Scenes from a park

A couple of weeks ago, I escaped for the afternoon - just me and my camera. 

I headed out to Manito Park and enjoyed all the glories of nature. 

I'm sure going to miss the 'evergreen' state

Getting excited

Not gonna lie I'm starting to get really excited about heading back down to utah!

It'll be so nice to have our own place and be able to walk around in our underwear again :) 

You know what I mean?  

You can't just go frolicking around somebody elses house in your underwear 

{especially with little kids around!}

so yeah... I've just been thinking I'm excited to go back down.  Even though I miss our families just thinking about it - it'll be a good thing.

AUGUST

GAH I'M SO MAD I JUST DELETED AN ENTIRE POST AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW!!!!
I really miss my mac... husband's computer just isn't the same and it does stuff differently : /

{deep breath}


Ok. . . lets try this again.

Can you believe its August?  It seems like just yesterday it was Easter weekend and we'd just driven up from Utah to good ole Spokanski.  Where has the summer gone?   In two short weeks we'll be heading back down to Utah heat, and school, and a new apartment :) and as sad as we are to be leaving family, it's time for us to go back.  We've loved {almost} every minute spent with both of our families, but being with family all the time really starts to cut into 'hubby time' and just our personal family independence... does that make sense?  We definitely don't regret coming up for the summer, but we've learned that we really like having our own place to call home, cooking our own meals for just the two three of us and not having to juggle 3 family schedules instead of just our own.  Although I'm really nervous for school (weird cause I'm taking a bunch of really fun classes) it'll be SO good to get back into a routine and have something to do every day haha.

Last week we had a Well's Family Reunion!
so.much.fun.
I finally started to feel like an actual part of the family - which was good for me.  Not that I didn't feel a part before, just I feel like I'm starting to 'get the hang of' being a Wells.  You know?
I also had my eyes opened just a little bit - haha.
3 members of the Wells family are under 4 months and I think it was really good for me to get to catch a glimpse of what being the mother of a newborn is really all about.
It kind of hit me hard though that I really don't know that much about being a mom.  I mean I'm the oldest of 9 kids so I've seen my fair share of babies, but I've never spent six months of nights getting up to feed the baby or just being chained to a little person that is helpless and will probably cry a lot.
I would like to clarify, though, that I'm not regretting anything.  I love Madeline more than I can even explain right now and I know that love will only grow.  I'm simply saying that I didn't realize how much I need to learn and study up on - breast feeding being one of those things.
Confession:  nursing kinda not freaks me out, but makes me nervous.  There's no doubt in my mind that I want to do it, I know it's best of me and Madeline, but ah!  It supposedly hurts a lot, and leaking, and its hard to get the hang of, etc. etc. etc.  SO I've started doing a lot of reading, and researching, but I still feel like I don't know that much - maybe because its one of those things you actually have to experience.  I don't know.
But I'm totally open to advice to feel free to leave a big ole message for me at the bottom of this post :)
 I did, however, make a minor adjustment to my schedule for this fall.
I was previously signed up for drawing {pre-req for Photography} but its a 3 hour class during the evenings, and I just felt like it wasn't the best thing - esp. during the last month of school when she'll be wanting to eat all the time, you know? So I dropped it and replaced it with a class from my all time favorite professor Brother Marsh (my Book of Mormon professor last two semesters) and now Jeremy and I are both in his class all about Joseph Smith.  I'm so excited!  Jeremy was already signed up for it, and I realized that as long as he's in the class then if I miss class once or twice during the last few weeks of school it'll be ok because Jeremy will be taking notes! Plus we've always wanted to take a class together, and I think I can handle it with out making a total fool out of myself standing next to my ultra perfect husband : /

SO - now I don't have any classes on Monday and only one class (a lab for a lecture earlier in the week) on Fridays.  Let me tell you what that means.
The week of Thanksgiving looks like this.  Monday - Monday schedule (nothing for me), Tuesday - Friday schedule (good chance my one class will be cancelled), no school the rest of the week and I don't have class the next Monday.  So... That means I'll have an entire week and a half off of school starting the Friday before Thanksgiving.  So Madeline, I'd like you to come on November 18th - ok :) Mommy would really appreciate it!  I know it never happens like that, but with a little help and a lot of prayers maybe she'll be ready by then.

Also {I know this is getting to be a long boring rambling post} but in some quick sad news.  I used to have the most beautiful belly button.  Perfectly innie but not too big or awkward.  The other day, I happened to notice that it is FLAT!!! Oh my goodness!  How did this happen??? Soon I will have an outie... but I supposed its worth it because my belly is getting bigger because Madeline is getting bigger and that means that I feel her more often, which I do.  And I sure love feeling her :D

I think I've written enough, but seriously - if you're a mom and you have read any good books about adjusting and especially breast feeding, PLEASE let me know :)

kluvyoubye

My hubby makes me SMILE :D

I know I haven't written anything in a while...

but my pictures are all on another computer {that I can't connect to the internet right now...}

and I've been busy, and yeah... but I did want to tell you something 

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E

Mr. Wells told me yesterday.

Mr. Wells, "You know... I'm kinda excited about having a honey-do list"

Mrs. Wells, "What!?!?! wait... really?"

Mr. Wells, "Yeah... {big cheesy/cute grin} cause then I'll get to complain about my honey-do list."

SO CUTE!

Seriously peeps - he's the best!

