Post Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a blast! We ate, watched football, played rockband, and just vegged... Here are the highlights and low lights of my favorite holiday, which was VERY suprising this year.

High- ALL the food turned out to be delicious! Nothing was bad!

Low- Due to pregnany I could not eat very much, and got very full much too quickly!

High- I love having the whole family together, we even had a few friends join us.

Low- Howard was missed.

High- We had a great thankful meeting beforehand.

Low- This year each couple had to get up and say why they were thankful for each other, Danny and I were chosen first... And I was sad to not hear from Erin...

High- Rockband was fun

Low- Parks were too wet to play our normal family football game.

High- The entire day was wonderful!!!

Low- By 7pm Sariah and I were sick. Today is Saturday and we are just getting over a bad case of food poisoning. Nobody else got sick, so who knows... But spending all thu. night and friday in the bathroom was not fun for either of us... Neither for my body! I woke up with the WORST calf cramps due to lack of calcium... The baby is great! He sucked us every nutrient I had in my body!

So, all in all it was a great holiday. I am grateful to be feeling better, and it's fun to have our first christmas tree up. Iwill post a picture soon! I love you all!

Kids do the darndest!

So, funny story... This week I was babysitting my nieces and one of them was getting a little too "loving" and was jumping onto my stomach. I obviously told her to stop because of the baby. One of the other girls ran over and got really into the baby all of a sudden. She was rubbing my belly and cooing and finally pulled my shirt up to pat the belly. I thought all was really cute until she surprised with me a question. "Can I see?" She then proceeded to squint one eye ( the wrong one of course ) and put it up to my belly button. I laughed so hard it caused a "practice contraction" I wish it were that easy to take a peek at my little boy :)

My Thanksgiving list

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! Here is why...

I am grateful for all the men in my life. My husband Danny, my Dad and my uncles that have loved me and shown me the kind of man I wanted to marry, my brothers but older and younger that have helped me so much with their counsel and the things that they have taught me through their trials and through their faith in the Savior.

I am so grateful to be a part of a family that loves each other so much. We fight constantly, but laugh even more! I am grateful for their honesty, their guidance in my life, and the incredible amount of love and service they have given me this last year.
My mother and sisters. They are such great mothers and daughters. They are wonderful examples to me and make me laugh more than anyone can! They are beautiful!
Again, my husband... even when he is pretending to be tough, he is "a lover not a fighter" and I am so glad for that. I have enough fighters in my life :) He is dependable, and hillarious, and loves everyone and is constantly doing things for others and showing me how to be selfless. He is creative and hard-working. He is strong in the gospel and loves family so much. I can't wait until he becomes a dad... He loves me, I found the perfect man for me!
I have never been a mom before, but I have been an aunt for a while now. My neices and nephews have been my life for so long. Though I am having a baby soon I pray I never lose the relationship we have formed. They are everything to me, I couldn't ask for funnier, more loving, and crazy kids in my life. Their parents are doing an amazing job. We have dang cute babies!

Really more than anything this year I am grateful for the many changes that have happened in my life. My family and I were tried more than I ever thought possible. Honestly, I look back at our trials and it truly felt like hell at times. I really felt like I was in the middle of the hottest part of the refiners fire. And yet with all the trials and tears came the choicest blessings. I have everything that's important to me. My family is more united than ever before, I have been humbled, and given a wonderful husband, and a new baby on the way. I have seen so many wonderful changes in my families lives, and we have come out on top thanks to a merciful and loving Redeemer. I am most grateful to him. I know that without Jesus Christ I would not have made it through this year. He gave me strength when I felt like I was crumbling. He held my life and family together and helped us to savor the things we have, and hold tight to what's most important. I would never want to repeat this year and yet I would not trade it for anything. I feel like Alma, as most of my family does... Just when we thought we couldn't make it, he grabbed hold of our hands and pulled us up and together and now we can't help but sing praises to his name. I am very grateful for his tender mercies.

I laughed... I cried (funny tears).... I am sharing.......

http://www.ldsmag.com/youtube/081106swim.html

Your 1st look at my preggo bod!

