Happy Because...

• Today I had an ice cream cone
• Friday is the BYU/Utah State Game
• Saturday & Sunday is General Conference
• Landon & I are making these for FHE on Monday
• SpiderSpray is coming to spray next Wednesday
• Jenelle & I are going to get a pazoki next Wednesday

And after that….

• Landon & I plan to have a picnic in the canyon in the fall leaves
• I'm decorating our house for the fall season
• Landon’s mission reunion is October 14th
• A new season of Psych starts
• Medical Schools send out official acceptances on October 15^th. AH!!!
• AND I have 4 more weeks to enjoy being pregnant & childless and eternity to enjoy being a mom!!

I hope you all have some happy things to look forward to as well

Excited!

That’s right. I think it’s finally hit me. I’m pregnant and I love that I’m pregnant! Sure the 2am, 3am and 4am charley horses in my calf aren’t fun. The midnight lower back spasm is just one more reason I’m convinced I have to have an epidural. The nausea—makes me even more nauseated. I don’t love feeling like I can’t breathe. I’m embarrassed that I run to the restroom 7 times in 1 hour. I would certainly prefer not to weigh 40 more pounds then I did 8 months ago. But… to me they are all just signs that I’m getting even closer to seeing, and holding and being with our perfect baby boy and I’m so excited! I can literally feel butterflies in my stomach… oh wait… that’s baby!

• I’m excited to feel him move for 5 more weeks
• I’m excited to feel him get bigger in the next 5 weeks
• I’m excited he is constantly growing
• I’m excited and hoping he gives me 5 more weeks to get ready for his cute face to come home
• I’m excited to continue writing in my journal to him for the next 5 weeks
• I’m excited to finish deep cleaning our house… for his arrival
• I’m excited to make the nursery
• I’m excited to have SpiderSpray come spray for bugs
• I’m excited that I was able to rent Rug Doctor to deep clean our carpets
• I’m excited for some more awful, sleepless nights
• I’m excited for the “I can’t take this anymore, I want him out” feeling
• I’m excited to pack my hospital bag
• I’m excited to read more about breast feeding
• I’m excited to read more about everything baby
• I’m excited for that very first contraction
• I’m excited for it to be false… meaning he’s not ready to come
• I’m excited to have contractions ever 2-4 minutes apart so that we can drive to the hospital
• I’m excited for the drive to the hospital
• I’m excited to tell our families we’ve been admitted into the hospital
• I’m excited for the pain
• I’m excited to squeeze Landon’s hand when I can’t handle the pain
• I’m excited to yell—because I can (Although, I think I may be the more quite type)
• I’m excited for the long laborious labor
• I’m excited for my own delivery room
• I’m excited for my own post delivery room
• I’m excited to finally decide that I can’t handle the pain anymore and get an epidural
• I’m excited to be afraid of a big needle going into my back
• I’m excited to be numb
• I’m excited to be completely uncomfortable
• I’m excited to be completely exhausted
• I’m excited to feel like I can’t do it
• I’m excited to prove that I can
• I’m excited to hear him crying
• I’m excited for when they put him on my chest
• I’m excited to look at him for the first time
• I’m excited to cry my eyes out (as I’m doing right now while I think about it)
• I’m excited to hold him close
• I’m excited to try breast feeding
• I’m excited to probably fail the first little while
• I’m excited to see my Landon hold our little boy
• I’m excited to show baby to the rest of his family
• I’m excited to name baby
• I’m excited to cloth him and wrap him in a blanket
• I’m excited to look completely ugly and exhausted
• I’m excited to wake up to feed him
• I’m excited to change his diaper
• I’m excited to no want to wake up an feed him, but still have to
• I’m excited to watch him sleep
• I’m excited to sit in the rocking chair my mom bought me, holding him, til he falls back asleep
• I’m excited to feel completely overwhelmed
• I’m excited to stay home all day with our little boy
• I’m excited and know that will be an adjustment and challenge for me
• I’m excited to be so tired that I don’t feel like I can make it
• I’m excited to not know what I’m doing
• I’m excited to learn
• I’m excited. I’m so excited and feel so incredibly blessed. I’m so thankful that Heavenly Father is allowing me and Landon to raise one of His sons. I’m excited to make mistakes, but am so grateful for repentance!
• I’M EXCITED!!!!! Excited for the whole experience. The change. The new life. The adjustments. The challenges. The tender mercies. The added spirit. Our. Little. Baby. Boy!

Nameless

He is still nameless. The closer he gets to being here, the less we like any names. We are in need of ideas. Nothing seems right, nothing sounds good.

