another video of Erin

The master plan

Okay, so the next couple of weeks are going to be big ones for us. On Wednesday we're going to move all of our stuff into a storage unit and clean the apartment to as sparkling as we can get (if you've seen my tub, you know that it's not going to be anywhere near the actual definition of "sparkling").

We're going to be spending a week or so in our bishop's extra room in their basement. (They have a queen sized bed and Sis. T doesn't want me sleeping on an air mattress on the floor of somewhere. I have a feeling she's going to treat me like an invalid! lol)

Since the company's HR department has been out of town until today, Matt hasn't been able to sign any paperwork to officially accept the position, so we haven't been able to get in contact with the moving company. (if it hadn't been the holiday season, we'd have the paperwork signed and the moving company would probably be moving us on Wednesday, without the storage unit/homeless step in the middle). So hopefully tomorrow HR will fax us the papers, Matt will fill them out and fax them back, and we will be able to get in contact with the company's liason with the moving company. Maybe. There's not actually anyone in the mover's office until NEXT Monday. Not only that, but since the movers want to be there "every step of the way" we can't really sign a contract with the apartment complex we want on our own. They'd like us to do it through them. Matt's been in contact with the people at this complex since this summer when he spent some time in Denver during some downtime on his internship. We can get a good deal if we sign by the 8th of Jan, so I'm really hoping that we can get this thing going with the moving company soon!

So, overall, I'm stressed but excited. It's kind of weird to me to think that I'm actually moving out of Rexburg. I'm excited for Denver and for the changes this will bring in our life though!


And if any of you have any tips for long car trips with a toddler (mom? dad?), please share them! Erin gets fussy after about 2 hours in her seat, and the trip to Denver will take anywhere from 10-12 hours depending on the weather. (At least we won't be pulling a trailer!!) I'd like to keep our sanity and hers as much as possible, without resorting to something like bendryl to put her to sleep!

Video of Erin opening a present

Christmas pictures

I know you've been waiting for them!

All the pictures are located here. You'll just get the highlights here on the blog...because it's harder to upload pictures here. =Þ
I'm also uploading a video....maybe...


And a look at how much snow we got yesterday. This is all pretty much from late Chrismas Eve night and Christmas day.

Erin's Christmas dress

So, my mom recently asked me to get a picture of Erin in her Christmas dress to replace the pictures we had done last year. Well.........we tried. We really did. But my sweet little Erin was anything but cooperative.

Here's a few though. We might have to dress her up and try it again.

Need a snow day?

((It's a link, click on it. Search Brittanie in Idaho and you'll find mine))

Finally, enough hair!

It's too cute, I'm so excited!


Of course, she didn't let it stay in for long...

We have a job!!

So Matt got a call this morning from the company that he interviewed with and was told "We interviewed the other guy and you are definitely the better candidate."

I knew he was great!

So we'll be moving to Denver sometime before the new year, and Matt will actually start mid-January.

Thanks for all your prayers!!

My new favorite quote

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is a though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is." ~Albert Einstein


I'm so thankful for all the little miracles in my life.


Every
Single
One

The Lion says...

Moo?


Every time we've asked Erin today what a lion says, she's said "moo." I think it's hilarious. We're watching Lion King 2 right now, and even in spite of all the roaring lions, she is still insisting they say moo.

Maybe she thinks the cow in the little people nativity is actually a lion?

I am so blessed.

You know, it's interesting to see small blessings in my life. Even with the loss of Cora. I always said to myself, "At least she was easy to come by." I always was glad that she wasn't the result of years of failed trying, and doing IVF. At least she was easy to come by.

So when Nat joined my stillbirth forum it broke my heart into a million little pieces. Nat lost her Devin with 4 weeks until her due date. Devin was the result of a second IVF attempt. The first had failed. He died because a fiber of his amniotic sac came loose and wrapped around his umbilical cord, like a hair, cutting off circulation.

