Something's Coming!

For those of you who read my blog but not my facebook, I have news.

Yeah you guessed it, I'm prego!
We are so excited!

I am almost 14 weeks along now and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm hungry ALL the time but nothing ever sounds good, except when I craved a chimichunga. I have been a lot more irritable with the start of the second trimester though. Sometimes I yell at Myles for little or no reason and I'm more easily offended. I'm sorry, it's these crazy horomones!

The first trimester was pretty good. I was nauseous pretty frequently but not vomiting, and then one day I couldn't keep anything down! I wen't to the doctor and got some nausea medicine and I've been feeling great ever since.

For the first few weeks, I was really scared that we would lose another baby so I was going overboard on being safe with pretty much everything. I was an emotional wreck too, constantly worrying. Myles gave me a blessing and in his blessing he said we wouldn't lose this baby. That comforted me a lot but I still worried some. Thankfully, at 7 weeks we got to have an ultrasound! I saw my little blob baby and saw the heart just beating away! Such a strong heartbeat! After that most of my worrying went away. I was still cautious though, which is why I waited till 12 weeks before telling anyone. As soon as we heard the heartbeat at our 12 week appointment, we started announcing it!

No ideas for baby names yet, although I have thought of a few I like. We probably won't really start thinking about it till we find out if it's a boy or girl in 6 weeks.

I'm starting to show a little. At first I hated it because it was still a secret, but now I'm embracing my belly. May it grow to be bigger than a basketball.

Well that's all for now! More updates to come.

Twilight on Facebook.

Eddie Cullen What's on my mind is way more deep and intelligent than what's on everyone else's minds. Believe me, I know.

Bella Swan Ugh my first day at a new school. I hate my life.

Eddie Cullen I almost killed a girl today because she smelled nice.

Emmett Cullen Dude you need a woman.

Bella Swan Well not everybody hates me... but they might if they keep making me play volleyball.

Mike Newton You can hit me with a volleyball any day! Nice to meet you by the way. ;D

Eddie Cullen Was out sick for a few days but I'm feeling much better now. I got new contacts too.

Bella Swan Why do all the good looking guys have issues? They're either too young or bipolar.

Jake Black Hey I'm like 45 in doggy years!

Eddie Cullen I saved a girls life today and then she yelled at me. Rude.

Rosie Cullen How could you do this to us?!

Bella Swan I almost got hit by a van today but a guy saved my life. Now I have to figure out what his problem is, the jerk.

Renee Remember sweetie, I love you and so does Phil. You're life is worth living.

Tyler Crowley I'm so sorry Bella! I'll have to make it up to you. Maybe I could take you to Prom or something?

Eddie Cullen I need to kick this bad habit of watching pretty girls in their sleep.

Carlisle Cullen You can do it my boy! Find the will to stop!

Bella Swan just so everyone knows, I'm going to visit my mom in Florida the weekend of Prom so I WONT BE ABLE TO GO TO THE DANCE

Mike Newton Can't you go some other weekend?

Tyler Crowley Oh, I thought you just didn't want to go with Eric.

Eric Oh good! So you weren't just blowing me off!

Bella Swan Girls night with Jessica and Angela in Port Angeles!

Eddie Cullen I'm going to Port Angeles tonight to, um, practice my parallel parking.

Bella Swan Wow! I almost died but then this great guy saved me and took me out to dinner all in one night. Who cares if he was stalking me?

Mike Newton Who? If I were there I totally would have done the same thing. And We would have gone to the Olive Garden on the Pier. Maybe we would've made out a little?

Eddie Cullen Sometimes a little persistence pays off.

Bella Swan Went to the beach on the reservation today and heard some cool legends. Wouldn't it be crazy if they were all true?!

Jake Black Silly Bella, they're just scary stories. lol.

Eddie Cullen I'm stronger than I thought I was.

Carlisle Cullen so does that mean you kicked the habit? I like that new song you've been composing on piano. What inspired it?

Bella Swan OMG! I think I'm irrevocably in love with a vampire who wants to eat me!

Eddie Cullen is in a relationship with Bella Swan and it's complicated.

Bella Swan I have the best boyfriend ever! I could stare at his marbly, god-like, perfect, diamond body in a meadow all day!

Mike Newton I don't think this Cullen kid is good for you. He looks at you like you're a piece of meat.

Eddie Cullen I'm always so worried that my little Belly Welly will get hurt, she's so fragile.

Bella Swan Date with my darling Eddie tonight. I hope Charlie doesn't shoot him when he finds out we're together.

Chief Charles Swan I won't shoot him unless he brings you home late. Meanwhile, I'll be cleaning my gun.

Eddie Cullen Playing baseball in a thuderstorm! Epic!

Emmett Cullen Game on!

Bella Swan Everything's fine, but I'm being chased by a vamp who wants me dead. Nbd Eddie will protect me. Be back in a few days.

Eddie Cullen I sure hope Bella doesn't do anything stupid. Pepper spray won't help against James.

Bella Swan I feel safe with my pepper spray.

Eddie Cullen James is smarter than I thought!

Bella Swan So a Vampire is holding my Mom hostage in a ballet studio as bait. I guess I'll have to die just when things were getting good.

Eddie Cullen I knew Bella would do something stupid.

Bella Swan He tricked me! My mom isn't even here! It hurts!

Eddie Cullen I'm stronger than I thought I was.

Bella Swan So I tripped down some stairs in my hotel...

Eddie Cullen Maybe Bella would be better off without me...

Bella Swan No Eddie! I NEED YOU! You're sweet kisses are my drug addiction and your perfect body is my sex addiction and your poetic words are my Wuthering Heights addiction!