And we got engaged a year ago today!!! 

time flies

Later I'll do a post about our baby shower and how super excited I am getting about our little Madeline and that she's a girl - cause I love little girls and little girl clothes *eeeekkK!!!*

kluvyoubye

Continuing on the journey to find true HAPPINESS!

Between the exciting news of our little girl and my cold and just the business of life my weekly goals kind of got put on hold.  But I have been thinking about this next section of 'Unleashing the Dormant Spirit' a lot lately.  So I'll just share a few thoughts with you.  Elder Busche advises us:

"When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them in gratitude and love towards God."

Being pregnant is no walk in the park.  Its hard.  Its hard being tired all the time and feeling the need to sleep more and sit down more often.  Its not fun watching your body grow and change after being so used to how it was.  I realized that I've kind of become a grouch a night and in the mornings.  Jeremy has been a saint, and I honestly don't know how I'd have made it this far with out him.  But I came to the conclusion that I could be better.  People go through far worse pregnancies and far worse medical problems in general, and I have so much to be grateful to my Heavenly Father for, that I really need to stop complaining.  

As I've started working on this {it's not an overnight transition} I really have gained more happiness.  It makes all the difference in the world to have your mind oriented on thanking your Lord and Maker rather than throwing yourself a pity party.  I'm so grateful to God for this wonderful, strong, beautiful body that I have.  It helps me to do so many things and I know that we really are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).  

Lately I've been especially grateful to God for all of His creations not only our bodies, but this beautiful world we live in.   There is so much we owe to our Father in Heaven that it would be disgraceful to be ungrateful to Him.  Counting our blessings is not only a way to praise our Heavenly Father, but it can bring us joy in our own personal lives in ways we can't even imagine.  

A little recap

I really don't know what I want to say... but its been a while since I posted to here we go!

The past week I've been blowing like crazy and my body thought it might be a fun challenge to take on a major cough too - sweet.

That pretty much sums up my week... haha

Monday I did more manual labor than I have in a LONG time! It felt kinda good.  I helped Jeremy work on a project that is for my mother-in-law for her birthday -- she's gonna love it!

I was coughing so hard and I could hardly speak so I figured going to work wasn't really the best option

{you're welcome girl who got my shift}

uh.... Tuesday we met up with my family on Lake Roosevelt.  My family rented it for a few days, they went up Sunday but we didn't get there til Tuesday morning.  We left Wednesday morning so it was a short trip but it was so beautiful.  There was a deck all along the back of the house so I just sat in the shade and looked at the beautiful lake and enjoyed the fresh air.  AND I got to hold a little baby for a few hours :)  

Some friends of ours came up as well and she just had a baby about a month ago?  Somewhere around there.  He was just so cute and cuddly and I kind of like just holding someone.  

CONFESSION:  Sometimes I am intimidated when I'm around newborn babies.  Like I love holding them and I've been around them my whole life! {Oldest of 9 here} but I guess now that I'm having my own baby I feel like everyone is watching me waiting for me to mess up and when I hold a newborn and it starts crying I'm like "ahhh I really do know how to do this! I can be a good mom really!" and yeah... It just freaks me out.  *sigh*  Hopefully after my first child survives the first year of her life I won't have that weird paranoia anymore... hopefully.  

{Is that weird? Anybody else go through that?}

Lets see, what else.  Jeremy went with my dad and brothers backpacking to Granite Lake in Montana.  

fyi there's no cell service on the trail up Granite Lake... *sigh*  

I miss my best friend. . .  

But I know he's having fun.  We went and got all of his gear yesterday and seriously I have never seen the man so excited! {not even for our wedding!  Disclaimer... I know he was excited when we got married, I've just never seen him express his excitement like he did for this trip}  It was really cute :) 

When we got home he got out his new tent and sleeping bag and set them up in the family room to 'try them out' hehe so cute!  gah I love him... and miss him *sniff* But that's ok.  

At least I know he's having fun.

Tonight I went to a Relief Society activity with my mom.  It was really fun! Great food, fun to talk to and catch up with old yw's leaders and friends.  Then we came home and the babysitter hadn't gotten Elizabeth to bed and then I got to hold the door closed as she screamed because she wanted to stay up.  And just for a second I was like wow... maybe you can just stay in there for a while Madeline... 

Then I remembered how excited I am to see her and meet her and know what she's like/the longer she stays in there the bigger she gets and I have to push her out of me.  Short lived moment ha.

Not much else to report. Sorry no pictures... I did take some pictures of my brother-in-law and his family but they aren't people you know so why should you... yeah... I discovered that I have a LOT to learn about all this. I was kinda overwhelmed by trying to keep 4 boys looking at the camera and change all the different settings that I need to to get a great picture and then when I looked at them after all I could see was how badly I messed up... *sigh* But thats ok!  It means I get to work on it a lot to get better! 

kluvyoubye

One of the things I hate about being pregnant is...

YOU CAN NEVER GET RID OF A COLD!!!!!
I have been blowing, and sniffing, and coughing, and aching, and having a sore throat and a head ache for the past week and its just really not cool anymore.  Not only that but Jeremy has a cold too so we just make the cutest little Mr. and Mrs. Sniffles.  I'd show you a picture of the 59403503839 used tissues around our room... but then you'd probably stop being friends with us. 

 I did take a little action last night and buy some hand sanitizer 

{I do work at Bath & Body Works - love it!!!!}but we'll see if it helps.

 Having a cold is just the most miserable thing ever... and I don't like it... 

And now... just to make you laugh bahaha I love this movie. 

{kluvyoubye}