Ah-ha!!!

I've been having my usual pregnancy cravings of sweets and everything else I always promise myself I won't eat so I don't gain a ton of weight this time. :) Anyway, a couple of weeks ago Aaron bought some donuts. I was so excited to eat them when I woke up the next morning, but there were only one or two left. I was bummed and confused. Then I downloaded these pictures from our camera:





I guess I should actually thank Jordan for saving me from the extra fat and calories!

Ode to Lisa (Pooker) Prina

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY to my baby sister LISA!!! Three days late is okay, right? I was almost 12 when she was born....dang, time goes by fast!!!

What matters most

It's Aaron again - posting an update to my earlier post about my friend Rob Epperson. Rob passed away on Thursday morning. I got the news as I was leaving the house - about to start an hour commute to Redmond. After a couple of calls to friends and family I had about 30 minutes to drive - no radio or distraction - just to let it sink in. It is a heartbreaking loss for anyone who knew Rob and it really is a shock to each of us that have been hoping and praying and wishing for the best and not really accepting that it was happening.

I know through Kerry's link to the Epperson's that some of you have read Rob's online journal and have been blessed by Patti's daily updates of faith, courage, determination, and example. I don't think I could have been so strong. I think I would have crumbled under the weight of it all. What a great example of humilty Patti and Rob are to all of us that watched them.

I have paused often the last couple of days - just staring really, at my wife or my kids - thinking how fast things change - how fast things changed for Rob and Patti. 12 weeks ago they were probabaly planning disneyland trips this summer or the roadtrip to seattle to watch BYU play UW in September. I think about our new baby coming in 18 weeks and how precious every last second must have been for them. Truly an extra second would have been priceless...I think how much I would be willing to give for just an extra minute with my wife and children...

As I put in a post on their site - it was an honor to know Rob - to be his room mate for a year at BYU and to be there when he met, fell in love, and married Patti. There was no doubt when they met that they were for each other.

So - to the title of this post - The simpleness of what matters most to me is my family, my faith, and what I'm doing about both of those things.

Thanks to those who have read Rob and Patti's website - and have prayed and hoped alongside them. The Lord was truly with them and I know Rob is with Him now and He is carrying Patti through this time... Please remember what matters most to you - and it will honor people like Rob and what they lived for.

Answers (my epistle) to Melissa's questions about my "tag" questions in the post below:

1) what ever happened to Robby Meidel and Danny Azure??
No clue....in 5th grade Robby asked me to "go around" (go out) with him and I said yes...our relationship lasted until lunch recess because I felt so guilty about it because I wasn't 16 yet. I gave him the excuse that our parents may find out about us at a PTA meeting (even though my parents didn't actually go to those meetings). :)
2) was it worth the 19 year wait??
You know, I still have dreams about some of the guys who tried to kiss me before I was 19...sometimes I wish I would've kissed them so that I wouldn't have these random "unresolved issues" dreams. But when it comes down to it, I'm glad that my conscience and fear were so strong because the sooner most people start kissing, the sooner most people can get into trouble. ;)
3) I had no idea you lived "abroad" ~ was that before or after you got married?! Oh wait -- your mission??
My family has a business in Chile (furniture, rainsticks, etc.) and I lived with my sister and bro-in-law (who were running the Chilean end of the business) in Temuco for 4 months. I moved from there up to Concepción (I love to say I lived in Conception for 4 months) to do BYU Study Abroad. The whole experience was so awesome! The Spain places are where I served my mission. Malloco, Chile is where Aaron and I spent the first year of marriage. By that time the family business was moved up to Malloco (outside of Santiago), and my oldest brother and his family were living there running it. He and the other owners started a donut company and needed help to run it. Aaron accepted the job offer and went down there...I followed him a month later after I trained someone to take over my job in Utah. Aaron did the basic management of the company while I attempted to do the bookkeeping/accounting stuff which is done way differently than in the U.S. We had to shut down after a year, but it was an amazing learning experience and since we were the only young American couple with no children living in that area, we were able to get to know the mission presidents of the 4 Santiago missions and sometimes stay with their kids while they traveled for conferences. Very cool! I also was the camp director for our ward's Young Women....the very first year they ever had a Girls' Camp in Chile. Now THAT was an interesting experience.....staying in an established vacation camp (with tents, though) where there was a pool and the Young Men were there at the same time. I remember wondering what universe I was in when I looked at the pool and saw a bunch of the youth (boys and girls) dancing the Macarena by the side of the pool (most of the girls in bikinis). It was also bizarre when some of the girls got sick and one went into seizures because the owners had put rat poisoning down in the campground just before we got there. Good times....good times! There are the answers with probably WAY more information than ever expected....again, this is a good journal for me. :)

Another Game of Tag...

