{a few more pics from Utah}

For journaling purposes I wanted to add a few more pics from our trip this month. A week in Utah sure can fly by, and before you know it, it is already over! We sure did our best to try and pack everything in while we were there. And I wanted to include just a couple random pics from our time there.

Grandpa and the boys having breakfast one morning together. Bacon and eggs are the 'regular' at grandma and grandpa's house when we visit.

Erika and her BFF's getting ready to start their 'camp out' for the night. They made their own little campground in the theater room and had their flashlights, stuffed snakes and crocodiles and bowl full of treats all ready for a night out under the stars.

My parents and I right before church on Sunday.



I felt so fortunate that I got to be there when Jess went through the temple for the very first time and took out her endowments. Afterwards we all went to a good old Utah favorite--Chuck A Rama and had dinner. (It's tradition)

My sweet grandma Stewart and I.

My sweet grandma Hunter and I.

{a valentine's day to remember}

February 14, 2012
A day to remember.....

The day my little brother took his beautiful bride by the hand, as they were married for time and all eternity! A Valentine's Day to be forever cherished.

I was so happy that we were able to be there on Brady and Jessica's special day. Those two are so perfectly matched and well suited for each other that I know they will share a lifetime of happiness together.



Despite the predicted weather forecast for that day that called for rain showers and cloudy skies....it turned out to be a truly gorgeous February morning. Not even a drop of rain the entire day.



Jess fits in perfectly with our family, and my boys absolutely adore her. Aunt Jessica will be a fun addition to the Stewart fam.



After the wedding ceremony, we all attended a luncheon at a country club which was really fun.



Grandma and the buddies

Our handsome dad

Aunt Erika getting a big smooch from Tanner.
(He was very generous with his kisses that day)

Me with my handsome little Valentine's for the day.

It was a very enjoyable week spent in Utah, and I feel so fortunate that I was able to attend. It always goes by way too fast, but we enjoyed every minute we were there.

Congrats Brady and Jess

{a pink baby shower}

My baby shower in Utah consisted of

*lots and lots of Pink*

My sweet mother-in-law Margaret was kind enough to throw me a *pink* baby shower while we were in Utah last week for my brother's wedding. I am so so grateful to everyone that came, and am still feeling quite a bit overwhelmed at how much this baby girl is going to be loved. She will be very well dressed is all I can say. Thank you everyone for making me feel very special that day too.

{Margaret and I}

{My mom and I}

{My bestest friend for over 15 yrs Jamie and I}

The darling invitations that Margaret had specially made for the occasion--so cute!

There were also lots of sweet treats to eat (sadly not by me) but they sure did look good. I cannot wait to meet this baby girl in just 8 more weeks.

{my little valentines}

Love

these two little sweethearts of mine!

The boys and I are flying out to Utah this afternoon for my brother's wedding. We are SO excited that we are able to go and celebrate this very special occasion with him. My brother is getting married to his sweetheart on Valentine's Day this year!! I am really looking forward to spending time with family, and really soak up the time we have. We will be gone for one whole week, and sadly Steve is unable to go with us. His presence will be greatly missed though. Was is really 10 years ago that Steve and I got engaged on Valentines Day?? Wow, what a journey we have had. Our greatest accomplishments can be seen below......

So until we return......

(With lots of wedding pics I am certain)

{31st}

Happy 31st Birthday to Steve!

Today Steve celebrates his 31st birthday.

He is one mighty fine looking 31 year old if you ask me......

Since Steve gets to work all day on his birthday, I thought it would be fun to throw him a little 'surprise birthday' party with a few friends yesterday during the Super Bowl.



If you'd ask Steve, what the highlight of his party was....it just might have to be this Utes Cake that I had made for the occasion.



We are going to be headed to Utah this week (the boys and I) to attend my brother's wedding (SO dang excited!) and the kids will be missing their school Valentine parties this year. So I picked up some mini red tote bags, fabric markers and Valentine foam stickers for all the kids to decorate with, so they could have a little bit of Valentine fun with their friends before we go.

Make a Wish!

We love Steve so much!

I feel so blessed and fortunate to have married this man.

The boys truly adore their dad and light up every time they see him.

He is such a dedicated, hard working, and loyal person--and sacrifices so much for our family.

We love Steve (and all his many quirks) and wouldn't change a thing about him.

Happy 31st Birthday

Steve-O

{gestational diabetes...}

Well, I suppose since my last 'pregnancy post' a couple weeks ago--a few things have changed to say the least.

Hello Gestational Diabetes!

I have to admit, after I failed my 1 hr glucose test and had to take the 3 hr glucose tolerance test last week--I kinda already knew deep inside that I would have this condition. Something rational just had to explain this overwhelming exhaustion and fatigue that I had been experiencing for weeks now. I couldn't quite shake the thought that I was just being lazy--and kept pushing through the hard days when I really felt run down and completely exhausted.
So thank you Gestational Diabetes--you have given me a huge sense of relief and an explanation as to why I have felt so run down and tired these past few weeks/months.

After I found out what was wrong with me, the next question that came to mind was ok....now what? Yes, it is quite an inconvenient and annoying condition to have to deal with, but I really feel quite thankful knowing that there are far more critical and serious complications that are associated with pregnancy, so if this is the biggest obstacle that I have to learn how to manage for the next 10 weeks or so--bring it on.

This past week has been pretty rough to say the least. I was instructed per my Dr. office to cut down on all of my carb and sugar intake (since the results from my 3 hr test were so bad) until I could get in to see a diabetic educator and get my glucose meter to measure my blood sugars. So, that is precisely what I have done all week long. And boy have I felt the effects from that huge shift. I am assuming that my body has been running at a relatively high and consistent level of elevated blood sugars for quite some time now. And then I go and put my poor little 7 month pregnant body into a starvation/shock mode by drastically reducing carbs and simple sugars--which was just too much for my body to try and compensate and regulate on its own. I have never felt so weak and lethargic, sick and nauseous, tired and fatigued in my whole life. I'm not even sure how I got up the strength to get my boys bathed, fed and off to school each morning without passing out. Thankfully Steve has been a huge help to me this week, I wouldn't have made it without him.

So today, finally I was able to get my glucose meter and meet with a diabetic specialist to go over meal plans and teach me how to manage my diabetes during pregnancy. I have complete confidence that all will go well from here on out and that I should be feeling markedly better very soon.