Basketball, Broken window, and Indiana

You are looking at Lil' Blue's number one fan.  At my city league game last week Steph took this awesome video of Izzy cheering, as you can see during the video she gets a little upset and yells no at Steph, then it looks like she gets down and might come to Stephanie, at least that is what we thought.  Nope she had other ideas, I'm not a 100%, but I think she had enough and walked out onto the floor, they stopped play because we had to many players on the court.  It was funny, I said, loud enough for others to here, "Who's kid is that, come on!" It was pretty funny and we really love the video and she had a blast.I think I have a sports fan on my hands, who would have thought?  

On Tuesday I went to visit my friend Brad, I parked outside his apartment in Salt Lake, and without even thinking about it, did not take the face off of our after market stereo in the car.  When I walked out the next morning I found our Nissan with the driver's window busted out.  Whoever it was went after the stereo but they must have been spooked or just couldn't get the stereo out.   There was busted glass and plastic pieces all over the place.  Thankfully right next to Brad's apartment there was a Jiffy Lube, so I was able to get them to use their  vacuum to clean it up.  But this meant that I had to drive all the way from Salt Lake to Logan with no window, I did attempt to put up some plastic, but unfortunately at 70 mph on the interstate it tried to blow off on me.  I did catch it and drove the rest of the way with no window and no plastic, I got some really weird looks.  So now we are having a new one installed by Logan Glass, professionally done and not for much money, we are happy. 

Finally I am off to Indiana this weekend for a meeting for Down Under Sports, it will be intimidating but so far it looks like things are going to go really well.  We are a blessed family and are anxiously awaiting the arrival our son Alexander in March, we thank all our family and friends.

I got bamboozled!

Brandon and I had decided that we would go to both our regular ward and the Spanish branch in our stake to see where we felt we needed to be.  The family ward starts at 9:00am and the branch at 11:00am.  I think before we went, both of us were leaning toward attending the Spanish branch.  We are so used to speaking Spanish at church and the "closeness" of the people in the Hispanic culture. 

As expected, as sacrament started, I began to translate everything into Spanish.  Sometimes it was difficult to remember what they said because I was so busy translating.  But I can't even describe the overwhelming feeling I had.  Twenty minutes into the meeting, I had the strongest feeling of affirmation that this was where we need to be.  I didn't say anything to Brandon.  I had told him I would give both wards a fair chance.  I also wanted to make sure he felt it, too, before I said anything.

At the end of the meeting, Brandon asked, "How do you feel?"  I said, "I feel really good," and left it at that.  He concurred.  As members said hello, he started by saying, "We are just visiting today to see where we need to be..."  then the more people he talked to, "We are visiting today, but I think we are going to stay permanently..."  Mind you, I hadn't said how strongly I felt.  We also make all of these decisions together.  But I knew then that he really knew we should be in the ward as well.  The feeling was so strong of family, unity, support, love.

Then on the way home, Brandon said, "Really, I just bamboozled you!  Little do you know, I tricked you to go to the earlier ward so I could watch all of the Bronco's games every Sunday."  I said, "Yeah, you just convinced me to speak English at church.  I don't think I could have convinced you that's where we should be if you didn't feel the Spirit."  He makes me laugh, anyway.  I think if anything, I could say I bamboozled him.   Little does Brandon know, I am excited for him to sit by me in Sacrament and help with Izzy (and Xander).  Then I am going to come home from church and take a nap while he makes dinner... hahahaha!  I am also really excited to know my neighbors that live next door to me, and have young women who can come help babysit.

A Pregnant Day

I have deemed today to be "having a pregnant day."  Isabela didn't sleep a wink last night, or so it seems.  Brandon gave her to me about 12:30, she was fully awake by 2am, and proceeded to roll around in my bed, talking, until 4:15, when I took her out to Brandon (who had conveniently gone to sleep out on the bed in the front room).  Needless to say, by 4am, I couldn't take it anymore.  Brandon kept her til 7 when I got her again. I figure I got a maximum of 4 hours of sleep if I was lucky.  That's how the day started - I was completely exhausted, sore, frustrated, and just plain hormonal.

Then I change Isabela... huge rash all over her stomach.  Looks like chicken pox, but I don't think it is.  But to be safe, I didn't want her at church to spread whatever she had.  (Long story short, we took her anyway.)

I ironed my skirt, so excited to wear something besides my black skirt I wear every week, (almost late for church), put it on, and it won't zip up - I'm too fat.  Brandon, in the other room, just heard a big groan.  I was so frustrated and didn't know what to wear (reverted back to my black skirt, but it was lost, so that didn't help either).  We are good, just tired.  Thank heavens for dedicating a day to Martin Luther King, Jr. tomorrow! 

On another note, Brandon got released from the Branch Presidency today.  When they called him a couple of years ago, we were moving that week, outside of the boundaries.  They asked us to stay so he could serve in the presidency.  However, now that he is released, we feel that we need to attend the branch or ward that we live in.  Our branch is small. The new one is at least 3 times the size.  We plan on visiting both and seeing how we feel, where the Spirit tells us we are needed.

Isabela is getting more and more stubborn.  I had to trick her to get her into the car the other day.  I don't carry her anymore for two reasons.  One, I am too fat and it just hurts.  Two, she is big enough to walk herself.  But she hates getting into her seat.  We walked out and she just wanted to play under the carport.  So I got in the car, started it, and asked if she was coming with me.  She started yelling at me.  She wasn't about to come, but she didn't want me to leave.  But I was sitting in the front seat with the door open.  She got all excited, ran over to the car, and tried to drive up front with me.  When I put my foot out of the car, she saw I was going to put her in her carseat, she ran away.  I caught her, kicking and screaming, and put her in anyway, but at least I didn't have to carry her all over the yard to get to the car.

She is talking up a storm, can tell you where most of her body parts are, sings and dances all of the time, has a new little couch that she is obsessed with, and finally doesn't look like Alfalfa when we put her hair in a ponytail anymore :)

Also, I am back in school, taking two classes.  Family Finance, and the study of Latin America.  Both have been really interesting so far.  Family finance is mostly common sense, but there have been a few things about taxes, etc. that will be really helpful.  In my Lats class, we watched a movie about Bolivia.  Randomly, we received a little knitted hat for Isabela from a lady from Bolivia who used to be in our Branch.  She just made it when she went home to visit.  It's brightly colored, and really long, but looked just like all of the hats in the movie I watched in class.  One day I will post pictures...  So we are keeping busy, but are really good.  Xander will be here end of March.  I just can't believe how fast time has gone.