Well, yesterday they just did the embryo transfer of yet another IVF. She has been added to my list of people that I'm praying will get pregnant (or that will have safe pregnancies), and has already experienced one small blessing/miracle in the process. The meds made her hyper-ovulate, which means that she ended up with 38 poor-quality eggs, instead of the 10 or so good ones they wanted. But out of that, they got two really good embryos (they're only transferring one). So now, we just wait. And pray.

It's funny that my support forums have given me so many new people to pray for. I wish I could do more.


But my prayers for her and others makes me reflect on how blessed I am myself. Yes, I had to give Cora back to Heavenly Father before I really even got to hold her, but even in that I was so blessed in small circumstances. I am so grateful for all those small blessings which He gives me daily, that seem so much a part of "normal" life that sometimes I don't notice. But I AM so very grateful. Even when being pregnant makes me feel horrible, I'm glad that it happens easily. It breaks my heart that it isn't that way for everyone. I wish it could be. I pray for it every day.

I suppose I should be glad.

Erin loves nursery. She hasn't wanted to leave the past couple of weeks. Today, I took her in there when she woke up a short way into Sunday School. She was still a tad sleepy, so I went in with her to make sure she wasn't going to be upset. She soon got excited about the toys, so I said, "okay honey, I'm going to go." She looked up at me and said "Okay. Go." and went right back to her toy.

It made me laugh, but it also made me a little sad. I LOVE that she loves nursery, but I feel like she doesn't need me any more. *sniff*


And apparently today she decided to finish off the snacks of the kids who were eating too "slowly." LOL! That's my little mooch.

The Graduate

It was a really great night, actually. I was a bit nervous leaving Erin with my friend Aubrey for so long during her normal bedtime (she was at Aubrey's from 5:30 to 9:30), but I'm so glad I did. It was so nice to not have to fight with her all evening and to just enjoy what was happening.

It's a good thing that the school is building a new auditorium because the Hart is just really not a good place for this sort of thing. The grads filled up the entire center floor, and most of the actual seats were reserved for faculty (and other "dignitaries") and the choir. So Nyssa and I ended up getting bench seats. It honestly wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been pregnant. (my right foot was pretty swollen by the time we got home. I managed to avoid that with Erin. I guess I won't be so lucky with Baby Brother. Maybe it's just graduation stuff that does it?? After all, the swelling with Cora started when we went to Kim's senior recital!)

BUT it was really great to see Matt file in with his cap & gown, and read about what all the "stuff" on the robes and stoles of the faculty meant (to see who actually had a doctorate and who didn't. Pres. Uchtdorf has a doctorate in engineering, btw). Pres. Uchtdorf's address was really great. He spoke a lot about not being afraid of the future, and to not let our fears make our decisions for us, but rather depend on the Lord for His guidance. It was really good for me to hear that actually.(this is Pres. Clark [in red] standing next to Pres. Uchtdorf)

Then we trekked up to the Taylor building for convocation. It was a bit less formal than Commencement, and I got a soft seat (yay!) which was just perfect for video of the walking graduates. There was a point when a girl was going to walk in front of me, and I stood up and almost fell over, so that's why it gets shaky. In the video I also got our friends Brooke and Andrew also walking.



And then the picture to top it all off...

Today is Matt's last day...

...as an undergrad! Tonight, he will officially be full of B.S. =p


I promise to get pics of him in his cap & gown for alla y'all.

Just wanted to take a moment to say...

So this week has been an interesting one to me. On Monday I faced the dilemma of the fact that I was out of bread and I did not feel like going to the store to get some. It had snowed that morning, and I really didn't feel like taking the risk of driving in the first snow of the season (stupid drivers!).

So I decided to make some. I'm rather proud of my bread, in spite of the fact that I got a little impatient in the rising process and baked it a tad early so it was a wee bit dense. Still delicious, but not as fluffy as it should have been.

I've also spent the last couple of days sewing a pair of pjs for Erin for Christmas. And today I made pizza for dinner. I made the crust and everything. (I had everything except pepperoni, so in reality this dinner cost me $1.25. YAY!)