10 years ago:
Aaron and I both lived in Provo and were getting engaged right around this time.

5 Things on my to-do list today:
Get my hair and make-up done at some point
Do a ton of laundry
Organize bonus room
Help Maya clean up her disaster…I mean room
Go to bread-making class tonight

5 Snacks I enjoy:
French bread with havarti--LOVE IT! (thanks to Aaron's mom)
Dark chocolate
Fruit
Glass of Nesquik
Mashed avocado with just enough salt spread on French bread

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
Feel very surprised and humbled about becoming steward over that much money/potential to help others.
Pay off our mortgage as well as those of our family members.
Try to find out needs of those around us and secretly help them out.
Establish major savings accounts for any future needs of our family.
Give major contributions to Church programs (missionary, education, temple, etc.) and other charities.
Help out our friends in Chile, Mexico, and Spain.
Send Aaron’s parents to visit Samoa (where his dad served his mission).
Get Invisalign braces (even though I had the metal kind for 4 years and wore a retainer for 10 years….no, I’m not bitter).

3 of my bad habits:
No regular exercise
Don’t eat enough healthy foods
Worry so much about everything

5 Places I have lived (all that I can remember for my record…my brain is starting to forget things):
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Provo, Utah
Temuco, Chile
Concepción, Chile
Palencia, Spain
Valladolid, Spain
San Sebastián, Spain
Irún, Spain
Malloco, Chile
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Sammamish, Washington
Maple Valley, Washington

5 Jobs that I have had (all that I can remember for my record):
Babysitter
Claims processor at Talbot Insurance Agency
Secretary at New York Life Insurance (for Karen Alarid)
Paper route in UNM district
Manager at Sunrise Bookstore (LDS bookstore) on Saturdays
Exam processor at BYU Independent Study
Office Manager / Shipping Manager at Prina International, Ltd.
Teacher at Missionary Training Center
Spanish teacher at private school (Ivy Hall Academy)
Receptionist at Flickinger & Sutterfield (personal injury law firm)
Office Manager at Rafiner Mills (cabinet maker)
Office Manager at CALI Inc. (software company)
Office Manager for Country Fresh Ltda. (donut company in Chile)
Office Manager for Mechanical Insulation Specialists

5 Things people don't know about me:
I studied Italian (can’t remember much now though).
I used to love to go Latin dancing.
When I was in 2nd grade I used to pray for Robby Meidel and Danny Azure to fight over me.
My dream job would be as a stand-up comedienne.
I didn’t have a major kiss until I was 19 because I was so afraid I’d mess up.

I tag:
Jenni, Katie, Kiera, Monique, and Tracie

The good news about this picutre

Ok - I did say I wouldn't post again - but I knew that Kerry wouldn't go near this one... I opened the downstairs bathroom door to find this little present... the good news about this picture is that without a doubt - Jordan's backside is clean.

I got tagged....

How long have you been married? It’ll be 10 years in May!

How long did you date? We dated for 6-7 months before his mission, or 7 months after mine. Then we dated for basically 3 months after his mission. (He was almost 23 when he left to serve.)

How old is he? He's 34

Who eats more? It depends on what food it is….he can down the salty stuff and I chow on the sweet stuff.

Who said “I love you” first? He did! He was pretty obsessed with me, but it turned out to be like the last verse of the awesome Police song “Wrapped Around Your Finger”.

Who is taller? He is

Who sings better? Aaron does…he was even in the Honor Choir in high school. One thing I’ve always loved about him is his deep rich voice

Who is smarter? That is a trick question! I do feel that Aaron could learn anything, though, and I really hope I never have to go back to school again!