Here is our criteria:

1. Has to be a boy name. Nothing that could also be a girls name

2. Has to have at least two syllables.

3. Fairly familiar name. No Trytans or Derskees.

4. Can't be a sissy name. I don't know what that means, but Gary said it can't be sissy

5. Not Jimmer.

Thats it. Thats all. So do you have any names or ideas? Please share :)

Happily Ready to Learn

Time. For the first time, in my life time, I have a lot of extra time. I can’t remember a day in the last five years that I didn’t battle with finding some free time. Now, today, and for probably quite a while, I will have lots of spare time.

Starting Today, not only will I have time, but I will have no time with Landon.

I...

• work every day from 8:00am-5:00pm
  
  Landon...

• schools everyday then...
• works Monday from 5:00-9:00
• volunteers Tuesday from 5:00-8:30
• works Wednesday from 5:00-9:00
• Church stuff on Thursdays from 5:30-9:30
• works Fridays from 5:00-9:00
• works Saturdays from 7:00-11:00
• football games on Saturday Afternoon
• church meetings on Sundays

I have to be honest. I’m a little scared about it. I’m scared about not feeling like i’m accomplishing anything. I’m scared that I will waste time. I’m scared that I will miss him too much. I’m scared that I might let him know that. I’m scared about the fact that Landon’s busy-ness isn’t going to get better, but most likely worse. I’m scared I won’t be productive. I’m scared about falling into ruts. I’m scared about thinking I have so much time to serve that I don’t. I’m scared that i’ll disappoint Him. I’m scared.

But, i’m ready to learn. I’m ready to learn how to lead a simpler life. I’m ready to learn how to have projects and complete them. I’m ready to learn how to be productive with no outline in my day. I’m ready to learn how to fill my time the way the Lord would have me fill it. I’m ready to give all my time to Him.

I know that in two months I will have a little one to take care of 24/7. I am so excited about it. However, I know that I will have free time and I know that I will have to make choices of how to spend it. I don’t want to waste it. I know I won’t be perfect, and I know that i’ll have down moments, but I hope that at least my willingness to learn will help me.

Landon & I celebrated our two year anniversary yesterday. It was absolutely perfect! Landon is amazing. He is all the things that I am not and more. He is steady. He is calm. He is patient. He has perspective. He works hard. He always smiles. He is consistent. He loves the Lord. He makes me want to be better. I’m so grateful for him and I’m grateful that he will be patient with me as I kind of create a new me. I am happy, a little scared, but mostly ready and willing to learn.

SO Lucky & SO Happy to Have MY Family

A few weeks ago I had a slight melt down on Landon’s lap because my brother Gary was going to miss my graduation. Before you laugh A) I’m Pregnant. B) Gary is one of my best friends ever. C) I’m Pregnant. So…

My cute wonderful husband got a hold of my family and together they threw me a surprise graduation party before Gary had to go back to Med School! And bonus, both Jacqueline and my best friend Cami were able to make it.

First my brothers took on the difficult task of making an AWESOME looking entrance. The balloons had to be color-alternated, in increasing order of height. And the shoes? They're symbolic of me "walking" in my convocation.

My mom decorated the table with cute colorful polka dotted plates and my favorite flowers ever… Gerbera Daises. She also made individual menus for each plate. Oh and take note… these are my favorite foods in the whole wide world.

Then I walked in and Nate played the graduation song as I walked down the balloon aisle.

Yes. Hot Chocolate. Biscuits and Gravy. Macaroni and Cheese. Salad. Potstickers. Best Peach Pie Ever. OH MY GOODNESS there couldn’t be better food. I’m not kidding. I love all food, however I would take this over any perfectly cooked steak and wonderful crème brulee.

And this is a picture of the clan. My face is sad because the food is gone, not because of the party!

As if this wasn’t enough. Papa Woolf flew into town to be at the Graduation. He took Landon & I to Red Lobster. We ordered a drink to share, two salads, and an Ultimate Feast. WE LOVE SEAFOOD!

And as if we didn’t already have enough food. We went to Sam Hawk (my favorite Restaurant—its Korean) for dinner. And the bright yellow flowers at the bottom left corner are from Papa Woolf.

It was the perfect three day celebration!!! I’m so lucky to have my family and my wonderful husband.

Happy Wednesday!!!

Oh and good luck LANDO! (He is the air as I type heading to Texas for his first 2 interviews.)

I love you babe!

My Cheesy Happy Dream Post

Don’t. Mock.

