July - Sandra

Dear Family

Forgive me for not writing before now. It has been a stressful couple of weeks for me and I have not been feeling very spiritual. I have been trying harder to do what I should be doing to get spiritual but things haven't come. Tonight I had a relief society activity that I was in charge of getting together and so I was forced to come up with a thought to give the sisters so this is what you are getting now. Our activity tonight was on home storage and canning. We had a dimenstration on jams and one on pressure cooking. So my thought is on home storage and preparing our families.

This statement is by Bishop Keith B. McMullin

Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to "prepare every needful thing" so that, should adversity come, we can care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others. My thought was this we know that we are to become self reliant and store all we can for our families. Paul tells us "if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. But the statement from Bishop McMullin goes further and tells us that if we can we need to be able to help our neighbors and the bishops who care for others also. That is a big responsibility. We are blessed when we have enough for our own families but when we have more than we need we are able to help others also. That is a blessing. Interestingly enough this week we recieved an email from the bishops storehouse that said if anyone has extra produce from their gardens they can bring it to the storehouse and it can be used to help others in our area. We all have a stewardship for ourselves, our families, and sometimes when we can, for others. When we follow the  counsel from our leaders we are blessed both temporally and spiritually. Our faith and testimony grow as we make the effort to do all that we can. Pres. Benson said "The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah... Now I am pretty sure that this message is mostly for me cause probably most of you have your 3 month, 6 month, or even 1-2 year supply. Unlike mom I am not perfect and although I have a testimony of these things I have not been able to get much going on the way of food storage. This is to come, however when we do what we can and work hard to follow we are blessed and the Lord helps us.

For family news, there isn't much to tell you. The summer is flying by and soon it will be time for me to go to my other job. I feel at times as though I have 2 or 3 or more jobs and I can never seem to get on top of any of them. I really enjoyed my time at Steve and Dianes and having mom and dad with us for a couple nights. Sorry to drag you to that movie. We are getting ready for our Armstrong reunion in Kentucky. This will be the first year in I think 3 that Mark will actually be going with us. It will be nice to have him come to a family gathering. Grant has been taking guitar lessons. We got him that for his birthday. He pretty much taught himself how to play but he wanted to learn more and learn about being a lead guitarist. He has a band or so they call it. There really isn't a name for it although the name the "midlife crisis" has been mentioned. A couple years ago they actually had a gig. They played at our Ward summer social. They are about to do this again on Saturday. They decided they can't use the above name and so they are trying to come up with another. Some have suggested The annual band cause they only play once a year if that. Then they thought maybe it should be a little more modern and so they considered the "Man gaga's" That will only seem funny if you have heard of "Lady gaga". So we shall see how they do and how they actually introduce themselves. They have never actually been invited to play at the ward party, but they have invited themselves as the entertainment for the party. We have told him seems how he has had some lessons now he should sound really good. Brad has been doing football. It seems that sport never ends. They have those kids doing something all year long except while basketball is being played but they still go and condition. He is excited for his senior year and playing. They are trying him out in the quarterback position, plus he will still play his other position on defense, which I think is safety or something. Mackenzie has already gone to kentucky for 2 weeks so spend time with her cousins. They are the 3 amigos. Mark is working and still has a girlfriend. I think he will be bringing her to the reunion. He is still actually working although there have been some times when we thought he wouldn't be for long. I am not sure why he hasn't been fired, but it is good that he continues to go each day. Amy and Kelsie doing fine. We think Kelsie is the smartest kid around. She talks a lot. Her favorite thing to do is steal seat spots. She has even figured out how to have you get up and go get something for her while she gets into your spot while you are gone. If you tell her don't get in my spot, she gets very upset and starts to cry. The other day we were eating out and the manager of the place came over to her and gave her a cookie. We said say Thank you Bobby, cause his name was Robert and so she said, "Thank you Bobby" and then continued to say that the rest of the night. It is funny when she says that to you and your name isn't Bobby. 

I am sure I am boring you with my family and all the stories. It's like pulling out home movies or books and books of pictures and forcing you to watch them. Sorry bout that. I know there are a few people in my family that would look at a long letter and not want to read it just because it was long. Well before it is later and the letter is longer I shall say good-bye for now. Hopefully I will find something spiritual before next time. Maybe I will has I have to give a spiritual thought at welfare meeting next month. I love each of you.