Who does the laundry? I do

Who does the dishes? I do most of the time…he does occasionally or when I’m in a bad way.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Depends on if I’m pregnant…we’ve switched sides various times throughout marriage. Is there supposed to be some sort of psychological reason for sleeping on a certain side of the bed?

Who pays the bills? I do

Who mows the lawn? He does 99% of the time…when we lived in Utah it was about 50/50.

Who cooks dinner? It’s one of my biggest goals to cook dinner each day, but there are many times when he cooks. He enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. When we were first dating he invited me and my 3 roommates to his apartment for dinner……a WHOLE turkey, a 9x13 pan of 7-layer bean dip, various side dishes, dessert, and drink….we were all impressed.

Who is more stubborn? We are both Taurus, or the bull…..both stubborn

Who kissed who first? He did….I freaked out the next day and cried about it….not much later we had to set some major rules to get ourselves to stop kissing.

Who asked who out? He did, though most of the time we just hung out together without it being an official date.

Who proposed? He did, under directions from me (I regret to say). I knew he was going to propose that night at Los Hermanos restaurant in downtown Provo (our special place), but when we were there I made sure he didn’t do it in front of anyone…actually had him slip me the ring under the table.

Who has more friends? No idea….haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like Aaron, though

Who has more siblings? I do (6)…..he has 5.

Who are you tagging? I tag Jenni, Bianca, and Tracie.

True - I'm busted...

ok...ok... its true I was trying to help my wife get going on the blog thing...though I can't believe she called me out!
Anyway - I'm at the end of my road trip (in Manila today) and I miss Kerry and the family so much - I couldn't be bugged for long...
I will get back a little bit and embarrass her. I'm posting my favorite picture of Kerry (she had this taken the year before we were married during a modeling stint). Ain't she cute?
Well - now that Kerry has this posting thing down - I'm off this blog for good. Ciao!

Closet Blogger

Aaron is a closet blogger. This is the first thing that I will have ever posted on our blog that HE created, yet he wrote some of the entries as if I were the one writing them. That's how desperately he's wanted me to become a blogger. I may have started before now if I hadn't felt like I would lose my lunch at any given second, or maybe it's been a pride thing....the more Aaron begged me to blog maybe the more I resisted....I'm not really sure which it was. It could also be the intimidation of the whole blog world I've just discovered....which of my friends doesn't have an awesome blog with cool features and awesome stories of things their children have done or said, or pictures of themselves looking great? I guess I'll just start from scratch and lie if I have to come up with stuff that makes us sound really cool....I can also cut and paste Aaron's and my face onto pictures of our bodies the way they used to be (j/k). Warning: if you don't like some occasional sarcasm or self-deprecation, you may not want to read most of my future blog entries. :)

Awesome Indian food - Masala dosa's

Here are a couple of pictures of today's breakfast - Masala Dosa with Sweet Lime juice. Yumm!

Masala Dosa's are basically crepes made out of rice flour and filled with vegetables (mostly potatoes and spices). There are sauces (chutneys) to dip the dosa's in - and it is my favorite food in India.

Glenn Beck's Tribute to President Hinckley

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080128-4.html
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release January 28, 2008
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our friend, Gordon B. Hinckley. While serving for over seven decades in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon demonstrated the heart of a servant and the wisdom of a leader. He was a tireless worker and a talented communicator who was respected in his community and beloved by his congregation. As President of his church, he traveled to more than 60 countries to spread a message of love and optimism to the millions of people around the world who shared his faith.
A Mayflower descendent and the grandson of Mormon pioneers, Gordon was a deeply patriotic man. His leadership and service strengthened the Board of Trustees of Brigham Young University, the Boy Scouts of America, and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. In 2004, I was honored to present him with the Medal of Freedom, our Nation’s highest civil award, in recognition of his lifelong public service.
Laura and I will miss Gordon’s friendship and wisdom. Our thoughts and prayers are with his five children and the rest of the Hinckley family.

