Argyle Army Wreath

                  

I made this for Danny's Mother for Christmas.  It's out of his old uniform, a little bit of her boy while he's Deployed.

Pretty simple to make! Just wrap colored yarn around wreath form, glue every now and then.  I did a tuft of square fabric bunches all glued together on one side then cut out diamonds to go around the edge.  I used the wrong side of the fabric for every other diamond.  Then I criss crossed teh same yarn around the wreath, glueing every now and then to give it the argyle patterned look. And I LOVE it!

Updates

2012 in Review:

2012: Newly engaged, more surgery, MARRIAGE!!!, moving to Augusta (two thumbs down), started our lives together, health problems, Grandma Shipton passed away, news came of an upcomming deployment, one of Danny's friends was killed in Afganistsan, another of his friends from home also passed away and we found out we were PREGANT.  It's been ahellofayear. So much joy, sorrow, ends, and new beginnings.  I don't know if i'm a better person this year than last year.... I'd like to think so. I'd like to think I have more faith in my God and a stronger testimony.  I feel though that i've just taken what I know and am and applied it to the new situations i've faced in my personal and married life. Last night I picked up my journal and read my first entry of 2012.  It was of course about how excited I was to soon be Danny's wife, how much I missed him, and how I couldn't wait to be with him.  It's strange to me to remember what I looked forward to last year in light of what is in the year to come. How things have changed! It's very difficult knowing that we will spend the majority of 2013 across the world from one another.  I continue to pray for strenth in the year to come. I like the quote from the movie Emma (not sure if this actually came from Emma Smith or was something the movie added to her dialog) but it says once at the beginning that "Strength isn't something you have, it's soemthing you find." At the end of the film it says "Strength isn't soemthing you have, it's soomething God helps you find."  I hope I can find it with His help.  This year will also bring us one of the greatest joy's life can bring, our new baby :)

On our way home from Christmas in FL Danny shared some info that made me realize we needed to be out of our apartment about a week earlier than we had planned. So the 'plan' is to be out of our apartment on January 5th. ya.. that's in 4 days. We're nowhere near ready... doesn't help that everything has been closed for the Holiday.

Had our last baby appointment in Augutsa the 27th that little stink was turned sideways!  Much to modest to show us what was going on between those little legs! The sex of our little one remains a mystery... hopefully we will see on the 3rd!  After the appointment the doc told us I had tested positive as a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis.  They ordered a blood test for Danny as well.  1 in 29 white America's is a carrier.  If Danny comes back positive our baby will have a 1 in 4 chance of having the disease.   We wont find out  for another 2 weeks ish.

BOY OR GRILL?

So what are we having?! I don't know you're all just asking me! LOL! :D  But, we have an appointment on the 27th and I am hoping we will find out then, don't know if they will tell us even if they can tell, they're not very nice about telling people gender :( so, if they won't tell, and we can't figure it out or the baby just isn't turned to show then we have an appointment with a Prenatal  Imaging clinic on January 3rd.  OH I CANT WAIT!!!! The prenatal imaging place shows you the gender and gives you a video. (and we get a military discount!)  I just want Danny to be able to see his baby's gender before he leaves.

Our Stockings

My mom made our Christmas Stockings this year, I was so excited to get the package and laughed my head off when I saw what she came up with! So creative, so talented.  Thank you Mom!

Christmas Gift Basket

Danny and I decided we'd give his twin sisters (if you- are Danny's twin sisters please avert your eyes and click exit NOW!, or work on your surprised face :p) a "Date Night Gift Basket" for Christmas.  It includes:

 - Restaurant Gift Gard
- Microwavable Kettle Corn 
- Microwavable Regular Popcorn bags
- "Date Night" the movie
- Bottled Root Beer
- Two boxes of theater candy
- Assorted Smaller candies

I found the popcorn bucket at a dollar store and was so excited! The microwave kettle corn box was large and we thought we could fit all of the items in it originally but we couldn't.  So then I went basket hunting, but, few were big or deep enough for the kettle corn! I wanted a bowl that said "Popcorn", maybe like the metal one we had growing up so I was way excited when I found the plastic popcorn bowl that would fit everything nicely! It was very deep, I just had to use a filling.  Then, shredded paper, gift basket bag, ribbon and a tag and viola! My homemade gift basket! :)

Moving

 Danny was told his prospective leave date this week.  We told the apartment we would be out in January and from there we are driving across the country to take me back to Idaho.  Poor Danny, he usually deals with things by not dwelling on things he cannot change, this week I have seen the reality of his deployment setting in.  I can't help but think how grateful I am that we will be together for Christmas before he leaves and that he will be back for the Holiday's next year, our baby's first Christmas! Last Christmas Daniel proposed and this year we are preparing for him to leave.  Things change so quickly and this next year will bring even more change.  Sometimes the one thing that gives me comfort is knowing that change is constant, time passes, that the phrase "and it came to pass..." is uttered so many times in the Book of Mormon because, like all if it's teachings, its a truth. I am looking forward to being back in Idaho but for obvious reasons it's bittersweet! The closer it gets to Christmas the more home sick I feel.  My family has a unique opportunity to all be under the same roof for a short time again.  Jacob will be home from his Mission in Italy in March, Kenyon is living at home, I will be living at home and Spencer is graduating from high school this May and preparing to heave on his mission, then I will be having the baby in June and Marissa the youngest is still at home.  So a lot going on and a lot to look forward to for this unique time in our family.  I think the first few months after Danny leaves will be the most difficult.  Until I have the baby.  Especially when I'm all big and uncomfortable and missing him! I just hope I can stay busy at home and have a good support system of friends and family to keep me busy and positive... without constantly telling me to BE positive :) I hope i'm not sick too, that will help. I am so excited to leave Georgia though... woa. We both really hate this place hahaha! We are going to Florida for Christmas and spending time with Danny's Dad, step mom and Sister's family.  We're excited about that and hope we can find time to visit a beach we went to while dating, the beach we decided we were going to marry one another :) good times. Anyway, I am just feeling bored and nostalgic as well as homesick, sad,and slightly hormonal/weepy so I thought I'd do an update.

Baby Waves

Hi, This is Danny, I uploaded a video, you can see the baby again, he waves. =)

 Thursday we had our second baby appointment.  I found out that if there is a "perk" to a high risk pregnancy in the OB clinic its that you get way more ultrasounds!! Most likely at every visit plus two scheduled ones. :) We feel spoiled even though the reasons make sense.  This video is from Thursday with Baby at about 13.5 weeks.  Baby is almost through their first trimester- Yay!  Not much more to report, it was just exciting to see it move around, its little heart beating and the developing brain.  I looooove technology :) still sick most days and on nausea medication.

 Some of you have been asking about deployment.  As of now we have no new information.  Danny's last day in the shop was yesterday and he will start whatevertheacronym was that he didn't know what it stood for but is preparing him to deploy/train or something. We still are not sure when he is going.