A lot has happened

Well, I feel that way anyway.

This past Tuesday I was able to experience something incredibly beautiful for my first time. My dear friend, Angel, gave birth to her second little boy, Benson. When Angel originally asked Ash and me to be in the room when she gave birth I nearly fainted. You see, I've never given birth, obviously, and the worldy-physical stuff makes me a little...uncomfortable. However, I decided I needed to get over myself and be there for what I was told was a deeply sacred experience. So, following Ashley's ever-strong example, I agreed.

We arrived at the hospital late Monday night, around 11:00 or 11:30 and waited in the lobby. I brought my younger sister, Auriel, with me. Auriel is wonderful. She's so supportive and cares about people's well being. Anyway, we would have gone back to Angel's room to begin with but we were told she had had a reaction to the epidural and blacked out. So, no one except Angel's husband, Bryan (who is amazing, might I add) was allowed back there. Well, around 12:10ish the nurse came out to the lobby and called us back. By 12:30 Benson was born. It all happened so FAST!

Ashley was to take pictures and I was in charge of recording. No, we didn't record the actual birth. We recorded Benson being weighed, swaddled, and held for the first time. I must say it was miraculous. Witnessing something like that made God all too real. How could there not be a God? HOW?! As I looked at little Benson, just moments after being born, I could help but feel an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude. This child was fresh from heaven. This child was a valiant son of God. I have a little niece - who is so much more to me than a niece - I kept thinking about all night, wondering if Benson met her and talked with her before making his way to earth. My little Mercydez...how I miss that little angel of mine.

We didn't leave the hospital for some time after the delivery of the little guy. We talked with Bryan and Angel and their families. What an incredible, incredible experience. It was a very eye opening experience for me, another testimony of the importance of families because Angel was told she would never have children. She has gone through tests, treatments, surgery after surgery. And here she was giving birth to her SECOND child. I admire Bryan and Angel. They have endured so much, YEARS of negative results, and here they are with their little family. Angel was and is willing to endure whatever may come so she can have her children. She is such a great example to me. I know I can face my fears of pregnancy because I have her as my example. I love you, Angelita. I love you, Bryan. I love you little Jason and even littler Benson.

We also held a family fast for my youngest brother, Kolton, who is serving an LDS mission right now. He's been suffering from some pretty serious head aches the past couple of weeks. These head aches are keeping him from doing the work he so badly wants to participate in. He wen to the doctors and had blood taken, had some sort of an MRI or CAT scan, and was hooked up to wires. All of this led to no answers and his head still pounding so hard he's not able to do anything but lay in bed. The last letter we received stated he was told he may have to go home if the head aches don't go away soon, as it could be very serious. Kolton said he "cried and cried" when he was told this. It's crazy because the doctors can't figure out what's going on. But something is going on!!!!!! WHAT?!?!?!?!

Kolton said his mission president was going to call our stake president and discuss options, at which point the stake president was going to call my parents and tell them what was decided. As of yet my parents haven't received a phone call from our stake president. We're not sure if this means Kolton is doing better OR if it means something else....

So, I'm going to ask all you people who happen to read this blog to pray for my brother. Please, please pray for his health and strength. More than anything we want him healthy, meaning his headaches subside completely or that the problem is found so it can be corrected. Kolton is such a good guy. We want him to be successful and "anxiously engaged" in all our Heavenly Father has planned for him.

I'll keep you posted on what news we hear, whenever we hear anything. Until then, please pray.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful day. My mom worked so hard putting the meal together. It was gorgeous! I felt I would be most helpful by standing at the sink and washing every bowl, plate, pot and pan I could find. I stood there for hours! But the great news is the dishes were done by 8:30! No need to stress about the horrid dishes because they were D.O.N.E.

After dinner we played the signs game. We had some good laughs with that one. It's always fun to play games with the family. We even had my Grandpa and Grandma Judi playing! Ha! We finally ended the evening with a movie and popcorn. :) It wasn't the most cheerful of movies - more of a thriller/action movie - but it was still fun to gather together and enjoy one anothers company. We missed Kolton. But I'm hopeful he was able to make the most of Thanksgiving down in Mexico. I wrote and encouraged him to find ways to make the day special, assuming he was able to. I'm hoping he was able to avoid feeling homesick and was able to get lost in the work down there.

Anyway, as usual, I completely forgot to take pictures of the whole event. It was the ideal Thanksgiving: family, food, and fun! And what's better is there are plenty of left overs! Yum!

Other than thoroughly enjoying my holiday vacation with my husband and family, I have been trying to take advantage of the extra time on my hands by doing as much homework as possible. I keep telling myself the semester will be over soon! I have written three papers thus far, among other things...I'm ready to call it a successful semester and move on. :)

I hope you're Thanksgiving was special. I hope you were able to find many reasons to be grateful. Heavenly Father has blessed us with so much. Blessings can be found, even in little things.