My favorite movie in the whole wide world is Tangled. It may even be a little extreme how much I love it. I just wish that every movie was That happy. That warm. That light. Ask Landon, I smile the entire movie. Smile to the point that I’m almost crying or I am crying. (One of the two) Don’t. Mock.

One of my favorite things about the movie is Rapunzel’s Dream. It’s so simple. Her dream has nothing to do with money, fame, or finding her prince charming. She just wants to see those lights. In person. And I love it.

Much like Rapunzel, I’ve never had big dreams. I didn’t ever day dream about meeting my prince charming. I never thought about my wedding colors or what my ring would look like. I never wanted to land on the moon or climb to the top of a mountain. I didn’t want to be the star on a sports team or the President of the United States.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve grown up next to BYU my whole life or what, but my dream, since I was a very little girl was to wear a blue cap and gown and take a picture by the BYU welcome sign, signifying that I had graduated.

On Friday, I get to do just what hundreds of thousands have done before. To some, the ceremony, walking across the aisle, being in a big bulky blue gown, and having an annoying hat on the top of their head is lame. To some, it just another reminder that they don’t have a job or that they still have 10 more years of schooling (sorry baby)! But for me, nah. For me, it’s much much much more. It’s what I’ve been waiting for since I was 5 years old and we drove through BYU and I looked out the window and saw lots of blue gowned graduates and their cute little tassel.

I’m a bit nervous though. There’s a clip in Tangled that is right before Rapunzel see’s the lights:

F: You okay?

R: I’m terrified.

F: Why?

R: I’ve been looking out a window for 18 years, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it’s not everything I dreamed it would be?

F: It will be.

R: Hmm. And what if it is? What do I do then?

F: Well, that’s the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.

So what if Friday isn’t everything I dreamed it would be? And what if it is… then what?

Then I do what Flynn Rider told Rapunzel to do. Then I find a new dream. Which should be easy, since he will be coming in 2 ½ months and I can be a mommy.

Happy Update!

I don’t know if you remember my last post titled happy, but I thought I’d give you an update. Maybe one day I’ll include pictures, but not today.

Landon received his score from his MCAT. He always tries to be humble about his score, so I won’t say too much besides…. He ROCKED it. Based off his score, we applied to a few more "dream" schools. As of today, we’ve completely applied to 20 schools (secondary’s and all). We’ve heard back from four of them—all of which would like to see his cute face in person. Flights are booked. Dates are set. First interview starts August 17th.

As for me… well… let’s just say… IM DONE WITH COLLEGE! I finished my last final yesterday at 4:42 pm. My grades should be posted in a few days. I plan on going to the advisement center one last time to make sure everything is in order. My friend is letting me borrow her Cap & Gown. Things are set. All four parents will be here. I’m going to walk across that graduation stage on August 12th so happy. For I really have had two dreams all my life—graduate from Brigham Young University and have a baby. Who would have thought they would happen within months of each other.

Other things that make me happy:

· Baby kicks. Baby kicks all the time and keeps me up most the time

· Belt Family Reunion is on July 30^th. I love my family

· Our two year anniversary is right around the corner

· Our friend Jacqueline is coming out again in August

· We love Love LOVE our ward and we’re glad we have another full year here

· I signed up for an all day prenatal class on September 17^th. YAY!!!! I love baby & mommy things

· I have many a projects I want to do with all my extra time—for the first time in 5 years I am only working 40 hours a week. Deep cleaning, scrapbooking, reading, sleeping, relaxing are all the things I plan on doing for the last three months of childless time.

Hope all is well with everyone out there. Have a Happy Pioneer Day Weekend.

Brother & Baby

In 4 hours, 34 minutes, and 27ish seconds I see him!

Elder Scotty Michael Elders will be returning home from the Georgia Macon mission Honorably and I'm so excited to see him.

On a different subject. I'm getting bigger & I feel my baby boy move all the time. I'm a very picky/particular pregnant person and I only like things said a certain way and done a certain way.

I don't like profile pictures.

I don't like people/strangers randomly touching my stomach (its mine, not yours). At least ask me if you can.

I don't like being called big.

I don't like really being called anything.

I don't like the belly pictures... at all.

I don't like referring to my baby as "in the oven" or "cooking away", he's a human not a pop tart.

I don't like being told that i'm growing in other places... ahem...as if I didn't know... thanks for the update though.

I don't even like, "Ah... you're starting to pop... cute..." What am I suppose to say to that. Thanks? I've been trying to pop for quite some time now....? No.