All this has gotten me to think a lot about my mom. Earlier today I was trying to sew the feet on the footie jammies and frustrated beyond all reason, and Erin decided she wanted to play (what is it about a pincushion that is irresistible to a toddler??). I started wondering how my mother found time to sew us all those things she made us for Christmas as kids, without us knowing about it. (of course, that's where the joys of public schooling come in)

So then I just started wondering how my mom did it. Some days I'm at my wits end with just one kid...how on earth did she function at all with SEVEN? I'm sure her answer would be "I just did what I had to do and tried not to go crazy while doing it."

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks Mom. Thanks for everything you were always doing for us. Thanks for staying home with us as long as you did. Thanks for the childhood memories of homemade bread and pizza and other such good foods, as well as home made everything else. I may not have appreciated it enough then, but I really cherish those memories now.

Thank you for giving me the example of the mom I want to be.

Makes you think

Conversations

Erin points to the package of crackers on the desk.

"Gwaguh?"
"Can you say please?"
"Plee."
"Okay, here you go sweetie."
"Day-doo."
"You're welcome honey."


She started saying "thank you" on her own too. Such a smart girl!

Snow!

First off, yes I'm feeling better. I was feeling well enough by Friday evening to go to the ward Christmas dinner (I didn't want to make food). Matt got sick on Saturday and was fine by the end of the day, so it seems to be a whirlwind bug...

And we woke up to snow yesterday morning. And it has actually stayed. It looks as though, though it was slow in starting, Winter is officially here. It's pretty, I just wish that people around here weren't so stupid about driving in it.


And I wanted to again share the lyrics of a Christmas carol I just heard on Pandora. It's such a sweet song.

"Welcome to our World"
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from god
Youve been promised, weve been waiting
Welcome holy child
Welcome holy child

Hope that you dont mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited holy stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home

Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking heavens silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around you
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect son of god
Perfect son of god
Welcome to our world

And a video



((I love it when they use LDS artist pictures too))

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Finally, nearly a whole week into December, Matt and I put up our tree last night. Okay, I did. He helped me move the furniture around, but all the tree putting up was me. And let me say, I'm a convert to pre-lit trees. It's not as lighted as I would like, but I was WAY too tired to fight with strings of lights last night! It doesn't have any decorations until about a third of the way up, to keep Erin off of it.

Here it is:

I also wanted to show you the stockings I made us!Yes, Cora has one. I'm going to put a letter in it on Christmas Eve. Kind of like a "Christmas Box" sort of thing. Truth is, I was buying one for each of us (even baby brother, but I can't make his until he has a set name. And he doesn't need it this year anyway), and felt bad about leaving Cora out. So she got one too.

And to my surprise, mine lights up! I didn't realize that when I bought the kit.


I also pulled out the Little People Nativity Set that Grandma Linda gave us. Erin's had so much more fun with it this year.

Last year she tried to eat Mary. This year, she put her on top of the stable. lol

And a video... ((if I can get it to upload))



And on a completely random note, Erin is 18 months old today! Wow, where does the time go huh? I can't believe how grown up she's getting. She really isn't a baby anymore, she's now a little girl, and sometimes I feel like reality hits me over the head with it. I'll look at her and think "wow, she looks so grown up."

I guess they really mean it when they say cherish every moment, huh?

Sick! and some other things

I think I've officially got the flu. It's always hard for me to tell when I'm pregnant...but...I'm throwing up a LOT, and it's not just that (I'll spare you the details). I've pretty much done nothing but lay on the couch all day so far. Matt and I were supposed to move around the furniture so that we can put up the tree...who knows if that's actually going to happen now.

As for his interview, he feels it went pretty well. But, they're going to be interviewing one more person on Dec. 15th or 16th (I can't remember what day he actually said), so we should find out around the 18th. Which is cutting it really close for finding an apartment either way. *sigh*

And if you try to call me in the next little while, don't be surprised if it goes straight to my voicemail. My phone is dead and the last time I saw my charger Erin was playing with it...