P.s Amy thinks you are all crazy, but cool.

Love Sandra

July - Diane (Steve)

Dear Family,

This last month has given me a lot of time for reflection.  I have thought a lot about sacrifice.  As most of you know, Mom & Dad & Sandra & Amy were here for a very short visit the end of June.

Christopher received the Melchizedek Priesthood and was ordained an Elder by his father.  The Bishop commented to Christopher afterwards that it was a proud day for fathers; I told him it was a proud day for mothers as well.

Christopher was surrounded by worthy men, his father and his grandfather along with others, who placed their hands on his head, that he loves and respects and who have helped him get to this point in his life.  One former Young Men’s president, (who had to be attendance or it was going to be postponed until he could be there), I will forever be eternally grateful for this man and his profound influence upon my son.  I know for a fact that my Heavenly Father loves me and that he loves my son.  I have seen and witnessed His great love for my son.

I know that it was a sacrifice of time and money for our family to be here to support Christopher in this next step of his life.  I also know that it is a sacrifice to be a worthy Priesthood holder.  They live a certain standard, do certain things the Lord requires of them, which is not always easy or convenient, and above all they do not do a lot of things that are displeasing to the Lord.

All too soon Mom and Dad had to go to Columbus to visit with Grant and Sandra and kids for a couple of days, and Dad worried that he was putting me out, making me sacrifice for them in driving them to Columbus so they did not have to rent a car and pay a huge drop charge.  Of course this was NO SACRIFICE for me, those of you who know me well, when I tell you that it was during the week, you will guess one of the reasons why it was no sacrifice.  Yes, that is right, Columbus has what…TEMPLE…not only did I get to enjoy Mom all to myself (Dad slept) for the drive but after I dropped them off, I got to go to the Temple and do a session.  It is heaven on earth to be in the Temple, I wish everyone could truly have a testimony of the Temple and the blessings that are there, wouldn’t the world be a nicer place to live?  So….Mom and Dad as I told you then, come see us anytime and I will come to Columbus and pick you up… just make it on a Tuesday through Saturday, hahahaJ  No seriously I will pick you up any day of the week, just come more often!!!  We love you!!

This last week Steve and I went to Palmyra, NY.  We went to see the Hill Cumorah pageant.  We have been many times, but it has changed since the last time we were there.  The script is different, it was truly a wonderful experience.  It rained, well really was a downpour in the afternoon, but by pageant time it had cleared off and was cool, which was a blessing because it was so hot and humid before the rain storm.  They had 9000 seats set up.  I am not sure if they were all full or not as we sat in the front.  It was a short trip, but wonderful.

They were not showing the film, Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration, the 70 minute one, due to the time, they were showing a short one, so they could get as many people as possible.  But when I asked about it, they told us they could schedule us a private showing in a small room.  Of course we jumped at the chance.  We have seen the film several times, however, we met a couple from our ward up there that had never been to the area or seen the pageant or the film and we wanted them to see it.  If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it.  You to will think about sacrifice.  Over the years I have thought a lot about the sacrifices of Joseph in bringing us the Gospel, BUT this time it struck me at the great sacrifices that Emma had to make.  My heart just aches for her and all that she sacrificed.  I find that I have a great love for Emma, I really had never given her much thought.

After watching the film we were able to go to Palmyra and visit the Smith farm and take a tour.  We got to visit the reconstructed log cabin where Moroni came to visit in the upstairs bedroom.  They did research and archeology to find the original foundation and built a cabin with lumber from the Smith farm.  We also go to tour the house Alvin was building.  If any of you have been there prior to I believe it was 1998, you will know that the house had been added to and remodeled.  Pres Hinckley had the house restored to 85% original.  I love that man.  It looks very different that it did when we first visited in 1986.  It was great to tour it, Lucy must have really enjoyed that house, especially the kitchen, it is large.  We saw the bedroom right off the kitchen where Joseph hid the plates in the bed between his pretend sleeping sisters to keep them from the mob.  Saw the bricks of the fireplace where he hid the plates.

The church has moved a barn that was built by John Young, father of the Prophet Brigham, to the Smith farm.  Well it is the frame of the barn, they put new roof and outside on the barn, but the interior was built by John Young.  It is a thrashing barn, not a barn used for animals.  It was quite interesting to hear the history.  This is my way to learn history, I am a visual person, it is just more interesting.  They have also reconstructed a coopers shed.  Again we get to see how the plates are saved from the mobs by Joseph placing the plates in the loft of the shed instead of under the floors.  The mob tore up the floor boards, but did not look just 6 feet or so above their heads where the plates were hidden.