Ok... so here it is, the picture you have all been waiting for. Sorry I am not very good at taking pictures. Luckily, K*T had her phone with her this last saturday and took a quick shot of me, my little boy, and Caprice... my favorite foster baby in the whole world! She is hopefully going to get adopted by my sister shortly, they are in the middle of it. We love her and she has so much attitude and personality I could hang out with her all day, every day! So I finally figured out the whole blog thing... sorry it took forever. To make a long story short, my friend Kelli set it up for me when I was engaged. I didn't touch it for a month and then when I did I couldn't find it, finally I found what I thought was it and have been making posts there for the last 4 months. Come to find out, it was the wrong blog... I don't know how I had two! I never started one! I must have a stalker (single white female) posing as me.. Anyhoot, K*T and I figured out.. mostly K*T, and I am now on the straight and narrow. Thanks for dealing with me! Danny is out of town again. This time for a week! Hopefully he will get back Saturday night. But then he should only have to make one more trip and then he will be home!

I have quit my RIO job, which was one of the hardest choices I have ever made. I have decided to open my own TRI club and coach triathletes and my swimmers during their off season. For now we are working out at LA Fitness until our QC pool opens year round. We work out 5 days a week together after school, and the adult triathletes work-out with me in the evening twice a week, and mornings twice a week. I hope it works out. Danny and I would like to survive on his paycheck alone but until that happens, I will do what I can to help him. Being pregnant obviously makes things a little more difficult, but I know that God will provide a way.

My family is good. Dad is recovering slowly, but he is recovering. He had a stroke and two gran mal seizures 3 weeks ago. It was a scary time for our family, but he is alive and it brought us even closer together. I don't know if God has any more surprises in store for our family in the next little while, but I am praying that we get a little break. At least until I have this baby! My sisters are both getting ready to start round TWO... in the baby making department! I couldn't be happier. I thought I would be having the only babies for a while, and they would have no cousins their age, and constantly get picked on... As it turns out they will be the oldest of the second group of babies, so we are happy! Jill just recently got remarried, and Sariah is just wanting more after 8 years :) Payne family, here we come! We have 12 now, 1 on the way. How many do yall have? Like 50?

lonely...i'm so lonely.... I have nobody to call my own....

So, Danny is out of town again! He is doing an 8 week long job and has to go out of town every week for 3-4 nights. Hopefully he will come home tonight.
KT and I went shopping yesterday for some bellabands and to register at BabiesR'Us. That was a lot of fun! So nice to get some tips from a pro! :) There is a store on Guad. and Ellsworth that closes on Saturday so everything is SUPER cheap!!!
I love being around my friends. Danny and I love doing things with others so whenever you feel up to an FHE or date night with us, just call!
So I am gettin' bigger, luckily I have great sisters and friends that donate their clothes to me. Otherwise I would be wearing t-shirts and basketball shorts everyday! oh, wait. That is normal! oops. I am trying to look somewhat cute in my hugeness. Being pregnant is finally fun! I mean, I have been so excited from the very beginning. But that can be hard to express and show when you are spending most of your time over a toilet. I was really sick for 4 months. I am so happy now that throwing up is a weekly occurrence now instead of an hourly one :) I am starting to gain weight more now, and showing this budha belly of mine. The best part about it all is that this little boy is so active now and I can feel him, and others can as well. That has been so exciting! Danny finally saw my belly move, not just felt. The other night he was having a party or something inside me. It is such a crazy feeling... one that I cannot describe. But that I love. It's a wonder.
The ultra-sound 2 weeks ago was amazing. I had not felt him yet.. or couldn't tell and so of course i was super worried... Hearing his heart beat and seeing him for the first time was a emotional and spiritual experience. I can't believe god has given me this opportunity to create someone so amazing! I cried, and Danny did too... I think out of relief that it was a boy :) I knew I would love him, but never realized I could love someone so much that I have not even met yet.. or have I? It's all so confusing... :)
Anyways, I am happy. Trying to be active and work-out still but that's almost impossible right now! I work-out 3x's a week with some women in the ward and I play volleyball once a week and swim whenever I get a chance, but everything is harder, and seems to take more out of me.
I am still massaging, out of my home. Call me if you want a massage! I only charge 40$ now since the economy is struggling.
Well, I think that is all that I can manage to write for now. Let me know how yall are doing!

5 1/2 MONTHS PREGNANT!!

Alright everyone! Pictures are coming. I feel like my aunts in West Virginia when it comes to blogging. I guess some of us 80 children still struggle with the modern technology of the computer world. :) it was so much easier when we just had Oregon's Trail.....

