Bavaria

Wow, I've been wanting to get on here all week and now I am finally getting time at 10:30 on a Friday night.

First of all, Aunt Jackie, Happy Late Birthday!! I hope you got spoiled, I'm guessing you did.
I love you!

Next, my sweet nephew, Jackson, Happy Late Birthday from all of us in our family. We were on a trip for your birthday. We went to Salzburg, Austria and we saw lots of the places you can see in Sound of Music. It was pretty neat, Jane was very, very excited. You tell your mom that you need to come over and go in the salt mines with slides deep underground and then go see all the places from Sound of Music. I can't believe you are so old. I can't believe you are eight. You get to be baptized!!! What a wonderful time in your life. I love you and wish that we could be there.

Darla, thank you for your blog. It actually really hit home. The past two months have just been one thing after another and I just picture myself during this time as one sick, hunched over, woman just letting everything beat me in the back. I might have been weathering my trials but not growing by any means. I read your blog shortly after I had determined that I needed to put renewed effort into being a good mom, wife, and friend. I needed to get back on track with creating a spiritual environment for my family as well. We have been so strung out that some things have slacked. So far it has really helped this week. Which is good because Ellyn has been sick with strep all week and the poor kid was miserable. So again, thank you, and I enjoy your babbling if that's what you want to call it.

So, before we left for Salzburg I had to go into the Dr. and make sure it was okay to come off bedrest (which was only three days, thankfully) and modified activities. Everything looked good. Baby was healthy and I have not had anymore bleeding so we are pretty happy. I have another appointment on Tues. and this leads me to the point of this section of the blog. The Dr. was able to point out the gender of the baby to Mike and me. This will be confirmed on Tues. but I wanted to see what everyone thinks we're having. Please voice your opinions and I will share the news when I get it.

Okay last thing and then I am going to bed. My whole family has fallen asleep watching Charlotte's Web, Mike included. Okay, two things. Mike takes command on May 10th. He is very excited and he is going to be very, very busy. This is, however, one of the most important times in his military career. The other thing is- we're moving. We got the house we wanted and I am very, very happy. The bad news is, the Army is not going to pay for the move. It's all politics and irritating but we'll live. We get the house May 14th and Mike is a bit stressed trying to figure out how he is going to do it all. The poor man has really done so much these last few months. He has had to really play Mr. Mom of late and he's done a wonderful job. His girls adore him. All of us.

Well I love you all. I'm glad you are back in the Provo house Ellyn. It needed someone to love it. Hopefully it will grow on Jason. How nice to have handy men in your family.

Jess, how's baby? Cameron, how's flossing? Mindi and Adam, I love the pics. Write soon.

Love, me