The Coca-Cola Bear

I think I've told you all about the free Como Zoo down the road before. Well, yesterday it warmed up to about 50, so we decided to go to the zoo. So far my favorite animals there are the polar bears. Every time we've gone, one of them is swimming (I know we've only gone 3 times, but other people that have lived here longer say the same thing). I think it's kind of cool how graceful the look!

Once there was a snowman

Minnesota's not the only place with snow! Ok, so you have to go into the mountains to get to it, but it's here in Utah too!

On Friday we drove down to Cedar in 70 degree weather. On Saturday we drove up Cedar Canyon in the rain to get to Cedar Breaks National Park and by the time we got to the top of the canyon we were in four inches of snow!




We got to the viewing point just in time to see the breaks, but by the time we had a snowball fight and I was done with my snowman the view was completely fogged in. It made me very excited for winter, but I was glad to get back down into the valley where the fall colors will last for at least a few more weeks.

Fear vs. Faith

I am using this blog to share with you, my closest friends, some thoughts I have had this weekend. As the possibility (and even probability) of needing open-heart surgery after this baby comes looms ever larger before my mind (they found "regurgitation"-- a heart valve is not closing properly), I have cried more the past two days than I have cried the past five years. I am so scared. I'm scared about what it may mean for this and future babies. I'm scared that years are being shaved from my life with each malfunctioning heartbeat. I'm scared about the recovery: not being able to hold my babies for months, the toll it would take on my body, etc. In all my reading, and in the one case I have heard of (a girl from Soda Springs got it in her mid-20's), I feel like surgery is eminant. Of course, I am trying to completely suppress all of these fears and wait for the Cardiologist to call me. I pray that he will tell me it's all a fluke, I'm just fine, and life can go on as normal. However, I can't help but to be scared. It's easy for others to tell me to "have faith" and "everything will turn out just fine," but I'm finding myself having a hard time with these principles. To completely let go of fear (which is the antithesis of faith) is perhaps the most proving factor of our human existance. To trust that the Lord is in command, that He has a plan for us, and that He will comfort us and carry our burdens in our times of struggle may be the most important lesson we can learn, and yet the hardest. To live life normally this weekend has been nearly impossible, and yet I want to lean back and put it all into the Lord's hands more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. My eyes have been re-opened to what is really important in life: the Gospel, my family, relationships, and how I conduct myself. I sit here with tears streaming down my face, my throat sore from crying, and silently praying that this experience will teach me how to resolutely conquer fear with faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. And through it all, I am also desperately holding onto hope that it will all amount to nothing, or that the surgery can be postponed until after my child-bearing years.

I love you girls. I appreciate your love and support more than you know. I appreciate the fact that I can put on a face that "I'm just fine" to the world, and then collapse at your feet and sob. You are the most understanding and best girlfriends I will ever have.

Snow & the Sculpture Garden

Hey girls! Like I promised I wanted to show proof of the snow that we've been graced with already. This was taken on Wednesday.Also, last Saturday Zeke and I got to go out on a date for the first time since we moved here. We went to the Sculpture Garden downtown where there is the famous Cherry and Spoon sculpture with a beautiful view of the Mpls skyline.
Meredith- the sculpture garden kind of reminded me when we went to Washington DC and saw that big rubber eraser statue! There were lots of funky sculptures. It's a beautiful garden, perfect for a picnic. If, I mean when, any of you come visit, I'll take you there!

I'm back in!

Wow, you wouldn't think that this could be so hard for me! I got my username and password back finally so hopefully I won't lose it again. Well, as you may already know I'm scheduled for surgery Nov. 9 to remove a suspcious thyroid nodule. 95% of them are benign, but just in case all of the indicators indicate that surgery is the best thing. I'm not overly excited about it, but it shouldn't be too bad since the doctor is only planning on taking out half. I'll have the week after Nov. 9 plus Thanksgiving break to recover and my mom is going to fly out to help me so that Brad doesn't have to miss classes and work. The plan is to get ahead as much as possible and then hope that I can get back in the game quick enough before it's over. There will only be three weeks of the semester left once I get back into it, so I hope I won't be too far behind.

I'm sorry my news isn't quite as exciting as Sarah's, but c'est la vie! But I do have some pictures to make you all jealous of Fall in Provo. :)

checking off the list

On Tuesday I got some big, exciting news. I am not really ready to tell people - I guess I am not really sure of how to do it. So, I'll let you guess and then tell you if you're right.

Bring it.