why i love relief society ...

I am finally going to admit that ...

 

OK OK I know it sounds a bit lamo to say "I admit" here... BUT I can remember when I felt like I didn't belong in Relief Society... that I didn't have anything in common with the sisters... that I didn't feel like hearing what all those women have to say.  Obviously... these feelings were a long time ago... BUT days like today I feel like I need to give a shout out to Relief Society!! 

So why do I love Relief Society? 

Whoaday Haylie... back up the train! 

What is Relief Society?  

Well... {eh hem} In the Church of Jesus Christ as Latter Day Saints the women are a part of this organization called Relief Society.   It was divinely inspired to be organized by some of the first leaders of the restoration of Christ's gospel in the 1800's.  It is a place for women to increase faith and righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help those in need.  

I absolutely love being able to participate in this wonderful organization.

Together as women we really do increase our faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel.  We have so many opportunities to serve each other and to serve those who are around us.  I know I have personally looked to soo many of the women in this organization as they inspire me in so many ways.  I can't even count the many things that I have learned just by attending my Relief Society Meetings on a regular basis.  I am constantly moved by the sweet spirit that is felt during our Sunday lesson's.  Most of the time I am moved to tears.  

Anyone who really knows me as a person knows that there are 2 things that make me choke up ALL the time 

1 - When I feel the spirit 

2 - My family 

We have lived in our ward now for almost 5 years.  Out of that 5 years I have served as a Relief Society Secretary for almost 3 years {not consecutive tho} 

I am currently serving as Secretary to the Relief Society and I absolutely love it!  I am busy, but I prefer to live life that way.  Every Sunday I have the opportunity to welcome new sisters into our ward, comfort friends, and listen to some of the most inspired lessons that I have ever heard.  I get to sit among the sweet presidency as they sincerely go before Heavenly Father for sisters who may be struggling.  I get to witness so many miracles!  

I don't just get this privilege because of my calling... any sister in our ward or around the world could witness the same things that I do.  Its a matter of perception... opening our eyes to more than just OUR OWN worlds, being in tune with promptings that are divinely inspired, and practicing our own faith.  

Sometimes I wonder how many sisters might feel how I felt several years ago.   

I do know that as we put our selves out there and really open our hearts and minds we WILL feel the love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us as we attend our relief society meetings every week.   I can personally say that whenever I miss a Sunday because of sickness or vacations... I feel so empty.  I love the rejuvenating powers that Relief Society has.  If any sister or woman is feeling like maybe they don't belong... You should call me and we should talk.  OR you should get down on your knees and sincerely pray that you might have the spirit with you as you attend your next Relief Society Meeting... 

I know that this organization was divinely inspired for many reasons and that the words that are taught or shared during these meetings come from the Spirit of the Lord.   

 

Larkyn... spring... and the belly

 I thought for sure today was the day that I would be able to capture my little girl on camera... Think again!  

I don't know why kids this age have to be so darn difficult when it comes to taking their pictures... I mean... Can't they get it together for a few minutes so we as parents can capture their cute lil' faces??  HA!  She was every where!  I thought if I got her favorite seat out {the stool above} I might be lucky.  
NOPE.  
I had about 20 pictures that looked almost exactly like this - mouth open, eyes closed, weird faces... lol.  Oh well.  She sure is cute... even if she won't pose like a model! 

 Me like everyone else is over winter!  I refuse to wear winter sweaters with colors like gray, black, dark green... anything dark and wintery looking.  I have been making good use of our colorful shoes... even if they don't match our outfits! For some reason bright colors just seem to make the days a little better!   
{don't mind our dirty shoes}

And here is the belly!  I have had so many family members and friends from out of state asking to see pics... if you didn't see them on facebook here they are.  

22 weeks prego!

Everyone has been so nice and encouraging... I REALLY do appreciate it!  It is so hard for me to feel like a beautiful woman.  I know I really shouldn't complain because I feel very fortunate to have received these 2 girls all on our own... plus Larkyn.  I have family and close friends who are struggling with getting pregnant and my heart breaks for them.

