Quick update

I had my 12 week check-up yesterday and heard the babys heartbeat, and that was pretty cool. It is still strange to know a living person is inside me. We are getting a new mattress soon, so I hope that will help me sleep better. Also, we are trying to get Joseph to sleep in his own bed, but he always comes to our bed in the middle of the night and we are both too tired to take him back to his own bed. Joseph is a light sleeper and we are all in the same room, so it's a little difficult to keep him in his own bed. The new bed we are getting is a lot higher off the floor so he might not be able to get up on to it, but, knowing him, he will figure out a way.
I am hoping to post some pictures of the lunar eclipse from last week. My dad took some awesome pictures with his fancy camera, but I still need to download them.
Jacob's birthday is tomorrow and I am hoping that we will be able to have a date night on Friday to celebrate.

This one is for Tovah!

I think I am finally done being sick! I have gone 3 days now without feeling nauseated all the time. I started eating sunflower seeds whenever I was sitting around and also drank gatorade and powerade. I also stopped losing weight, which is a good thing, since I had lost about 13 pounds since the beginning of my pregnancy. I can't wait to get our tax return because we are buying a new mattress! We are getting a foam mattress from Ikea and it will be very comfy! I am hoping I will get some better sleep after we get it.

They cancelled school here today because it is -28 with the wind chill. So, Jacob has the day off and went to the gym this morning. I doubt I will leave the house if it stays this cold all day. yuck!

We took some video of Joseph jumping around like a frog and saying "ribbit" - it's pretty cute!

Presidents

So, I am pretty sure everyone is tired of hearing about the presidential nomination races, but I just wanted to make a few comments. I am taking more time this year to research each candidate by visiting their websites and I want to encourage anyone else who hasn't voted yet to do the same. While I don't appreciate the "Bush-bashing" that many candidates participate in, it is interesting to see what kind of ideas each candidate has for fixing a lot of the problems we face. What was even more interesting to me is that all the candidates have similar goals, but just different ideas on how to accomplish those goals. It's too bad they can't recognize that and try to work together. They all have good ideas and should really be able to set their differences aside. If they can stop focusing on being right 100% of the time and listen with an open-mind and see the best solutions, maybe our state representatives and senators can get something accomplished. Okay, I am getting off my soapbox now.

Joseph has been more and more vocal lately. His favorite thing to do lately is sing the theme song to "Blue's Clues". It is super cute and I will have to get some video of it and post it. I hope everyone has a good weekend!
~Shawn

President Hinckley

I watched President Hinckley's funeral today and thought it was the perfect tribute to him. There's not a whole lot that I can say that hasn't already been said, but I was inspired by his teachings. My favorite thing he taught was to be a little better. I loved the way he encouraged everyone to continue learning and growing no matter where you are in your life. I also appreciated his council to the young women of the church to get an education. That is something I have always believed in and was grateful for his words of encouragement that always seemed timely. He will be missed, but he would not want us to be too sad. He would want us to continue working hard and serve those around us. I am usually not a very emotional person, but at the end of the funeral service, when a series of images of President Hinckley were shown with the Choir singing "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need", I wept openly. That is by far my favorite song. Especially poetic is the last verse which states: "O may Thy house be mine abode, And all my work be praise! There would I find a settled rest, While others go and come; No more a stranger, nor a guest, But like a child at home." I believe President Hinckley is at home with our Father in Heaven and his beloved wife, Marjorie.