Sept. 11th

My patriotic hubby

Yikes! Nice back pic....

The night before Sept. 11th, Mark said he wanted to take me on a suprise date. I cant stand being in suspense so finally I made him tell me. SO we rode the light rail to Tempe Town lake where they had flags everywhere!!!! They had a flag for each person who died on Sept. 11th, along with a card telling about each person on each flag. It was really cool to see all these flags, but really sad when you saw just how many there were and when you read some of the explanations about each person it made it even more sad. AS i think back to Sept.11, 2001 I remember still being in bed when my mom came and woke me up and told me to come watch the video of the 1st tower being hit. AS we watched to news for a while we watched as the second one was hit. What a crazy surreal moment!!!! Unfortunately, I was a selfish 18 year old and didn't really think too deeply about the effects of that day. Now after losing someone I love, I ache for the people who lost love ones in that terrible tragedy. I cant even imagine how scary it would have been to not know for days if your loved one was buried alive or dead in the rubble. I hope each one of the people who have lost someone know of the healing power of the Atonement and have taken advantage of it.

We then went walking down Mill Ave. and listened to the street performers. I guess they are going to have that now every Thursday night so you should check it out. Mark had heard of this place that makes homemade Ice cream sandwiched so we went there and split one and it was dang good!

That night was so fun and a very cheap date!!! WE only had to pay for my light rail ticket and he ice cream sandwich! Thanks babe for the fun night!!!

The BIG 3-0!!!

On Sept. 14th, Mark turned 30!!! Can you believe how good he looks for 30? ha ha. Just kidding babe, you always look good. It was a really fun day. I wanted to plan a big party or something for him, but for those of you who know my husband at all know that that is probably his worst nightmare!!! SO we did everything he wanted to do. We first met up with his parents and his sisters at Joe's BBQ for his free meal and that was fun. Then he wanted to go thrift store shopping (I was shocked and amazed that he would first of all go shopping, and second of all choose to do that for his birthday!). SO we went for a few hours, and I of course found way more things I wanted than he did. That night we went to Cheesecake Factory and then saw the movie "9". (which is kinda weidr by the way). All in all it was a fun day and I am grateful to have married such a wonderful, caring guy who treats me like a queen!! I am very lucky! There are so many reasons why I love that guy but here are just a few,

1. He always wants to help other people whether it's helping them move, build something or whatever, he is the first to volunteer to help

2. He loves to watch movies (like i do)

3. He takes his church callings very seriously and always does them 100%

4. (I hope my mother-in-law doesnt read this but..) he has a really cute booty :)

5. He always helps around the house

6. He is a good cook

7. he is and will be a great dad! Whenever we are with the nieces and nephews he is always off playing with them

8. he is always willing to hug and comfort me when I'm sad

9. he has pretty blue eyes

10. he is a very hard worker!

These are just a few of the many reasons why I am the luckiest girl in the world to have a hubby like him! Mark.....I am so glad you are mine forever!!!!!!! I love you!!!!!

The Atonement

I have been doing a lot of thinking and pondering lately on my emotional state, and I am very happy to say I have been doing really, really good! It's almost crazy to me to think about my emotional state back in Dec.-March and realize the HUGE difference from how it is now! One day a couple months ago I was thinking about the Atonement of our Savior and how it has the power to heal a broken heart. Back in those months right after Miles died I can honestly say my heart was broken. (If you want a glimpse of it watch P.S. I love you, i think they do an amazing job of portraying a broken heart). But I am grateful and I know it is truly healed because of the power of the Atonement! When I think about it I really wonder how it all works but all I can say is it is because of the pleading to Heavenly Father, along with still doing the things I should (or trying to do the things I should) that slowly my heart was mended. I am grateful to my Savior and His love for me, that He was willing to die for me and to suffer for me. And I know without a doubt that if there is something in your life that is causing you pain and suffering, if you try to keep the commandments the best you can, the power of the Atonement can heal you too!!!!

Anti-blogging and the proposal

Okay, okay, I know it has been forever since I posted. I really have no excuse at all. I just have kinda been blogged-out. I really haven't had much to blog about either. Sure, we went to Cali for the weekend a few weeks ago but I didnt take any pictures, cuz I didn't feel like it. So instead of boring you with my boring life lately, I thought I would tell the funny story of being proposed to on my mission.
So....in my first area, there were several half-way houses and we could always find people who would listen to us, but most were not quite all there. One day we passed one of these half-way houses and met a guy that right now, I cant remember his name. We could tell he was a little slow, but didn't really know how slow, so we decided to teach him. It went really well, and we even taught him a few times and helped him do the no smoking program, but every time we went to teach him, he just got weirder and weirder. So the last time we taught him we brought a team up with us, and after teaching him the lesson he told us he had had a vision from Jehovah and Heavenly Mother (mind you, we never talked about HEavenly Mother, that's not really something you bring up in the lessons....) that he was supposed to marry one of us. So he took out a ring (yup! he had a ring!) and gave it to my companion and she of course gave it right back and told him we were not there to have this kind of relationship but to teach the gospel. So then he turned to me and asked me. I had to try so hard to not die laughing. The girl that had come with us has this horrified look on her face too until she saw that I could hardly contain myself. He then talked about how he had learned about polygamy from a friend when he told his friend we were teaching him, so apperantly he misunderstood us. Oh and by this time we learned he was severly schytzophrenic (I know I totally butchered that spelling). SO once we got it through to him that we weren't there to petition him to join a polygamous cult, he then asked if we could baptise him, and then he pulled out a watering can. Keep in mind we had told him time and time again that we are baptised by proper authority by immersion. It was definately one of the funniest experiences of my mission. Needless to say, he didn't get baptised, we think he might not need it.....so there you go, my funny story for the day.