Danny and I are doing great. We just got back from a family camp-out that lasted a week. It was a sacrifice to go. We missed a week of work and several important activities, mainly my HS friend reunion. But, it was also very needed. It was the 1st family trip I have been on for a long time, and with everything happening with Howard and the many changes that have taken place this year we all needed to be together. Most of you know my sister Jill got married just 3 months prior to me, so it was fun to be there with new in-laws etc... We hiked up to a gorgeous waterfall, saw 3 different snakes including a rattlesnake! That is 2 Rattlesnakes that I have run into in 2 weeks! We swam in the river, went quad riding, played paintball games, and chilled by the fire talking late into the night... with smores of course! Actually, my sister introduced us to a great snack. A hot marshmallow with a piece of chocolate stuffed into the middle of it. No graham crackers needed. It was delicious!! :) Being pregnant and camping is not the same though as not-pregnant and camping :) so... I will take a break until I get this little BOY out of me. We are so excited to have a boy!!!! Here are my boy name choices: Dillan, Mitchell, Sheldon, Tanner, Benjamin, Joseph, Joshua, and Samuel... What do you think? Let me know your favorite two. :) Danny really likes average, common names.... I love Mitchell and Samuel but really like them all, minus Tanner :) Life is great, and I promise to put pictures of my huge belly once I figure out how to add pictures:)

Applebees loves us!

Girls Night Out!!!

Preggo 1, new marathon runner, preggo 2 & 3, post preggy!

Ok, So I am just going to add to this post whenever we go to dinner. We seem to change so much every time that it might turn into a pretty funny post. Send me some pics. if you have any of our girl nights out. Have we ever gone anywhere but applebees? :) hahaha! Oh yea, once when I announced I was getting married at Olive Garden. Yum!

Two Weeks Married!!

Hey Everyone! So two weeks have flown by! Our honeymoon was great. We went to Cali. Disneyland one night and then another full day, then we went to Mideivel Times, it's a place where they do a dinner and show. You are in an arena and everyone there is seated in sections. When you show up you receive a colored crown and you have to sit in that color section and cheer for your knight. The workers are all dressed up in costume. You sit in a castle arena, and watch your knight and those of others joust, sword fight, and many other challenges while you eat out of old silver plates and bowls and cups. No silverware. The dinner is great, meats, a fabulous soup and bread, etc.. plus ice cold root beer in a frosted mug:) Danny loved it. Especially since we were just eating sandwiches etc... that we made in the hotel :) hahahaha!

We got home on Wed. Danny got sick wed. night. He threw up and had a 103 temperature for 4 days and then the rest of the week spent trying to recover. He is better now. Just having a hard time recovering and eating again. We still went to the open house though, that was on Friday. He slept all day, got up for the open house and then crashed afterwards. The open house was in Wilcox, it was great. We got some awesome gifts and I was able to meet wonderful people that live there. My family came up as well and they had all the horses out for everyone to ride. The kids and my sister loved that!

Yesterday we went and visited Howard for the first time since we got engaged. I have visited him but Danny has not. We each got half hour visits, and they were wonderful. I miss that boy so much! But it is good to see him stronger and happier. We keep praying for a miracle and hopefully he will be home with us sooner than later.

Afterwards we did sealings at the temple and then went to our friends sealing. Kari McLemore and Skyler Smith got married yesterday. I had to rush home to finish their sign in book. I make those for weddings if anyone is looking for one, or knows people who need them. We went to the reception, it was great! Good to see all our friends from the old singles ward, and good to leave together, NO LONGER SINGLE!!!! :) After we went and saw Kung Fu Panda. Cute movie! danny is keeping his word on taking me out at least once a week:)

Now I am up and anxious for the day. Today is our first day in the family ward. I have been in single wards for 10 (TEN) YEARS!!! I am so nervous I can't sleep! We are in the Sierra Vista ward out here in the castlegate neighborhood in QC. We are hoping to sign on our house tomorrow or tuesday. So with us luck and I will talk to ya'll soon! :) LOVE YOU!!!!!

NEWLYWEDS

Hey Everyone We are doing great It has been a little over two weeks now and yes we are still in love Danny was sick all last week Stomach Sick The works After four days with a high temperature he spent the rest of the week recovering sleeping trying to eat yogurt broth and crackers UGH He is better now We went on a fun date last night and saw Kung Fu Panda Funny movie I love being married and cannot wait to see everyone Anytime you want to do something just call us up We would love to have FHEs with you guys Love you All

Trisha Wilkins