A smile from Ryan

My friend Rob

On the right nav you'll see a link for Epperson's. Rob was my college roommate in Provo (actually, he was in college....I was.....not). He is facing the battle of his life being recently diagnosed with cancer. It has been an incredible shock to me - I sang in his missionary farewell back in 1992, lived with him when he met his wife, was in his wedding, etc, etc....

He has metastasis melanoma - which after doing a bit of research means he has a very tough fight on his hands. If you know Rob and Patti - you know they don't come any better. Their site gives updates on Rob's progress and the challenges and miracles of each day. They are in our prayers daily - actually many times a day - and I'm sure would appreciate as many more as possible.

Life is so precious. Patti wrote on her site that on December 11th Rob scored 2 goals for his indoor soccer team. On December 14th he was in the hospital...

Rob - Patti - I love you guys. We are with you all the way.
-Aaron

Travel plans

If it weren't bad enough that Kerry is sick - I'm leaving her for 12 or so days on a business trip.

Fortunately her mom will be here the entire time (thanks Mom!)
Here is my trip itinerary if anyone is interested (and if not - tough :) )

Jan 27th – Flight – NW #34 leaving 1250P (Seattle to India via Amsterdam)
Jan 29th – Hotel - The Maratha Mumbai (Sheraton by the airport)
Jan 30th – Flight from Mumbai to Chennai – Jet Airways #461 530PM
Jan 30th – Hotel in Chennai – ITC Park Sheraton
Jan 31st – Flight to Bangalore - Jet Airways # 485 leaving at 510P
Jan 31st – Hotel in Bangalore – Le Meridian Bangalore
Feb 2nd – Flight to Singapore – Singapore Airlines #501 leaving at 955A
Feb 2nd – Hotel in Singapore – Sheraton Towers Singapore
Feb 5th – Flight to Manila – Singapore Airlines #910 leaving at 9:45am
Feb 5th – Hotel in Manila – The ShangRi-La Makati
Feb 7th – Flight to Seattle – Northwest airlines with a layover in Tokyo - Northwest #20 leaving 8am (Tokyo layover – Flt# 8 to Seattle) Arriving Seattle Feb 7 at 7:35AM

I'll try to post some pics while I'm there - I know I always say that - but rarely do... At least I won't be eating scorpions on this trip (not going to China this time).

blog update

So - with Kerry out of action (with the migraines adding to the morning sickness - she's staying far away from the computer - I'm going to attempt to update a couple of blogs. It feels kind of weird... like I'm messing with scrapbooks or something...ug... anyway - enjoy... - Aaron

Jordan is #12. Tallest kid by 4 inches.

I love this picture of Ryan

Growing up

Jordan got a little rowdy in class - when a substitute teacher came in.
Here is his apology letter:


Here are pictures I got off the the mason's blog.
Jordan and Jaden were having fun playing their gameboys

It's a Girl?!?

Well - at least that's what the doctor said when we had the ultrasound. Official due date is July 18th. We called my Dad tonight and told him on his birthday. Now to let the rest of the family know...(Post by Aaron because Kerry is currently throwing up)

Jordan's First Basketball Game

Today was Jordans first basketball game!

running down the court
Jordan in the huddle
Jordan received the "star" for being the highest scorer today!!

New years Eve

Here is a pick of the kids - all juiced up on sugar for new years eve.

Here is a later photo with a sad Maya. Jordan wouldn't let her play Ratatouille on the xbox.

Christmas 2007

The kids were SO excited this year for christmas! Jordan wanted to go to bed at 6:30 so he could wake up as early as possible to see what he got. After I fell asleep - way after midnight - I heard feet walking down the hall and then kids climbing in bed with us (4am). By 5 am I gave up trying to keep them quiet and get them back to sleep. Aaron said - "ok - lets see what santa brought" - to which Jordan and Maya shot out like bullets downstairs. - it was so neat to see them so excited! Jordan got a bike and Maya got a doll set for 2 new dolls. I got a Zune and Zune doc + a cell phone and a couple of other things. It was a nice day. PS - can't forget the Xbox 360 Aaron got for the family...can't figure out why I have seen so little of both Jordan and him since they opened that present....

Jordan's school picture

First Time Out

I just set this up tonight for Kerry - first time bloggers!!!