I have no calling

I found out last week that I was going to get released from my primary calling.  It made me sad but I kept it together... until last Sunday.  I was conducting closing exercises and took the liberty to bear my testimony to the senior primary, it didn't take long to get the tears a flowin'.  I could barely get through it, I love those kids and the spiritual experiences we've shared together create a bond.  I know Heavenly Father loves them too and they have so much potential.  This has been my favorite calling EVER!  People have congratulated me on getting released in the halls at church, but it took all I had not to cry on their shoulders.  Maybe I'm just more sensitive these days.


On another note, I'm 30 weeks pregnant!  That means only 10-12 weeks left!  I'm really excited to meet my baby, I just love him already.  

Week 28

I got the results of my first glucose test and it was a little high.  So today I had to do the 2 hour test while fasting, it was kinda sucky.  First, they took my blood which hurt, then an hour later they took my blood again in the other arm and that really hurt too, then after the second hour they took my blood again and it hurt.  I've had my blood taken many times in the past year, so I've been getting better at handling the scare, but I've also had good luck having my friends take my blood without pain.  That woman was consistently horrible, I've had her take my blood before and I'm sure she hurt me that time too.  Granted, I'm a huge baby when it comes to getting my blood taken.  I was in the hospital when I was 5 for 2 weeks while doctors were trying to figure out what was wrong with me.  I was constantly poked and prodded, it may have given me a fright which still lives with me.  When my friend Jen, took my blood a couple weeks ago, I didn't even feel the needle, but this time it hurt the whole time the needle was in.  I hate getting my blood taken!! 

The nice part about today was when I was weighed I was 3lbs lighter than last month.  That's pretty sweet. And then my blood pressure which has been on the rise is back to optimal.  That made me pretty happy, maybe it has to do with all the fruits and vegetables that we've been eating, maybe it's all the puking I'm doing.  Who knows?  I hope my glucose test comes back normal, but if it doesn't at least I'm already off refined sugar.

I'm on a Candy Fast

So, I've been reading that my baby is mostly developed now is just gaining fat and weight.  That scared me in to this thing I call a "Candy Fast".  On the night of New Years Eve I started it, my goal, until I have my baby, is not to eat any treats, that includes:

ice cream

cookies

cake

chocolate

any candy

any other sweet treat

But I will drink chocolate milk, since that's the only dairy that I consume.  I've been eating lots of fruit and vegetables and I drink water whenever I feel like I have a craving for a treat.  Last night we went to Spencer's brother's house in Taber for dinner and after we ate they brought out the chocolates, fresh baked cookies, brownies and ice cream.  It was a bit of a challenge to say no, but I DID IT! Surprisingly, it's not as hard as I thought it would be. And I do have a couple days of respite to look forward to in this adventure, one day is January 27, Erin Wallace's birthday, and February 25, my birthday.  Erin and I are doing this together, and it sure helps to have a someone to do this with.  

p.s. on a side note, there is a girl in my ward that just gave birth to a 10lbs 15oz. baby.  I am NOT going to do that!

Kool-Aid is gross without sugar.

I have a nasty cold and Kali claimed to feel sick too, so we stayed home from church today.  I woke up from a nice 2 hour nap and found her watching a movie drinking hot chocolate, eating chocolate, marshmallows and Doritos.  After a light chastisement I found these two Kool-Aid packets on the counter... but no Kool-Aid.  She came up to me immediately and confessed that she tried to make Kool-Aid but it was gross, apparently she tried twice with the same result.  I had to laugh. I showed her the directions and the part about the sugar.  This girl is really learning to cook in the kitchen, and I hope that she can really take over when her little brother comes... with a gentle reminder to read the directions and instructions.

Torrie Christmas Card

We started the year with a little business/pleasure trip to Chicago, IL, it was just Spencer and I. And in October and November we also enjoyed a family vacation to California with a few Utah stops in between.  It sure is nice to get away and see something different.

On June 23^rd, Kali turned 8 and was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints by her Dad. She is a great little girl, I've seen her develop into a very compassionate and loving person. She is definitely a better person than I am. She started grade 3 this fall and had a bit of a challenge at first not having many friends in her class, but it didn't take long for her to make new ones. Her first report card was almost straight A's, she loves school and her teacher, she makes us so proud. She's also been busy with extra curricular activities like piano, hip hop dance and achievement days.

Our big surprising news is that we are expecting a baby boy in April. We've prayed for a baby for years, and with some medical intervention it worked. We are pretty excited about the whole thing, it really is a miracle.

So, Spencer still enjoys his job and the variety of things he works on, he has a lot more responsibility and is the senior Mechanical Engineer. He's the vice chairman for the Medicine Hat branch of APEGA, the Alberta Professional Engineer and Geologist Association, and will be the chairman in February. I think it just means going to meetings in Edmonton and reporting back to the executive committee here.

He's been released as Scout master after 5 years and they put him in the Elders Quorum presidency, but I think he's been subbing in Primary for over a month straight. He still really enjoys the outdoors and looks forward to ice fishing, archery, camping and starting fires.

I'm still in the Primary Presidency, and I love it, the kids are pretty awesome and I love the spirit I feel when teaching, I think it's helping me grow. I'm still running my recycling business and I think I can still do it with a baby since it's only one morning a week. My morning sickness is lingering like it did when I was carrying Kali, but now I have 2 people to rub my back and get me water, I really have been blessed. Other than that I try to keep myself busy helping out at school and hanging out with my friends during the day. Life is good.

We hope with letter finds you well, and that you are thinking about our Savior this Christmas season. We are trying our best to give gifts to Jesus, and not focus too much on materialism. We'll be home this year for Christmas and look forward to being together where we can take time to reflect on the season. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Love, Spencer, Jenn and Kali Torrie

Had another Ultrasound today...

I had another ultrasound today, but this time I remembered to invite Spencer.  Ultrasounds are pretty fun, if you can watch what's going on a get it all interpreted by the tech.  It's a good distraction from my full bladder anyway.

So she shows us all the parts, and it looks like a pretty healthy baby so far.  Except that our little "girl" has a penis.  

At my last ultrasound the tech told us she was certain it was a girl, she even showed me.  

This changes everything.

People think I'm old

I've had a couple experiences in the past weeks that have devastated me.  Both happened at church.

There was a lady who is less active sitting in front of us in sacrament meeting, and I've known her since Kali was in Kindergarten.  She's a grandmother of a boy who was in Kal's class.  I was talking to her about the primary presentation that was coming up the following week and chatting about this and that. She turned around and saw Spencer sitting with us and asked: "Is this your son?"  I almost died of embarrassment and laughter at the same time, while trying not to cry my eyes out.  I said, "No, Spencer is my husband."  She replied that he looked like he was eighteen.  Okay, he does have a baby face, and we've heard that before, but really??

The next episode happened on Saturday.  We had some friends who were cleaning the church with their 5 kids and we offered to help them so we could share babysitting for the Elders Quorum party that night.  We were able to finish pretty fast, with just the garbages to be taken out.  I was sitting on one of the chairs in the foyer, and all the kids were playing.  Then this old man came in looking for his boots, he talked to my friend's husband for a couple minutes, took a look at all the kids and came to me to ask if I was the grandmother of all these kids.  Was that some kind of pick up line? I was pretty mad, and Kali was too, she wanted to go up to him and tell him off.  Maybe he's retarded.

So, in light of these events, I realize I must have something to change.