Of course we got to then go sit in the “Sacred Grove” for several minutes.  There to sit and think about Joseph and all that he did, so that I could have the Gospel in my life and come back to where it all began and sit.

As most of you know when I was investigating the church, my big problem to overcome was Joseph Smith being a prophet.  I did not know there were prophets on the earth, it was a new concept for me.  I don’t ever remember being taught that their would never be any more prophets, just that there were not, they has all died.  Well of course when all you have is the bible that is all you know.  I had a hard time accepting that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that there was a living prophet in 1983.  It was a real struggle for me.  Is Joseph Smith really a prophet?  The rest of the things I was being taught was either stuff I already knew to be true, or stuff that I believed as soon as it was taught to me and I had occasion to think about it.  I grew up going to church every week and loved the stories of the bible.  I loved going to church and missed it terribly when my parents divorced and we no longer went to church.  I knew there was something missing in my life, but was Joseph really a prophet, were there really living prophet and apostles on the earth.  So I decided that I had to pray about it, was Joseph really a prophet?  Of course I got the answer the first time I truly ask, expecting to get the answer.  The answer was yes.  But I am sorta stubborn and new at recognizing that kind of direct answer to prayer.  I had been taught how to pray as a child, but not how to listen and recognize answers to prayer.  So I asked again with the same result, and yes…then again.   Well at this point I knew Joseph was a prophet, and if he was a prophet then the Book of Mormon had to be true as well as everything else I was being taught.

So I was baptized and have never looked back.  The Gospel has brought so much joy and happiness into my life.  I used to think for years anyway, that it came with great sacrifice on my part.  My mother has not spoken to me most of my adult life, she doesn’t know and have the love of her grandchildren, this has caused me great heartache and many oceans of tears, but it is worth every bit of it.  Yes, I would do it all over again, I know the Gospel is true and that it brings happiness.

I am excited that my son has a desire and is worthy to go and teach the Gospel to Heavenly Fathers children, to bring them the opportunity for the joy and happiness that we all share.  I can not imagine the joy and excitement he will have when he sees a seed that he has planted grow into a baptism as the scripture says in D & C 18:15-16, especially when they go to the temple and gain the full blessings of the temple.  I do know the joy those he teaches will have if they accept the Gospel.

We also got to do a session in the Palmyra Temple while we were there.  It is a beautiful Temple.

We had Christopher’s wisdom teeth removed the week before we went to Palmyra in preparation for his mission.  We left him home with his sister to recuperate and she took good care of him.  She brought him home pudding and spaghetti O’s so that he was sure to have soft foods to eat.  She did a great job.  He is still working at Kroger’s at night stocking shelves.  He has bought himself 12 pairs of socks for his mission, found deodorant on sale (yes he is his mother’s son) and bought himself several bottles.  He found a tie on sale, but did not like it so he did not buy it.  Our Bishop told us it will take approx $3000 to just get him out on the mission, not to mention the $400 monthly.  I have been pricing the shoes that other moms have recommended for missionaries and they are $81 pair, so I can believe that it is going to be quite expensive to get him ready.  The medical and dental stuff has already run into several hundred dollars.  Did I mention that I have thought a lot about sacrifice lately???

Brenda is plugging away at college.  She has been in class all summer, but it is almost over.  She will be out of class in 2 weeks and won’t have to go back until after her birthday in August.  She has 2 more semesters and will graduate next May.  She is ready for it to be over with.  She has had a lot of car problems this month, to the tune of abt $700 which of course she did not have, and it still needs some more work done on it.  Christopher was broad sided in my van on his way to work toward the end of June.  He was not hurt, but my van had $5000 worth of damage, and I still don’t have it back from the shop.  We had just had it in the shop and spent $500 on it right before it was hit, and are having to have additional work done on it while it is in the shop for the accident repairs.  I hate cars.

Steve is still working hard with the airlines.  I have an interview next week to teach tax classes again this year.  Hopefully I will be hired again to teach as this year I really need the money.