Bella Swan Looks like I'm going to Prom after all. Haha tricked you Mike, Tyler, and Eric!

Jake Black Hey my Dad will give me 20 bucks to meet up with you there. Want a third wheel?

Bella Swan I so want to be a vampire.

Eddie Cullen Not tonight Love.

THE END

Chrstmas & New Years

I figured while I am actively avoiding my reading I could update everyone about my holiday!

We had Christmas in Idaho with Myles family this year. I have to admit, I was a bit worried about my first Christmas away from home being a disappointment. I had heard from friends that I should be prepared to cry because the first Christmas away from home is always really hard, but I was determined to do my best to make it a good Christmas regardless.

Well, I guess I married into the right family because Christmas ended up being perfect! We opened presents (I was surprised how many presents we actually got from Santa! Although that's not what Christmas is about), played games, went sledding, did crafts, ate LOTS of food, and played with our puppy! I felt very at home the whole time and I am so grateful for what a great Christmas it was.

However, I think this was my worst year as far as gift-giving goes. None of them were really awesome and Myles even returned his for something different. Oh well, I tried. It's the thought that counts, right?

New Years was also fabulous because my Mom and sister were in town! All the Stapley girls together! I don't know why but having all the girls together is always fun for me. Some of the best parts were on New years day when we went sledding, and the next monday when I helped Kaisa and Everett (My niece and nephew) bake cookies! And we decorated them too! Mom made cute aprons for everyone in the family and we had a great time. I love my family!

A Gift For You

Yes, I realize that I have not yet blogged about Christmas or New Years but that will have to come later.

This semester I am in a writing class. It's my last GE requirement and I've been dreading taking it for a while but I figure since I'm required to spend time on it I may as well learn something from it. I hope to improve not only my writing voice and technique, but more importantly my critical thinking skills, because fundamentally writing is just thinking articulated. In order to be a good writer one must be a good thinker. Honestly, I consider myself to be a bad thinker which is why I think I'm a bad writer. How can I be a bad thinker? Well, coming up with original ideas about something I'm not particularly interested in is hard for me. So maybe if I take more interest in the topics I'm writing about I will be a better thinker.

I'm really just writing this post to help me with a writing assignment. For this assignment I am required to give something of "value" away (cannot be simply time) and analyze and articulate the experience.

As I was contemplating what valuable thing I could give away without breaking the bank, I remembered something said by Elder Eyring in the Christmas devotional before bearing his testimony. He said "The most precious gift I have to give is my witness of the Savior." Obviously, Elder Eyring's testimony has great value to him, and yet he is so willing to give it to others. I feel that I don't share my testimony as often as I could.

Does something gain more value the more you give it away? If I had a skill for carpentry, would that skill be more valuable the more I used it for others? Yes, because I can get more from it than just something made of wood, whether that is money, gratitude, or friendship. Also, it is more valuable because I am using it to please someone else who I hope will be satisfied and appreciate my skill. It also has more value to others as they benefit from my gift. Therefore, the value of that skill grows exponentially as I give it away more. If I had a garden full of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, would those vegetables be more valuable if I gave them away? According to the law of supply and demand, my garden of vegetables has little value to me because I have so many, therefore my demand is small. But to someone else who does not have a garden, the demand for vegetables is high, therefore the value of my vegetables goes up. And as I sell or give more of them away, the vegetables I keep have more value because they are less replaceable. The concept holds true: the value of something grows as it is given away.

My testimony does have great value to me, but according to this principle, if I give it away the value of it will grow both for me and the person receiving. I will test this principle. I will give my testimony to as many people as I can. First my husband, then the blog world, then the facebook world, and I will also prepare a written testimony for my future children to read as they grow.

I know that my redeemer Jesus Christ lives and has a glorified resurrected body of flesh and bone. I know that He is the only way to salvation. He has given us every blessing we enjoy in this life and the next, and through Him we feel the greatest joy one can ever feel. I know He loves me with a perfect love and that He also loves every soul. I am filled with deep gratitude when I think of His selfless and loving sacrifice for the world. His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross are their own testimony of His great love. While I do not understand fully how one perfect Man's sacrifice can enable so many imperfect beings to also obtain His glory, I know that every promise made by God will be kept and that through Christ's atonement every person can be saved and have glory in heaven. I know He lived and died for us so that we may return to the Father's presence.

I know that God, my Heavenly Father lives also with a glorified body of flesh and bone. I know that He loves every soul including myself more than we can fathom. I know that I am His daughter and because I am his daughter I have a divine inheritance that I can claim if I am true and faithful to all of his commandments. I know that His great plan of happiness is perfect and that if I am faithful I will live again with Him in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that He sent His literal son, Jesus Christ, because He loved the world enough to sacrifice Him that we all may return to Him.

I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet in latter days. I know the Book of Mormon which he translated from ancient records is the word of God. I know the Bible is also the word of God and the miracle by which these two books withstood time and are with us today also testifies of itself. I know that temples are God's holy houses on Earth and the covenants and ordinances performed in the temple are sacred, ordained of God and the only way we may return to Him. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the one true church and it is run by God through prophets and leaders called by Him. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that the twelve apostles are also prophets, seers, and revelators.

I know that I can be with my husband and my (future) children eternally. I know that the family is central to God's plan for us. I know that the roles of mother and father, wife and husband, are the most important and sacred roles we will ever have. I know that if I or you fail to fulfill family responsibilities, we will be held accountable by God on judgement day. I know that children are a gift from God given to parents to care for in righteousness and parents have the responsibility to teach their children the gospel of Christ. I know that the greatest joy one can experience is found in the family.

I know all these things because the Spirit has testified it to me and he will testify the same things to you if you ask God sincerely with faith. I say these things in the name of my beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.