked why it was so quiet, he said that everyone else was asleep. probably from getting up early on a saturday to do a service project. (okay, am i an idiot because why would every single other person be asleep on the forty minute drive to salt lake??) as dalin listened to some "Motab" he asked if i could hear the bishop blasting it. after a bit, he told me they would be arriving soon, and that he would text me when he could.
                so, clearly i am not as observant as i had sort of thought i was. either that or the excitement of my bridal shower was diverting enough to completely blind me to the obvious...

when dalin walked in our apartment--all of a sudden--with a yellow rose (my favorite of all roses) and my actual engagement ring--i had NO IDEA what was going on. i have definitely never been so surprised in my life. my parents know i am not a huge fan of surprises and never really did them. so after i rushed into dalin's arms, i was at a loss for what to do. i was so shocked that he was there. perhaps that tells something about long-distance engagements. it pretty much feels like eternity before you see the other person again. also, that was the first time i had seen my "real" engagement ring (i am still very fond of my first ring and still wear it--but on my right hand) and i loved it immediately. dalin knows me so perfectly and i was so, so, so happy with his selection.

pretty ring, pretty rose

juntos :)

after dalin's arrival, the bridal shower pretty much ended but i was just so HAPPY to be with dalin that i didn't mind at all. it was a perfectly executed surprise and completely made my entire week as dalin stayed in rexburg and went to classes with me until thursday, after which he returned to provo and brought me along to spend the fourth of july weekend with him! our first holiday :)

in provo, i stayed with abby billin from thursday night to monday night. staying with her was wonderful--particularly because i loved her cute apartment and it gave me many ideas for my future apartment with dalin. throughout the time i spent in provo, here were some of the highlights:

• while dalin was working, i spent around 5+ hours in the mall (shopping from claire's to zumiez to victoria's secret to american eagle to a used book store)
• seeing Transformers 3 in theaters (which was sweet)
• eating some fro-yo (hun-cal ;)
• going to church together (something i love so much)
• making every meal together (also love so much...)
• eating Sherbet ice cream! (please note the spelling...i was unaware of this before this weekend)
• watching movies in his apartment
• watching lots of sports on TV
• eating shaved ice (and, like always, i lost at "whose flavor is better")
• reading together
• falling asleep on the couch together (before curfew rolled around and he had to drive me back to abby's)
• "tanning" (ahem) by the pool in the bright, bright sun
• watching fireworks on the grass together
• going for walks
• viewing campus and going to the bookstore
• spending the Fourth of July together...like we will be...for the rest of eternity :]
• eating hotdogs from Sonic on the Fourth
• having me eat a huge dog from J Dawg's...
• talking about the future and our children and plans and being patriotic by wearing red, white, & blue
• grocery shopping at Wal*Mart (it's much more fun together :)
• getting raspberry cheesecake shakes from Arctic Circle
• learning more and more about one another

needless to explain, it was a wonderful (full) eleven days together. it was incredibly hard for me to get on that salt lake express bus to return to rexburg. it was slightly comforting to be reminded that i only have three weeks remaining of classes before dalin comes to retrieve me and bring me to boise for his sister cassie's wedding! and then to the salt lake airport so i can fly home to new hampshire! and then dalin will join me in new hampshire soon enough! and then we'll be sealed forever and ever :). i just need to be patient. just about 36 days...thank heavens we have eternity ahead of us! ;)