These are just a few things that I don't like. I could name a million more.

However, I have come to realize that people have an IMPOSSIBLE task of trying to please a pregnant person. Some want to be called huge, some want to be told they are ready to pot, some want everyone to touch their stomach, and some want to slap whoever comes near them. Some take a profile picture of themselves everyday... some don't. So alas, even though i'm a picky-particular-pregnant-person... I also understand that you really can't win and your just trying to be nice. So... thanks for all your comments! :)

Mostly.... I just LOVE being pregnant!!!!!! I LOVE feeling him kick and I LOVE that i'm going to be a mom so so so soon!!!!!

Its a good day

Happy!

So I’m sitting here. Sitting here thinking about all the wonderful/exciting/stressful and random things to come in the next couple of weeks and months. We’re in the library at 9:23 PM on a Friday night and basically, I’m thinking… this is what we’ve signed up for… for the rest. of. our. lives.

Dramatic? Yes. Realistic? No. Am I nauseated with a headache? Yes. So let me be dramatic :)

-14 days: since a beautiful, wonderful, beloved girl/Gary’s girlfriend was baptized in Chicago

-3 days: since Landon & I submitted Landon’s Medical School Applications

37 minutes: Until Landon promised we can go home, heat up some popcorn, make his famous orange ice cream Julius and cuddle while we watch something

4: 4 days till I turn in my internship portfolio

12.5 credits: left till I graduate from BYU (and 6.5 of those will be completed in 4 days)

9 days: left till Jacqueline & Gary arrive to P-Town… PARTY! Golf? White collar? Yes?

13 days: till my little brother, my best friend, my pal, our scottY comes home from his mission

19 days: is when we find out Lando’s MCAT score! AH!!!

23 days: till the WOOLFS are in P-TOWN—and yes another party!!!

40ish days: will be when med schools start sending us secondary’s…. Aka: ask us for more money, only to have 95% of them reject us. Basically we are paying a year’s worth of tuition to get ACCEPTED into Med school :). Love it.

61 days: summer term ends! Yes. Two week break? Bahamas? No Money? Ok, Ok… SLEEP=CHEAP!

65 days: till I bask in glory for 5 seconds while walking down graduation isle. I’m. So. Excited!!!!

81 days: will be our 730 day ANNIVERSARY a.k.a 2 years :)

100ish days: lando starts flying away from me to impress some admission interviewer. Impress well babe!

149 days: is when my dream job begins, our whole world changes forever, and I embark on the divinely ordained role of motherhood.

In other words…

OUR BABY BOY IS HERE!!!! (Both statements are how I truly feel, all. the. time. :)!!!!!!!!!!!)

And…

2 minutes: til my Landon turns to me and says, “you ready” and we stroll out of this here library, hand-in-hand, headed to our wonderful little home to fall fast asleep with a smile on our faces because of all the wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL things to come :).

Have a great weekend! I know I will.

Our Little Baby Boy

Well, since Landon's told all his family, friends, facebook & our stake presidency, I figure I should tell someone. We're having a little baby boy! I've never been happier and I can't wait to hold him in my arms. We are 17 1/2 weeks along. WAHOO! I still need to tell work about this--hmmm.... and some people in my ward--yay! And a few friends--sorry if you found out another way :)!

However, I wanted to wait to announce it to everyone until I could say....

IM HAVING A BOY!!!

and yes... I. Am. So. Happy.

Passionate People

Passionate people are what make the world go round. Like the girl I sat next to at lunch who said, “Since I was a little girl I’ve wanted to be a liaison between the Middle East and American government.” Or one of my roommates who’s had a dream to be a nurse, just like her mom. The presenter who said, “I would index every single day for the rest of my life if I could.” We all know the Jimmer story, “My goal has been to play in the NBA.” The book writers, the politic runners, the doctors, the performers. And then you have those people who aren’t seen, but are most definitely there. Like the lady in New York who has cleaned the same street everyday for the last 40 years just because she enjoys it. The programmer who makes it possible for all of us to use every computer we touch. Bell made the telephone. Edison made light. Fulton made the steamboat. And the Wright brothers…remember them? I love airplanes p.s.

