We're Having a Baby Boy!!

After a long wait, much anticipation, a roller-coaster of emotions, we couldn't be more excited to announce that we have our little miracle baby coming this winter!!! :D

^^It only took us about five tries but we finally got this awesome shot on the 4th of July! Thanks to Sam for his photo skills! Missy (B) Justin (A) Cami (b) Alex (y)^^

I am due December 30th-- a very exciting time of year!

^^15 weeks--I was barely showing, my pants were tight or not fitting at all, but this is when people started to comment on my baby bump when I was working in the temple. For some reason my temple dress made my baby bump look a lot bigger--and I loved it!!^^

^^17 Weeks^^

^^20 Weeks--when we were up at Heber Valley Camp @ the Flink Family Reunion^^

 ^^How we announced on social media ^^

Sam started to feel baby kick when I was almost 21 weeks. The first time I really felt baby kick all the time was when I was in the temple and it made the experience just that much more divine and wonderful!!!

^^When I was 22 weeks pregnant^^

I am going to be 25 weeks pregnant this week! and I have the cutest baby bump!! I love it!!

Expecting has been such a blessing to our family! Not just in the sense that we're having a baby! but also how this experience has been able to lighten the times of life that are hard. Let me explain:

Sam has been wearing a lot of hats lately! Not only is he working at being a great husband has been so busy prepping for a full-time job offer after graduation, doing his calling in a YSA bishopric (it's time consuming getting people to speak on Sunday when 1/2 of the ward is in the middle of vacations and moving out!), doing his research | thesis--and being a good team member and meeting those goals and deadlines, prepping for interviews at MathWorks (more coming on that later), starting his first CS class, taking a ME class, being a temple worker for 5 hours every Wednesday (we love love love working in the temple!), Sam's brother, and being a TA. All great things and we don't want to give any of them up but man, it's a lot on ones plate!!

Even among the chaos-- Sam is still placing being a father as one of his greatest priorities! 

We love going to my OBGYN appointments and hearing baby's heart beat!! And those ultrasounds are one of the greatest things ever invented!! Just seeing baby move and interact and do all of those cute things babies do--just melts my heart, and feels me with one of the greatest feeling ever! The way Sam responds is so priceless!! 

When Sam gets really stressed or can't sleep--he just puts his hand on my belly and baby will move and Sam just gets so filled with JOY!! I love watching Sam bond with our baby--he talks to baby all the time, and plays with baby when i'm sleeping. It's amazing that when Sam wants baby to move -- he does!! 

I can just see the stress and worry melt away as baby turns and rolls over and Sam feels him. It's all so heavenly. My heart feel like it's about to burst! Baby has already brought so much joy to our family!!!

It's not too much work lately-- but we love being parents! It's amazing thinking of myself as a mother. I love feeling the responsibility of being trusted to care for one of His spirit children, I love creating a human--our child!!, I LOVE feeling just that much closer to the veil. I love getting to know babies kicking patterns. I honestly love being pregnant!!

My heart goes out to those who are still waiting for their little miracle. I know our wait wasn't as long as many others and my heart still aches for them. Keep trying--it'll all workout.

My First Concert!!

Sam got us cheap tickets to "Stars and Planets Align." It was an outdoor concert at Thanksgiving Point with William Joseph and the Lyceum Philharmonic Orchestra and guest star Lexi Walker. We both really like William Joseph's music AND Lexi Walker, so we had much fun!

^^I started taking pictures of Sam because he just looks so HANDSOME!!^^

^^He caught me^^

^^I don't know why I love this funny-face so much!!^^

We both left this concert in AWE. It was AMAZING!!

We even got to hear Lexi Walker sing Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid. William Joseph put her on the spot to sing something else since she only had one other song on the program. He goes, "Now Lexi, we can't let you go just yet...," then he speaks to the crowd, "I mean, we've got Lexi Walker up here!" He starts playing the beginning of Part of Your World, but Lexi wanted him to play it in a different key. So, she ends up putting him on the spot instead! But seriously, he's William Joseph. He accompanied just fine. And Lexi sounded so good!

We caught this one with William Joseph during Intermission. While he was signing our program, he accidentally left his set list with us. We started waling away and his escort had to ask us for the set list back. Good thing we didn't take it with us! He would've been lost without that!

Picture with Lexi after the concert was over

New Full-Time Job!!

I got a full-time job at LDS Philanthropies!!

Working FT has its ups and downs.

Confession: around the time of graduation I wondered how long I will be working--as if it was this chore that I had to do to "fill in the time." Don't get me wrong, I like the work that I do but to be honest, I would have liked to be in a different position in life. But then one day at work I took on a more sacred perspective. This day was when I realized how I was building the kingdom of God. How He was trusting me to do His work. As my perspective changed I realized that the position that I am in-- I can deal with-- it will help me grow and develop. It's not just a filler. I am doing good, and sacred work. I know this is where He wants me to be right now. 

^^Isn't my work awesome?!?^^

{Graduation!!}

Sam and I Graduated from BYU!!!

It was a surreal experience. I cried. I am going to miss being a student at BYU. I am grateful Sam is still going to be a student-- it makes it a smaller change for me. 

President Utchdorf's message in general conference really brought me comfort:

"There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings. 

Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny."

I am excited for the changes ahead but I feel inside that I am an eternal being that resists these changes at the same time. So I move forward with faith and trust in Him. 

Then we had dinner at Pizza Pie Cafe! So Yummy!!

BYU Bell Tower

Sam and I had the opportunity to get a tour of the BYU Bell Tower. It's amazing!

We even got to play a few bells!! :D

Pittsburg - APS Conference

Over the 23-26th of November Sam had the opportunity to go to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!! He went to the annual American Physical Society (APS) Conference - Fluids Division. I wish I could have gone with him but I can't complain since the college paid for all of his expenses! :D

^^The view from his hotel room, getting in late Saturday night.^^

^^Walking to the conference Sunday morning. Sam took a few pictures of the many bridges along the way. There was almost a bridge for every block along the river!^^

 ^^Right outside the conference building was this old bridge, not used for cars, but for a train.^^

^^At the registration desk, Sam picked up his conference bag and schedule materials that APS supplied him with.^^

^^There were several talks to go to. This was a picture Sam took sitting down to one of the first ones he went to in the morning. It's hard to see, but the screen in the front is a giant timer so that the speakers know when their time is up!^^

^^Straight from the schedule, this was the project/paper that Sam worked on! I took this picture once he got back. Sam took a video of the presentation, but no pictures. He said that it went really well, and that there was a great turn-out! Everyone was so excited about the project about humpback whale flippers.^^

^^In between sessions, there were snack breaks, and Sam took a picture of the food and the servers guarding it until the official break time began.^^

Pip Squeak Engine

Last semester Sam was in a manufacturing class and built a Pip Squeak Engine with a group of three. They drew it, constructed its design sheets, made the dimensional drawings, made the process sheets that explains how to manufacture the parts and then they made the parts by hand. Sam is awesome!

BYU HITLIST

As I was sitting doing homework, I randomly decided to go to BYU Hitlist and try to win a prize...to my luck, I won the Grand Prize for the day. It was a $200 Walmart Gift Card!! What a great day!

epic.