Canning season is upon us again, started last week.  I canned 12 jars of banana peppers the other night.  I have gotten 3 zucchini out of the garden and have fried them.  They really are yummy!  The onions are ready to be pulled and dried as are the first batch of green peppers.  We are going to plant some more zucchini once the onions are pulled so that hopefully we will have zucchini way into the fall.  The potatoes are not looking too great and this makes me very sad, they are one of my favorite foods.  So far the tomatoes are not doing to bad, haven't picked any yet, but probably this week.

Well this is turning into a book so I will close.  I love each of you and wish we could all live closer together so that we could see each other several times a year, but I guess that is not to be, in this life.

Jully - Mom and Dad

Hello guys and gals....

    As I get older and feel less needed in society and no one want's to put an old man to work, I wonder  why am I still here.
Then I think of my old stand-by quote from a movie,"the choices we make dictate the lives we lead. to thy own self be true".  You see I am product of what I chose to be. Let me say that we learn from others and let me quote s scripture (DC130:20-21)
"There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated and
when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by OBEDIENCE to that law upon which it is predicated". IE you want love, you must love. You want forgiveness then you must forgive. You want knowledge, you must study.  ect., Yesterday it was my turn to give the scripture in the Temple and it was the same scripture Allen gave (Mosiah 3:19) For the natural man is an enemy to God----unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ----submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon us----I say to submit is to be positive in all that we do. If you think you can, you will and if you think you can't, you wont.  Our thought must be positive full of hope and success. we must tell ourselves what we want to be.  You can be anything you want to be. Again, submissive, meek, humble, patient-----Make your lives important, full of love and willing to submit to all things.  I love you all, POPs

    We have had a very busy time for the past month into this month. Time does have a way of going so very fast and I am thinking that age has something to do with it. In June as all of you know we headed to California for the Benincosa Reunion.
It was rather hectic as I, along with my two sisters, had to put it together in a place that we knew nothing about. We did a caravan type of travel. One van and one truck. We made it over there without incident. Dropped mom off at Val's home and headed out to finish preparations and find out motel. I have to say that there were a few things that really made us happy that we had gone to Huntington Beach. We were able to attend the temple out there. I was one of the richest of experiences that I have had in that it was so neat to see each of my siblings and their spouses come through the veil into the celestial room. tI was sort of like being in heaven and seeing that wonderful gift of families being reunited and being a forever family. We each got hugs from one another before we left the room. One day I am hoping that all of us can attend one temple and feel that same way as each of us comes through the veil. Secondly, one day we had free time so we headed down to San Diego to a spot called Old Town. While there we saw a sign that said that the Mormon Battalion Museum was there and so we hiked to it and had the greatest pleasure of going through that. It is brand new and is built to match old Spanish homes. It has many rooms in it that take you through the history of their march to California. What is so  neat is that they have pictures on the walls that talk to you or to each of the different pictures hanging there. If you have seen the Harry Potter movies and noticed the pictures on those walls and how they move around and talk, well that is how these pictures were. We learned much from them and the missionaries there. It was all done up so that everyone would be entertained. We then went to the back of the building and panned for gold. They have a slue there and you pan for gold...fools gold that is. Third, we did have fun with the families that came. As the years go by, everyone seems to change in age, size, hair styles, baldness, weight, and seem to be adding more kids to their families. We had games and fun along with a very cold and windy beach experience. Now the bad parts...mom, grandma, got a bad case of bronchitis. She is still under the weather with it. Barb, got a good case of pneumonia. She is still trying to get over that. Rob and Vickie got colds and the thing that turns me off from California...the traffic. Oh man, I thought I-15 here in Utah was bad but they are really in a bad way out there with their traffic. We did make it home and then we left right away to go visit Steve, his son Chris was ordained an elder. That was great. Then a few days over at Sandra's and that too was great. We are home now and have been trying to get the weeds under control here. It has taken us two weeks of solid work out in this yard to try and get control again. We are almost there. Dad has gotten in some golfing and yes, I did get to go see that blessed movie Eclipse twice. Once with Sandra and Amy and when I got home, Jo and Barb wanted to see it and so Barb paid my way...she bribed me. It did nothing for me...either time. I could almost 'bite' someone for getting me involved with vampires and
werewolves. Oh well, I know what people are talking about when they talk about this garbage....I'm such a sorry case.
The temple is still open and so we press on with that calling and I do love it and love what I am assigned to do. I hope that I get to help people through the veil in heaven. I am in good training for it at this time. Well, thats about it for this time.
I hope that you all got your 'Clean House Declaration" If you can use it in your homes good. If you can use it in a talk, good. If you can help yourselves and your children clean up your individual houses and make better people out of yourselves better yet. We love you all, We care about what you are doing with your lives and those of our grandkids...stay close to the Lord. You will be able to make it through all kinds of experiences...good and bad. Go for the goal of eternal life with the Savior and with each other and your families.............Love you   Mom and Dad
p/s Happy belated Birthday to D.J., Chrissy and to Grant.  Next newsletter due August 15th.............keep them coming!!!