Here we go again

Matt has another interview tomorrow (Dec. 4th). If you can spare any prayers or positive thoughts, please send them our way! I don't think I need to go into how stressed I am.


Tomorrow's going to be a hectic day. Matt's flight leaves at 7:25am, which means we need to leave our apartment for Idaho Falls no later than 6am. Ugh. Then I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow for my glucose tolerance test at 2pm, which I have to recover enough from in time to pick Matt back up at 4:45pm.

So it's going to be quite a day tomorrow. But it will all be very worth it if Matt gets a job!

Our Thanksgiving trip

So, we had a great week in Utah with family. It was really good to get to see family I hadn't gotten to see for more than a quick "hi" as I was running around doing other things. ((it's not letting me upload pictures, so I'll have to add those later!))

We drove down to stay a few nights with Matt's sister Jenny (Sun-Tue nights). We got to meet Jenny's little Emma, and Erin just loved her (right now we're looking through pictures and Erin keeps pointing and saying "Memma! Memma!"). She also had loads of fun playing with all of Emma's toys.

Jenny and Mark had a rocking horse that Emma was too young to play with, but which Erin just LOVED. They were kind enough to let us borrow it for the rest of the week, and Erin was sad to leave it behind. I'll have to try to find her one of her own...

Wednesday was busy as we drove down to the Provo/Orem area, had lunch with Adrienne, visited Telima, and then took a tour of the BYU Geology department (and then went to dinner). We were exhausted by the time we got to Jared and Amber's house.

Erin LOVED her uncle Jared. Maybe because he tossed her around and hung her upside down more than Matt and I do...I don't know. She just loved playing with him.

Thanksgiving dinner was great. It was the first time that I can remember that we had homemade stuffing. Amber made it and it was SO GOOD (and I forgot to get the recipe!)

All in all we were sad to go home. We had so much fun spending time with our family. We brought our Wii and played Wii Sports and Dr. Mario. I do have to say, that I got my butt thoroughly beat at Dr. Mario by both Amber and Adrienne. I guess that's what I get for thinking I'm good at it, huh? =Þ It was fun though. And it's always fun to watch Erin and Marcus play with each other. I'm so glad I got to spend time with everyone.

Jared, Amber and Mikkena, thanks for letting us stay!

highchair envy

Yep, I have highchair envy. Matt's sister Jenny bought a new highchair yesterday while we were here, and she and I put it together last night.

And I'm so jealous.

Lol! It has height adjustment, so you can make the seat higher or lower depending on where you're sitting. It has wheels so it rolls. It has a little basket underneath to store stuff in. AND it has a removable tray insert that you can stick in the dishwasher.

Not that I have a dishwasher. But it would a whole lot easier to wash off than the whole stinking tray.

*sigh*

Maybe one day I'll be able to get a better high chair. (lol, maybe one day I'll have a dishwasher too! =p)

Funny church bulletins

((first off, just a reminder that I'm going to Utah for a week for Thanksgiving, so if you don't see a post this week, don't worry about me! You know there's going to be a ton of pictures when I get back!))

A friend of mine got this off an email and posted it on her blog:

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: 'Break Forth Into Joy.'

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. Is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan:
Last Sunday: ''I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours'

Erin's new words

Lately Erin has loved the word "baby." She keeps pointing out babies when we're out, or in pictures and such. She calls her bears babies now. Since she seems to now have a concept of what a baby is I've been telling her we're getting one. I doubt she really understands, but I keep trying.

She also likes "belly." She'll pull up her shirt and point to her belly and say "bellybellybelly!" She even pats my belly and pulls up my shirt and says it. lol. She's getting close to actually saying "belly button," but the button part it still hard for her.

She loves "uh-oh" too. She sometimes will chant/sing it "uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh!"

And this morning she surprised me with a new one. I hope it's not one of those "say it once and never again" type things. I was chasing her down the hallway, when she stopped and picked up a small stuffed penguin and said "peewin!"

