It's been a hard days night

After a fun, but exhausting weekend, we're back home. It had been WAY too long since my entire family was all together (about 6 1/2 years!!!) . We began the reunion with quite a bang. As we drove into the Bryce Canyon area we saw dark clouds up ahead. Soon enough we were driving into a very heavy rainstorm. Now I know I'm from the desert, but this was HEAVY rain!!

When we finally made it to our campsite, mom and dad, and Ruth and Jim's family were there. We arrived with Karen and Ray's family. Luckily the rain slowed down enough to sort of set up camp. Slowly everyone else arrived.

One thing no one skimped on was the food!! We ate well. Each family was in charge of either a dinner or breakfast. We ate, grilled chicken, breakfast burritos, taco soup, potatoes and eggs, pulled pork sandwiches and monster muffins!! No diets on this vacation.

On the two days we were there we did 2 different hikes. We did a hike in Bryce Canyon. What beautiful country this is. I did this hike, but probably should not have. In the end I'm glad I did, but probably not the best hike for a pregnant woman. The 2nd day we did a hike in Escalante National monument to a beautiful waterfall. This was well worth the effort!!

We have decided that we will have a reunion every other year and start with the oldest in charge. Here's to 2009!!

Ok, this will be a quick one. I don't want to dwell on something that I can't change and that will just make my more sad. We said good-bye to Amy, Nate, Abby and Iris this morning. They are on the rode to law school. Luckily we got to have them stay with us for the last 2 nights. It made it all more fun. Life isn't going to be the same. Hopefully we'll be able to go out for Iris's sealing and blessing. I also might have convinced Amy that instant messaging is a great way to stay in contact.

This will probably be it for the week. We're headed to a little family reunion in Bryce Canyon on Wednesday and I have a ton to get ready to go.

I'm feeling physically better and better about life in general!! I got my energy back today. Still a little bit of the runs, but not as bad. Emma has more appetite which is good. I was able to actually clean some of my house today! It's really been awhile.

We also has a doctors appointment today. It was with a new OB and went well. It didn't start well, but ended well. The other doctors office still hasn't sent over my medical records. So, they wanted to reschedule me. I pleaded my case, hoping just to quickly hear the heartbeat to make sure everything was a-ok! Luckily they had pity on me and the doctor actually did a quick ultrasound. The heart beat was there and strong. According to his measurements he put me at 18 weeks 2 days which is about 10 days father along that previous. We also chatted about my previous history and he said he'll probably want to induce me. I also chose not to do the AFP. All in all I'm happy with it!!

Why does the stomach flu even exist, seriously??? Yesterday Emma and I both got a case of diarrhea and throwing up. Blah... Luckily today has been a lot better, but I have no energy. It also means that Emma and I won't be going to Abby's 5th birthday party tonight. I think we passed whatever bug it is onto Iris. I feel terrible. It's been pretty fast moving for us so hopefully for her too.

Something did brighten my day today though. I received my summer swap package from MC. it was full of fun stuff that I'm excited to bust out when I'm feeling a bit better, thanks pascolmom! It was like Christmas when the mail came. I had ordered a couple of capris and some more gold leaf and that came today as well.

It's Friday!!! That means I've made it through most of the week and tomorrow N8 comes home!! A little run down on my week thus far. Monday, I called my urologist asking if I needed to have anything done before my appointment and they said to get an ultrasound. I found a friend to watch my kids and headed over to the hospital. I can't count the number of times I've walked in for an ultrasound with no appointment. But of course that was the day that they were down a tech and couldn't see me. So, Tuesday I got a sitter and got an ultrasound (of my kidney's not the baby). I was pleasantly surprised when the tech said she saw no stones!!!!!! Yippee!!! I had an x-ray done in Feb and there were 2 stones. So they either miraculously disappeared or I passed them without realizing it!!

Wednesday was our mother/daughter craft night. In the end it was good. In the beginning though it was a different story. Why do I have constant problems with people not following the rules or following through??? The other ward in our building set up for a mutual activity in the gym, so I made them move it! We have 1 night a month and there was no way I was going to change it. Of course only one committee member and no other presidency members came to help with set-up. Something we need to work on. Bud spent the evening playing at Abby's house. I didn't get over to pick him up until about 9:30pm or so. All in all people enjoyed it, but I'm so glad it's over with.

Thursday I had my urology appointment. So, Another sitter. It has been the week of babysitters for my kids. At his office it's usually a 2 hour wait in the waiting room them see him for 2 minutes. But I lucked out!! I was in and out in a half hour. I don't have to go back to him until after the baby comes and just need to drink TONS of water!!

Tonight Amy, Abby and Iris are coming over for dinner and a movie. We're planning on watching Pride and Prejudice. I have both so I'm not sure if we'll go with the new or the BBC one. Both hubbies are gone away. It should be fun and our last opportunity to so something like this before they move.

So I know this is long but I have to add a couple of pics I took this morning of the kiddos. They wanted me to make them hats. Although these are not triangle shaped hats, I have to add that my favorite song to sing with Emma lately is "My hat it has 3 corners, 3 corners has my hat, and had it not 3 corners, it would not be me hat!!" It's so cute to hear her sing it.

It's tough when you start a week out ready for it to end. This is a week that N8 has been preparing and planning and preparing some more. Tomorrow morning he and 3 YM and one other adult leave on a high adventure, 50- mile hike. This is something he lives for and is so excited about. It's great and I'm excited for him but... It also happens to fall in the same week as our Mother/Daughter Craft night for enrichment. I'm glad we're doing this activity but I swear everytime we plan an activity he is out of town!! On top of that, several people I was initially planning on attending won't be there to help. And the next day I get to have an appointment with my urologist. This will be my first appointment with him this pregnancy. I'm really interested in what he's going to say and hope that everything is going well.

So here's to a new week!

Here are 2 of the crafts we're doing:
An Gospel ABC quiet book

And a gold leaf project