Drama

These last week or so seems to have been nothing but stressful. First off, my wallet was stolen while we were at the Park City Walmart last wednesday. I thought Mike had grabbed it out of the shopping cart, but apparently he didn't. When we went back for it, it was gone. Mike went back after he got off work to see if it had turned up yet. While he was there, one of the cashiers mentioned a couple who had come through the store attempting to make a $1500 purchase. They tried three different cards (I happened to have three cards in my wallet) and each one was declined (I had called and canceled my cards as soon as we realized the wallet was missing). When the cards didn't work the cashier asked for ID the couple said "never mind" and left. Whether or not this couple had my wallet, there own, or some other poor soul's, I don't know. But it makes me sick that someone would just take a wallet they found rather than taking them to the lost and found or even the police (we did file a police report thingy too). I have consequently deemed Walmart the portal to hell where all the evil people come to prey on innocent, poor mothers/house wives like me. I have since promised never to shop there again. Mike thinks I am just being ridiculous, but I am being serious. To make the whole stolen-wallet thing worse, my social security card was in my wallet. So I had to go all the way to Provo to the SS administration building to order a new one and get the information I needed to set up a fraud alert. I'm am still afraid someone is going to sell my card to some illegal who is going to ruin my life. It has just been a huge headache.

A few days after the wallet incident I found out that my eldest brother and his wife are splitting up. I wasn't terribly surprised to hear this, but it still came as a significant shock. They have been married for something like 10 years and things have gotten to a point where he wanted to call it quits. Its a sad thing. I just hope that everything turns out okay for them both. We all love them and wish the best for them.

These two dramas have been rather stressful, but we were able to relieve some at our monthly game night with some of my cousins. All of us are about the same age and the same stage of life. one family has a six month old, another is expecting their first in September, and the other is looking to adopt and are now just waiting. I love being able to spend time with people like me. As much as I love being a graduate and living in a normal ward with my family close by and all, I do miss being around other young new families. It makes me feel normal, something I don't get to often among my everyday surroundings.

Abram has become a semi-independent baby since he has started crawling and cruising, leaving me with a bit more spare time to work with in my day. I have taken the opportunity to practice my sewing a bit. I have made a hooded jacket and I think I am going to make a shirt next.

Though drama will always be a part of life, there will always be opportunities to relieve it. And thank goodness for that.

New calling and a growing baby

More than a month without a single posting... pretty sad attempt at my new-year's resolution. But, let's not dwell on the negative. This last month has been pretty busy. I have been called to the group-formerly-know-as-the-enrichment-board and have been busy trying to plan monthly activities and studying up on Relief Society History to teach my fellow sisters. I must admit, I feel a bit out of my element on this job. I have planned church activities before but they have all been for young women and single adults. I have no idea what sort of activities to plan for mothers with several children and some grandchildren. Mike and I are the only newlyweds in our ward, and although we love the ward and enjoy the company of the other members, we do miss being around people our own age at times. Luckily, I have cousins close by who are all at the same stage in life as us.
Speaking of cousins - After a long drought my family seems to be getting a flood of new babies. This last year there were three great-grand children born (including Abram), and this year there will be at least two (one from my brother Eben and another from my cousin Meghan). It has been an absolute blast seeing people I have known since I was an infant have babies of their own. Though I maintain my terribly biased opinion that my baby is the cutest.

So Abram has become a pretty good crawler in the last month. He still army crawls, but he is so fast at it that I doubt he will give real crawling much of an effort. On top of becoming a crawling master he has learned to pull himself up on the furniture and walk holding on to it. It is great until he reaches the end of the couch and wants to keep going that direction but does not have anything within reach to get him there. I have, up till now, thought that Abram was a really easy and well disposed baby, but lately he has developed a bit of a temper. He has suffered from separation anxiety for two or three months, but now he has a fit when ever he does not get what he wants. I am hoping that this is just a phase. Most of the time he is really very happy and hilarious to watch. He had out grown his old car seat and is now in a forward facing one. I don't think he liked it at first, but now I think he prefers being able to see out the front of the car. Abram is growing so fast it scares me sometimes, but it is so exciting too.

New Year's Resolutions

Among my new years resolutions this year, I have vowed to actually get involved in this blogging thing. I am terrible when it comes to keeping a journal and am hoping that I will do better at this family version. I hope to do better at this resolution then ones in the past (my track record is rather pathetic). One of my problems seems to be that I make too many resolutions. This year I think I have limited myself to reasonable list.
1. blog
2. Re-read the entire Book of Mormon with Mike. We have been married for over a year and a half and haven't read even one chapter of it together, which I find rather sad.
2. Read Northanger Abby, the only Jane Austin novel I have yet to read.
3. Get caught up on Abram's baby book. I hate scrap booking, but I think I can endure the torture to create a keep-sake for my son.
4. Have a daily family prayer. Mike and I have been sort of hit and miss on this and could use some improvement.
All in all I thought I did pretty well on my resolutions, now I just need to fulfill them. So here is my first attempt at number 1.

We had a generally beautiful Christmas up in Idaho with the Scaddens. There was delicious food, good conversation, and two ever doting grandparents. Abram received a ludicrous number of gifts, but his favorite things were the boxes the gifts came in. (I really don't see the point in getting toys for children under the age of 1, but I admit I fell victim to the commercial tempter myself and bought him a couple toys.)



The best present I got Abram was a pair of super warm teddy bear pajamas. He looks like the kid from A Christmas Story in them (but less pink and miserable). I must admit, part of me can't wait till he is older and dating girls just so I can show off this adorable picture.






For New Year's Eve, Mike and I had a little party with a couple of my cousins and there spouses. We ate tons of food and played "Settlers" which nobody other than Mike and I had played (neither of us won by the way). My cousin Kelli brought her daughter (the one I tend on week days) with her. She was all decked out with a "Happy New Year" head band but fell missed out on the chance to put it real use. (she and Abram had zonked off well before midnight).



After New Years Mike decided to "surprise" me with a new look. I nearly threw-up when I saw him. I know it is silly of me but he just looked so much like his dad it freaked me out. As much as I like his dad, I really don't want to be married to him. I begged him to shave, but he seemed pretty proud of himself. He decided to take a ask around and see what people thought of the "new him." The response must not have been too positive because he shaved it off that same day (that might have been just because of my terrible looks and constant nagging though).


All in all it has been an okay start to the year (or at least it is proving to be entertaining). With luck I will keep up on my new years resolution and be able to share this years entertainment with you.