Oh Erin, my Erin

I just thought I'd share some cute pictures from the past couple of days.

After a bath in her princess towel. I love the crown on the hood! lol

Trying to get her to wear the hat Aunt Kim gave her on her birthday. She still hates it.

Playing with the Tigger puppet Grandma Cannady gave her. I had it on my and and I'd tickle her with it. She'd hit it and "run away" screaming. It was so cute.

And leftover spaghetti and meatballs for lunch.


And I have to end with the video. You get her eating a taco bell taco, showing off her teeth, and giggling her pants off all at once.

Erin's teeth

I just noticed that Erin now has tooth #8. And the placement of it made me laugh. It's the left lower lateral incisor. To understand why that is funny, I made a diagram of which teeth she has.

My baby is lopsided.

My little smarty stinky pants

So, The past few days Erin's had a bad case of diarrhea. It means that her poor bum is pretty rashy. ((Yes, I called the doctor. They told me to keep her hydrated and wait it out, which is basically what I was doing anyway. It *seems* to be getting better. Prayer would be appreciated though. I'm tired of cleaning out poopy pants.))


Anyway, so we were watching Deep Impact together this morning, and she kind of wandered down the hallway. The important doors are closed, so I didn't really care. Next thing I know she's walking back out holding a diaper, and repeating over and over "Stinky! Stinky!"

I couldn't help but laugh. Sure enough, she was stinky. And apparently I was taking too long to notice. Maybe potty training won't be as terribly hard as I've been thinking (you know, when we get there).



On a different topic (Deep Impact spurred this thought):

I would totally vote for Morgan Freeman for president! Is it just me, or do movie presidents have really great speeches??

2 already??

Erin is 1 year, 5 months, and 1 week old.

She's not 2 yet. I promise. I would know.

But the last week she has been so completely defiant. It's driving me crazy. Her favorite pass time is to get into things she knows she shouldn't, and when I say no she gives me a "yeah, well what are you going to do about it?" look. SO AGGRIVATING!! She has also started hitting.


I don't know, maybe it's good she's doing this now. Maybe we'll be over the worst of it by the time baby brother gets here. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise.


Argh.


On another note, I broke and started listening to Christmas music. Not all the time mind, but here and there. I have a holiday station on pandora.com, and yesterday it played the most wonderful song.

I have this fascination with Joseph. I mean, I understand Mary. As much as everything she felt was BIGGER and MORE, I still know what it's like to be a mother. I know what it's like to be in awe of what Heavenly Father is sending you. I understand that mother's connection to the child she is carrying.

But he wasn't Joseph's child. Granted he was a man of God, and he willingly did what was asked of him. But Jesus wasn't his child. Now, there are two great examples close to me of men who love children who aren't biologically theirs as if they were their own, so I understand that it's possible.

But I think most of the time Joseph gets pushed out of the picture. That's unfair. My favorite picture I have for Christmas is a painting of Joseph holding Jesus. It reminds me that Jesus had to have an example of manhood and priesthood on earth, since His Father couldn't be there. What kind of man was Joseph? What did he feel about his role in the whole thing?

Which is why I love this song so much.

Joseph's Lullaby, by MercyMe

Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace

I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child

Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight

The video of Erin and couple other great ones.

Finally!


And a couple good other ones:

An a cappella Star Wars tribute to John Williams




And from Disneyworlds "Star Wars weekends" we have Dancing with the Star Wars Stars (the surprise late entry is GREAT!!)


((Erin loved the big "doggy"))

All kinds of Erin

She's doing so much lately that it's hard for me to keep up with what I've blogged and what I haven't. Her vocabulary is exploding, and she's having so much fun repeating our words now (which I had the hardest time getting her to do before). Lately she's started saying "uh-oh" (which is just so cute!) and "woof." She's gotten really good at identifying animals too. The other day a dog was barking outside and she heard it, pointed to the window and said "DOGGY!" Matt and I couldn't figure out what she was pointing at at first, until we realized she was talking about the barking.