July - Allen

Dear Family,

I have learned more this pass year and have realized that our Father in Heaven did not send us to this earth to be alone.  God would not send us to earth knowing that Lucifer, who would want to harm us would not give us some type of protection against Satan.  We can have that protection if we look to Father in Heaven and live by his commandments.  Father in Heaven also knew that we would face challenges and be required to make some decisions that would be beyond your own ability to decide correctly.

In His plan of happiness, The Holy Ghost’s roll in the God Head is to provide help with such challenges, decisions, and protection during those experiences we face.  It is a power that brings peace and happiness to all of us.

With this in mind then we need to be careful not to stop the influence of the Holy Ghost.   The Holy Ghost can be overcome by our strong emotions, such as anger, hate, passion, fear, or pride. Or even negative feelings of skepticism, or irreverence, can cause us not to feel the protection or help that the Holy Ghost can provide us.

In other words when we act in a way that the prophets describe as the natural man. We lose that influence, that protection of the Holy Ghost.  The Scriptures says this about a natural man:

“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually unable to discern the Spirit.” And This “natural man is an enemy to God, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient,and full of love.”

Another month has gone by, it seems like the months have been flying by the last few years.  Maybe that has something to do with age.  Tanner passed Tammi a note last Sunday during sacrament meeting that said “Mom, I like the way you cut dads hair.  Can you cut my hair the same way, but without his bald spot.”  I am getting older, and with age comes baldness and growth in places that you don’t want on your body.

All the kids are doing fine for the most part.  We are in the middle of summer and Tammi has been working to get the kids ready for another year of school.  We want to put Tess is pre-school, but before that can happy she needs to be potty trained.  Tess from the day she came to this earth has been one that has taken her sweet time in doing anything.  For example she didn’t start to walk until she was 18 months.  It wasn’t because she couldn’t walk, it was because she choose not to walk.  And her going potting in the toilet is the same way.  The other day I came home from work and Tammi was ready to pull her own hair out.  She had been working with Tess all day, and that battle for potty training was won by Tess.  I just hoping that by the end of next year Tess decides to use the toilet instead of her pants.

If Tess was not enough to deal with every day.  Tammi has been working with Brynn on her ABC.  At least with Brynn we have seen some improvement, but not what it should be.  I get the feeling that Brynn like Tanner and me, will have a learning disability.  I’m not sure how bad it will be, I can only hope it’s not as bad as mine was.  I do know that with enough work and study she can overcome any learning disability.  I was able to overcome something’s and Tanner has done the same.

Tanner is gearing up for Scout Camp.  He should be a life scout now working toward his eagle.  Not too bad since Tammi has told him he will not be getting his driver’s license at 16 if he is not an eagle scout.  He is 13 and working hard to finish his badges up.  His problem is he starts one badge without finishing the other.  The result is a lot of merit badges almost complete but nothing finished.  Last year at scout camp he earned 13 badges, I’m hoping he will be able to do the same this year or close to it.

Gabe has been to his cub scout camp.  I can almost bet a fare bet that Gabe will not get his license by the time he turns 16.  Scouting is not in his blood, he would stop going to cub scouts if we let him.  He told me he did have a good time only because he got to shoot a gun and a bow.  I would call a BB gun a gun, but at least something excited him at camp.  Gabe is ready for football to begin, and I’m kind of looking forward to seeing him on the field running and playing.  Gabe likes sports and will sit and watch ESPN more than me.  In fact when I need to know something sports related,  I don’t need to tune into ESPN or turn on the computer all I need to do is ask Gabe.