I hate roller coasters

I dont know what is going on with me for the last few days. For months I have been doing really, really good. I had accepted everything with Miles, and was looking forward to having our next baby (not for a little while). But the last few days I have felt kinda sad. I just miss him and want to hold him. Last week I was able to talk to a friend who lost her baby 2 years ago and it just felt good to talk to someone who just knows, without having to explain, what it's like to lose a baby. It was nice because she didn't say, "well, it could be worse" or, "someone always has it worse", or any other saying people say. Not that I dont totally agree with those statements, but usuaally if I am expressing my feelings about being sad about it, it usually means I just want to vent and dont want to hear those things. So it was great to talk to her. Then over the weekend, I just got really sad. I want Miles to be here!!!!! I know he's safe, I know he's perfect, I know I will see him again, but dang it! Why does everyone else get to have their babies here? Why do they get to take gazillions of pics of their babies? Why do they get to hear them laugh, see them walk, and I dont? And then I remember...........because Miles was too perfect for this world, and I probably accepted this trial before I came to earth. What was I thinking? :) Then one of my best friends, who had pre-mie twins a year ago had a huge birthday bash for them on Monday and i didn't go. I feel really bad about this, but I just couldn't do it. I absolutely LOVE those babies and I am SOOO glad that they made it and overcame all the obsticles they had. But I just couldn't go. (Sorry Kristin). I am still feeling a little sad today, but I think I am back on the rise again because of 3 things. #1. Monday night I had the most wonderful dream!!! I dreamt that i was in the hospital, in the same room where I was when i had Miles, but I went into the hallway to show the nurses my beautiful, healthy baby girl. No problems, no NICU, no nothing! Just a beautiful healthy baby girl that I was taking home with me! I remember telling the nurses that I thought going back to the hospital to have another baby would be a lot harder than it was. I woke up and told Mark my dream and the first thing he said was, "maybe Heavenly Father is trying to tell you everything will be okay with your next pregnancy". Music to my ears!!! But then he said, "or maybe it was just a dream, who knows". That made me a little sad, but whatever it was, I felt way better!!!!! #2. I was talking to a girl I work with, Heather, who is all into healthy stuff and she told me she drank this herbal tea called raspberry leaf tea (or something like that) her whole pregnancy and it's supposed to make the sac thicker or something so it wont break. She said when she went to have her baby, the doc had to break her water because it was so thick it wouldn't break on it's own. Also music to my ears!!!!! You better believe I am drinking gallons of that when I'm preggo! #3. Also yesterday, a client at the salon told me her daughter also had her water break early at like 21 weeks. Thankfully her baby made it, but her daughter went on to have 2 more babies, with NO problems!!! Ahhhh! Happy day! i love hearing things like that. So even though I have had a few downer days, I am starting to feel good again.

The last 3 weeks

Over the last 3 weeks, a lot has happened in our lives. Most recently, my mission president and fam got off their mission. President and Sister Newman came to Arizona to visit all their AZ missionaries. It was a great night!!! I hadn't been that excited for anything in a long time!!!

Here is Elder Akers, me, President Newman, Sister Gunn, and Elder Harvey

Sister Newman, me, Elder Harvey, Sister Dunn (who is from Utah but was in town!), Sister GunnMe, Elder Harvey, Sister Dunn, Sister Gunn

me, Dunn, and Gunn......we were a threesome my last transfer. Everyone would call us Gunn, Dunn, and Funn!!!! ha ha

Sister Gunn, Mark, me, Pres. Newman, Elder Healey and his wife just talking! It was so good to see everyone and talk about the mission days!!!

4th of July weekend we went to the Dahl family reunion. It was so much fun! It was with my Grandpa Dahl, His wife Phyllis, my dad , all his bro's and sis, their kids, and their kids! We stayed in 3 cabins on Hawley lake up in northern AZ. It was a much needed relaxing weekend!!