She also has tooth number six. No, it's not the second top tooth on the left, or either of the second bottom teeth. It's an upper molar on the right. So apparently all her fussiness has been because of that, and I haven't been giving her pain meds because I didn't think it was a tooth! ACK!


A couple nights ago Matt turned on his computer Nintendo emulator and started playing Mario 64. Erin was interested, so he put her on his lap and gave her the controller. I've been trying to upload this video to photobucket, and it hasn't worked, so we'll see what blogspot does with it...

Recently we bought Erin a new pair of pjs. As you can see, they're blue and green with dinosaurs.I had picked out a pair that were purple with butterflies or something on them, but she grabbed them out of my hands and threw them (lol, they landed in the cart) and reached for the shelf. Matt grabbed the ones closest to her hand and she grabbed them from him and held on to them. He then took both pairs, and held them out to her. When we finally convinced her she could only have one, she picked the dinos. LOL! I think I'm going to have a tomboy on my hands.

And finally, she's started singing! She usually does it when she's bored or we're in the car, but it's so fun to listen to her. There have been times when she starts singing to the radio that she actually gets a few notes right. Aunt Kim should be proud. =Þ


And a not-Erin bit. I am 24 weeks pregnant today. Why is this a big deal? Well, it's the point of "viability." At this point in pregnant, the baby has a chance of surviving should he be born. While I would definitely rather stay pregnant for a while longer, it's a comfort to know. I need small milestones like that.

Election reflections.

This morning I am proud of America.

I don't really agree with President-elect Obama's politics, but last night I was struck in awe as I realized I was participating in such a hugely momentous election. It was spouted all over the news over and over and over, but that doesn't make it any less amazing. America has elected it's first African-American president. This is the first time in 216 years someone other than a white man has been elected. Yesterday, I was a part of history.

I have been fairly apathetic this go around. I wasn't really thrilled with either of my choices, and to be honest, in Idaho my vote didn't really matter. CNN called us for McCain with only 4% of precincts reporting. 80% of Madison county voted for him. But I voted, since I consider it a duty as much as a privilege (and to maintain my right to complain about the government if I so choose). But America spoke resoundingly against me, and I can accept that.

In the wake of the White House scandal and following impeachment of President Clinton, I told myself that I wanted a president that I could respect as a person and be inspired by. I'm not sure President Bush has done that. There were several days in the wake of 9/11, but since then, not really.

But I admit, I was inspired last night. Last night was such an example of the America I want to see. I was really impressed by Senator McCain's concession speech. I was impressed by his gracious acceptance of defeat. I very much wish that all Americans could be that way. It would be a much better place without sore-loser-y complaining.

And I admit, President-elect Obama's acceptance speech inspired me. He made me cry, actually (but come one, that is SO not hard to do. Even when I'm NOT pregnant). Maybe, just maybe, he can be a president I can respect as a person, though I don't agree with him. Maybe, he can be the inspiring person I've been waiting for. Maybe. Dare I hope that he can be what he says he'll be?

((Does anybody else find it spooky that last night he was compared to 3 men: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther Kind, Jr., and John F. Kennedy; all of whom have been assassinated?))

Either way I am proud of America today. I am proud to be an American. I'm proud that our country can see passed the wounds of a turbulent past. I proud to be a part of history.



And I'm going to end with a question I have had on my mind since Pres.-elect Obama's speech:
What kind of puppy are they going to get???

civic duty

Did you?

Grizzly and Bear Discovery Center (and Yellowstone too)

Okay, this is basically going to be a bunch of pictures, with me adding videos as they upload. The Discovery Center is in West Yellowstone, MT. They have bears and wolves living there that can't live in the wild (one pair of bears were orphaned at 6 months and became dependent on people for food). Then we went into the park and walked around it bit. We didn't do a LOT but it was still nice to be there. Especially since they closed the roads for the season today and who knows when we'll be able to get back?