Dylan is growing too fast for my liking, she is such a beautiful girl in my eyes, I think I’ll be a protective dad with all my girls.  She is enjoying her summer, she has plenty of friends around the house each day to play with.  Including a boy who is a little younger then she is.  This little boy will come by the house at 8 am and knock on the door or 9:30 pm at night.  He just wants to play with Dylan.  For safety I have Brynn plan with them always.  Brynn is their little shadow.

July - Shelli

My life is in a really interesting place right now, or it will be next month, but I've been thinking about it a lot this month because by next month, I need to be out of my apartment and I will be graduated.

Graduation is something I have been working towards now for.... so many years I've lost track (I've never been good at math). And now that I am nearing the end, I have no idea what I am going to do. Which, consequently effects where I am going to live and makes it all around more stressful.

On one hand, I am still working at a job that I like very much, in a field I know very little about. I like the job because I can take off whenever I want. They don't seem to mind that I'm not an early riser, or that it consistently takes me an hour to get ready even though I only ever give myself a half hour to do hair, make-up, etc. They like me well enough. My boss calls me beautiful. Etc. etc. However, I would like to work a job that offered benefits, that I could see myself working there for many years (nothing so far has interested me quite that much) and will eventually allow me to buy: a new car, a new computer, a house, a trip to foreign countries.... and the like.

On the other hand, I would like to eventually see myself out of Provo. I have many friends in Provo, but the older we get the more I realize that I am going to lose my friends to jobs, marriage, adventures, etc. And I can just see myself being stuck in Provo with a bunch of college freshman for the rest of my life. But I feel like if I leave Provo, then I've conceded, and that I have admitted defeat. If I leave Provo, I may remain single the rest of my life. I realize that this is not a rational thought, and that all of my aunts and uncles and cousins have found their spouses outside of Provo...but that doesn't make me think any more rationally. Leaving Provo without a husband has never been an option. I thought. I don't know.

On the third alien hand, I am scared to death to leave Provo into a world of unknown. It isn't as though I've received a teaching degree or a law degree or some degree whereby I may find a good job anywhere I want to end up. First, I don't really know where I want to end up. And second, I don't have a degree I can do anything with. What little geographical knowledge I had, I've lost it by being out of school and without use for it over the past year. So yes, I'll have a four year degree. But that means nothing when you don't know how to use it.

In the end, I see myself continuing to work for KMA, living paycheck to paycheck out of my car. Because I can't find a place in Provo where I want to live and I don't trust moving in with people I don't know. That never really works out for me.

My thought comes from Sacrament meeting today:

I do not believe that any man lives up to his ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our duty. If we are seeking to correct our own faults, if we are so living that we can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence, and above all, for His Spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses, then, I can tell you, we are in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal.

-President Heber J. Grant

Clara's June/July 2010 Update

Hello my dear family! This past week has been really busy. On Tuesday I went to the doctor and had my 20 wk check up. Everything is looking good and great. My BP is down, still slightly high but much lower than it was last time. That's good news. Also I haven't developed Gestational Diabetes yet, which is also really good news. I only gained one pound which is also really good. The doc says my goal isn't to gain weight but maintain my weight. Then on Wednesday we had our Gender/Growth Ultrasound. Baby is looking great. Right where in needs to be. All fingers and toes accounted for right now. Heart beating correctly kidneys, brain, everything is functioning as it should be for this stage in development. We also learned that it's a little girl! I'm so excited its our 3rd baby girl. I know it sounds wrong, but I was really relieved it was a little girl. I really don't think I'm ready for all the extra energy that comes from a little boy! :-D We are still scheduled for delivering her the 17th of November! I am terribly excited. I do wish it were November already. Zelda and great love talking about the baby girl in mommys tummy and how it's going night night right now! Zelda and Greta are doing great. They are still learning more words each day and I've finally started to get them to recognize colors. Zelda has only been interested in learn what things were like what a tree was and so on, and Greta just follows Zelda around like a puppy!

K.C. has been deployed tonight. I can't say much since our blog isn't private, but I do ask that you keep him in your prayers. It's his first time having to do something like this, and from what I've heard things like this can get pretty ugly. He may not be in the safest of places right now. I don't know I haven't heard from him in about 4 hrs. It amazes me how some people can let their emotions cause their actions to be so out of control and destructive. Either way once he comes out of this and can come home he'll have accumulated some good OT we hope. We'll just have to see it should be OT, but since we're paid by the state you never know.

Well, my family thats all going on over here! We love you! Love, Clara Marie