Here is my dad and his bro's singing a song called "Mormon Boy" that they sand in sacrament mtg, as kids at our "talent" show. Dave, Greg, John, my dad (Sam)

On the 4th we got paired up and made rockets and launched them. Me and my dad were partners and here is our lovely rocket.

Mark and my aunt Paula got paired together. Here is them and their rocket. It was so much fun launching them!

These are out of order but me, Mark, and my cousin Shane went out on the lake to fish. Here is my fish!!!

My bro Aaron, sis-in-law Allie, and Bro Taylor on the other boat!

I hate this pic, I look so gross, but I had to show me in action!!!!

Here's my hubby chilaxin' listening to music

My cute Grandpa relaxing on the shore!

My cousin Heidi, her husband Steve, me, my aunt Lorraine squished on the couch.

On July 1st......my cousin Natalie, my cousin Heidi, and my aunt Paula came into town. Paula took us all to get pedicures! It was fun!! Then we saw.................................................

Guess...............yup! We saw Wicked!!!!! It was sooooo Good!!!! I cant wait to see it again!!! here is my mom, me, sis-in-law Allie and my cousin Heather! (Paula, Natalie, and Heidi were closer than us).

Here is everyone. Sorry, it's so blurry!!!! Obviously, I am no photographer!!!!

Me and Heidi

Afterwards I got to meet Elphiba (the main character)!!!!! She did so good! What a fun night!!!!

Then......the weekend before the 4th, we went on the annual Huston family campout!!!! It was also so fun!!!! Here i am roasting a marshmallow!!!! (with my bro-in-lawsRuss and Kent and my niece Bianca).

Here is my niece Gracie eating her huge pink marshmallow!!!!

My sis-in-law Angie, niece Anna, nephew Melvin, and niece Vaeh

Russ and Mark relaxing

Gracie not wanting me to take her picture.

Our nieces and nephews Vaeh, Marie, Anna, William, and Gracie, just about to decorate cupcakes my mother-in-law brought for my birthday!!!! Camping was so fun! I wish I had more pics of camping, we even went to the creek a couple times and forgot my camera. Bummer. Oh well. The last 3 weeks were so much fun!!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Well it was 2 weeks ago, but on June 24th, I turned 26. I dont know how to feel about that. If you were to round the number 26, it rounds to 30!!! I'm just not ready to be 30 yet. At least I have 4 more years to get used to the idea. Anyway, it was a great b-day! I went to lunch with friends, saw Transformers (thanks for the porn show!) and the Proposal, went shopping, and ate at In-and-Out burger! IT was a great day. I didn't take any pics that day, (I dont know what I was thinking!) so instead, I thought I would tell you 26 random things about myself.

1. I hate brushing my teeth.....dont worry I still do it though. :) When I was pregnant I threw up every time I brushed so it just made me hate doing it.
2. I got a scholarship when I was 16 for playing the piano.....okay so dont be too impressed, it was only for $50 and I blew it taking a guy to MORP. But still...
3. My calling in the church right now is a Young Women's leader, but it doesn't have a specific name, I'm just an extra leader. Weird, I know.
4. On my mission, I took President Hinckley's son on a tour. He is really nice. Go figure, he is the son of a prophet.
5. I won a hair show when I was in beauty school.
6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE tomatoes!!
7. I love making crafty things, but I dont do it a lot because it also stresses me out a lot
8. I once saw David Spade in the airport. He is way shorter than you think...seriously
9. My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.....the newest one
10. I really want to learn to play the violin......so much that Mark bought me one when we were dating! Someday....
11. If I ever went back to school, I would be a nurse...either in antepartum, labor and delivery, or NICU.
12. I have been skydiving
13. I have lived in AZ most of my life but had never been to the Grand Canyon, until I was 22.
14. I think I'm ALMOST ready for another baby. I said........ALMOST!
15. I love old things
16. My favorite color is yellow
17. I met and talked to Elder Bednar on my mission, I'm pretty sure I'm taller than him because I was looking down to him. But I could have had tall shoes on. I cant remember.
18. I don't neccisarily have a favorite band or singer, I like way too many, but right now I am really into Death Cab for Cutie and Kings of Leon.
19. I got proposed to on my mission! Funny story......maybe a post one day :)
20. Weird I know, but I'm not too into roses, I LOVE bright colored flowers
21. I am VERY afraid of the dark.....even in my own house.
22. I was in Student Council in high school and loved every minute of it.......Mark says I'm a dork for that..
23. I went to basketball camp when I was 12....it didn't really catch on.....unfortunately.
24. I LOVE jewlery!
25. I knew I wanted to marry Mark after 1 week of dating.....but we didn't get married for 2 1/2 years!
26. I LOVE diet coke.......but I went off it last week.....:(

So.....here are some random things about me. While trying to come up with this list, I realized I am pretty boring!!! It was fun to remember a lot of this stuff though. oh....and lots has happened in the last 2 weeks, but I will blog about them later!!!! Ta ta for now!!!!