Anyway so I’ve been thinking. What drives me? What has made me keep ‘ticking’? What do I love doing? Yes… a couple of months ago I wrote about my new hobby, but that’s just a small part of my life. I think I’ve come up with 2 things that I’ve thought about since I was a little girl. Two things that make me ‘tick’. I need to keep thinking about it. This is serious stuff. I want to sit at a table during lunch and be able to say something like, “I’ve wanted to be an indexer forever” or “I want to work for the CIA in conjunction with the Middle East. Thats always been my dream”

I’m just thankful for passionate people. And hopeful that the people that don’t have a passion for anything can find something they are passionate about. Like most 9 year old boys who dream of playing in the NBA—they have to change their dream. The point isn’t whether or not you stay on the same track since you were little. The point is that you find your track and make a difference there. Are you on the right track?

Four Seasons of Clothing

Clothes. Up until two years ago I honestly gave no thought to clothes. I bought something I liked, I wore something that fit, and I left it at that. I’ve learned a lot about clothes lately. I’ve learned about a lot of things lately. Did you know that there are spring clothes and winter clothes? I am assuming there are also summer clothes and fall clothes. The first time I caught wind of this was when I roomed with my near-perfect cousin Melanie. She had a box for each season. What? I had one box, for one reason, clothes.

Well, I must have forgotten all about the four seasons of clothing that summer because I was caught up in my own little world. But today at work, I was reminded again about it. Two employees were talking about how they pulled out their spring clothing and put away the winter clothing. I inquired. “What do you mean? You put away your coats?” Of course not. Of course what they meant was they put away the dark clothes and pulled out the lighter clothes. Put away the long sleeves and pulled out the short sleeves. Can I tell you something, if I put away my darker clothes I would have 8 shirts. If I put away my lighter clothes, I would probably have 8 shirts. So what is a girl suppose to do in this kind of situation. To be honest, I wish I was still ignorant to the whole 4 Season clothing rule—that way I wouldn’t be looking at everyone’s spring clothing while I wear my favorite black shirt.

Well other than the fact that I will never have four seasons of clothing, we are doing great! Landon and I survived winter semester. It was fun (*cough cough*), but I’m never going back—that’s all I have to say about that. Landon takes the MCAT in 21 days. BUT don’t tell him that, because it will just make him nervous. We apply to Medical School June 1^st. CRAZY!!! In a year we will be heading off to some faraway place. Far away=somewhere outside of Utah. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here and we will probably end up back here, but can a women get a break from Utah… just for a little bit… please! My whole world changed August 28^th 2009 and let me tell you….it just keeps getting better.

Have a great weekend.

Oh and PS if you don't follow the Four Season rule, let me know, lets form a club!

It's Warm Outside

I was outside today. The sun was shining, the blue sky sparkled, and Timpanogos Mountain beamed with its pure white snow. My mom said to me, “What a beautiful warm day it is!” I agreed. About 10 minutes later—on my way back to work—I noticed the temperature: 39 degrees. 39 Degrees? What!?!?! Since when was that warm? Oh yeah… since it’s been below freezing for the last month.

It got me thinking though. Everything is different with perspective. My husband and I are a part of the Rape Crisis Team for Utah. Each month we are on-call for 48 hours. We were called in Sunday morning because an 18 year old girl had been raped. It put things in perspective. A Colleague of mine was in a car accident last week. He is paralyzed from the neck down. It put things in perspective. My uncle is dealing with a terrible skin disease. I don’t know all the details, but he wakes up every morning with blood on his sheets because it itches so badly. The doctors don’t know how to treat it. It puts things in perspective.

To some… 39 degrees is warm. To others… it is bitter cold. I guess for me, I just need to remember that my situation is a lot warmer than most. In fact, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, makes my situation about as warm as it can get.

Stay warm everyone! And if you are not warm enough, let me know, I have a few blankets. :)

Our 2010 in Review

January: 

We found out we love eating and also that I love cooking :). 

February: 

Landon won his Basketball division. Landon's parents came out to visit 

March: 

I put together a new initiative at BYU called "Unsung Heroes." We had our first banquet. I am called as 2nd counselor in the RS Presidency. 

April

Locked our keys in the car after conference. Lacey is engaged and we are celebrating! BYUSA presidency has one last retreat together. 

May: 

Lacey & Cory are married!!!! 

June: 

We head back down to AZ for some baseball. 

July: 

A Cruise and the Edwards first official family reunion

August: 

Gary leaves for Medical School. We hiked timp with mom! We celebrate our first anniversary in San Fransisco. I get a full time job at LDS Philanthropies! Salary and all. 

September: 

Landon temporarily leaves the MTC so he can focus on his grades and MCAT. We go to BYU football games always. 

October: 

Landon's family comes into town. 

November: 

We love being married!!! Thanksgiving in Utah

December: 

Christmas in Arizona again!!!