It is just hard... Pregnancy is not fun for my body so in turn I get really self conscious.  BUT I am very grateful that so far both babies are very healthy... I guess I would rather me go thru some difficulties to have them healthy and thriving. 

record: 104

Sometimes Sundays can feel so long...

I know!  Call me a sinner for saying such words!!

This past Sunday {yesterday} Logan and I were feeling like bums and that we needed to "spice" things up a little, BUT not too much!  :) 

So we made up a game... 

Butt Ball! 

Ok that sounds so inappropriate!  

AND I am sure we are not the first ones to do this... OR maybe we are... ??

So we sat on the floor about 8 feet apart

our goal: see how many times we can hit the ball to each other without it touching the ground -  

{goal:100} 

You know we  really are only 5 year olds!  Our bodies have just aged very poorly... but shh! 

Ok... so we started the game.  I have to admit this was harder than I thought it was going to be!  It took us probably a good solid 30 minutes of trying and me goofing off of course before we actually REACHED OUR GOAL... BUT  we exceeded our goal and made it to 104!!  

HOORAY!!

Here are the rules in case anyone might want to try this intense game of BUTT BALL! 

1- sit on the ground at least 8 feet apart, but I wouldn't go further than 10 ft people sheesh you dare devils

2-  YOU MUST stay on your butt - you can reach, go back and forward, but the BUTT must stay planted

3- the ball has to stay in the air... if it touches the floor back to #1

4- You can play the ball off of furniture as long as it hasn't touched the floor

5- no double hits

6-  be insanely goofy and laugh a LOT!  I normally don't get all goofy until past 8:30 BUT I was extremely exhausted from the weekend so my goofiness came on a bit early SO I have made this a rule!  muahahaha!

7 - HAVE FUN!

I know most of you are probably too mature to try this game... 

but if you DO please let me know how it goes!

 

heart attack...

So... 

Logan and I aren't very BIG into Valentines

We usually don't go to dinner... we tried this a couple times when we were first married and to me it's just not worth the crowd and the crappy service...

We never buy each other anything..  I usually pick up a bag of chocolate kisses and call it good!

AND I don't expect flowers from Logan 

{i know... we are so lamo}

BUT...

THIS YEAR...

I decided to SURPRISE Mr. Logan..

Muahhahahahahaha!

HAHAHA!

I am so funny sometimes... this totally threw him off!  

I was so nervous that he was going to wake up... YES I went out into the cold at 5:45 AM!   

YOWZA that's early!!  

I had a blast cutting out all of my amazing hearts ... oh... and the card I got Logan was hilarious...

Must be age appropriate to keep reading... :)

eh hem... it said...

YOU

+

ME

+

NAKED

+

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

= 

THE PERFECT VALENTINES!

Then I of course had to spice it up even more on the inside... All I am gonna say is that it might or might not have included "Clive" & "Julianna" 

{Anyone watch Modern Family??}  

Ha.HA.Ha!

I am so glad I got to spend the day with my 2 favorite Valentines!  

spring dreamin'

I dunno what it is...

spring fever or just pregnant and going crazy...

I have this urge... 

to clean every single thing in my home

to wash the ceilings - wth?

to organize then re-organize everything in the home

to redecorate - with what budget?

to sew ... an apron, curtains, pillow covers...

to take photos - but I broke my lens... so I have a couple more weeks of suffering {sigh}

to get the babies room and Larkyn's room all ready to go...

to do crafts with Larkyn - is she too young for glue sticks and glitter? 

to go for a walk outside... but of course its still cold and YES we are all still sick.

to make home made bread {my mother -in-law makes the best home made bread ever and I don't have the special touch... grrrr}

to totally pig out on strawberries and fresh melons 

to go swimming even with my enormous belly

My list of spring dreamin' could go on forever... literally!  My hub is in warm Arizona {about 70} and I am stuck here just dreamin' of that day. 

opinions please...

So I found this fabric online {see pic below} I really want to make curtains for my windows in my front room and kitchen... but I suck at decorating and I can't ever get myself to actually do something because I fear that it will be another disaster {like the dreaded green wall} 

So I want to make curtains... not the traditional curtains.  Excuse my pregnant & sick brain right now ... I can't think of what they are called but I want to make a single long panel for each window and have it hang high on one side... then do a swoopty do thing over the curtain rod... to end hanging to the floor on the opposite side.  This material is just cotton {i wonder if they do samples} but do you think its too busy to do for curtains?  This is where my serious lack in judgment comes in.  I would probably make a couple small pillows to tie it into the rest of the house...

what do ya think?  

she is beautiful...

 

Meet Logan's sister Des!  I took these maternity pics of her FOREVER ago... and of course since I have little motivation in me I just barely got them edited and handed over to her.  I am such a slacker!  

Des is due to have her baby this Tuesday and if she doesn't go by Friday her Doc is gonna induce her!  So the selfish side of me really really hopes that she doesn't have baby Azlynn before Friday only because: 

1 - Larkyn and I are both sick with horrible colds 

&

2- Logan will be in Arizona until Thursday night

 (I know I know... I normally wouldn't wish such misery upon someone... but given the circumstances I'm gonna!  muahahaha!!)

Des is probably one of my closest friends.  She is also one of Larkyn's most favorite people.  After Logan and I had Larkyn, Auntie Des made it a point to always come over to our house to visit, check on Larkyn or just play with her.  What little girl doesn't love this?!?  Anytime we have needed a last minute baby sitter Des has always offered... and I mean last minute! It helps that she literally lives right around the corner from me!  I am sure I will be returning this favor soon... and I am sooo looking forward to it!  : )   Des has an amazing eye for detail (I have used this talent many times during photo shoots!), she has a relaxed personality, she is honest with me... this I love, and she is just herself. 

Des - Thank you for being such an awesome friend, sister-in-law, aunt, neighbor.... what else??  LOL.  

Love ya!  Can't wait to meet little sassy pants Azlynn! 

Twin Girls... Whoda Thunk!

 Baby A (above)

 Baby B

 Baby A ... what a little model!

 Check out that hand.. Baby A

 Baby B's leg...

In the upper left corner of the shot (kind of the center of the actual pic) there are Baby A's feet  and a part of Baby B... not sure which part tho.  

So we just had our visit with our maternal fetal medicine Dr's today at IMC in Murray.  We did get to find out the sex... As most of you know by now we are having girls.  I am beginning to think that Logan is really going to have to humble himself before he gets a boy!  :)  He has been being such a smarty pants today and boy o boy did it come back to bite him in the butt.  When will he ever learn?!?  Oh and just for the record 3 different Dr's did confirm that both are girls... HA!!  My regular OB tried to peek yesterday while I was at his appt, but he didn't have a clear enough shot.  We suspected baby A to be a girl, but baby B was still the unknown.  Thank goodness they were able to solve the mystery today!! 

Ok so here is the low down... we are having 2 girls, they are not identical, they both weighed in at 8 oz today and they both are very very active and doing great.  I am not considered such a high risk pregnancy any more since both babies are in their own sacs and they both have their own placenta.  Obviously they will still watch me and I will go see the fetal/maternal docs every 4 weeks to have them measure growth and such.  It was crazy to see how they try and keep track of the different babies!  I was so lost!  We were there for about 2 hours while they checked every little thing... Baby B did keep pushing and kicking its legs into Baby A's area so it was getting a little confusing.... But we figured it out! 

At one point during the ultrasound, even after all 3 confirmed females for both, Logan saw the umbilical cord attached to baby B and said "I think I see a growth!" (sarcastically)  Of course the Dr. smashed his hopes and said "That would be a 5 ft. penis... Dont flatter yourself!"  We All had a good laugh over that.  

 

As far as names go... We have NO clue.  We need to pick a few and then I will do a post about that... and we will see what every one thinks!  It's going to be a battle tho... We can't ever agree on names!  Sooo... wish me luck here!  

i will try to have Logan take a pic of me soon!!