I Should Be Folding Laundry

Josh called me as he was leaving work, as he always does, to let me know he was on his way home. I asked him about his day and we were chit chatting for about fifteen minutes. About halfway down 2-01, he says "Hold on a sec." followed by a huge crash on the other side of the phone. I sat there for a few seconds, wondering what happened. Ten seconds roll by and he gets back on the phone. "I just got in an accident." He said. "What?! Are you okay?" I ask. "Yeah, I'm alright, but I need to go. I'll call you back soon." I was worried sick! He called me back a couple minutes later in a panic. "I forgot to take the Blazer off suspension, its not covered by our insurance!" I then spent the next 45 minutes trying to get a hold of someone from Allstate (I waited on hold three separate times, once for 10 minutes, once for 15 minutes, another time for 20... so ridiculous.) to ask them what we should do. Josh called my mom-in-l...

My heart is full of love and appreciation for my husband today.  He is my role model when it comes to work ethic. He's had a full time job while taking at least two night classes every semester since we've been married. This semester, he starts his days on Mondays and Tuesdays at 6:30 AM and doesn't get home until 10 PM due to really long classes.  He is always so patient with me. ADDers have a curse of forgetfulness and he never gives me a hard time about it.  Another reason I love him is that he encourages my interests. He'll talk novel ideas all day if I want and he has helped me out a few tight spots regarding plotlines. Whenever someone needs help, he's always the first one to step up and offer his time. He's an excellent example of a giving spirit. He is a wonderful father to our little guy. He always tries to teach Lincoln new things whenever he can and he plays with his little boy whenever he can. He even changes dirty diapers so I...

And not just any ol' post about love. I wanted to post for my 2nd anniversary and at the same time write about how great my husband is. Joshua Lynn Packer is truly my best friend. He brings out the best in me, he encourages free thinking and deviance, and he looks out for me. I'm grateful for him every day. He makes me feel beautiful, important and adored. He is my life and my love. He's the best decision I ever made. He makes me happier than anything else in the whole world. I feel so lucky to have him as my eternal companion. I loved you then, I love you now, I'll love you always. Happy 2nd Anniversary, Josh!!!

Okay, I know I've written a lot of these in the past, but over the past week and a half, I've been dying to post yet again about my best friend. Lets just begin with a simple statement.  I AM HEAD OVER HEELS, OVER THE MOON, ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY IN LOVE  WITH MY HUSBAND  J OSHUA LYNN PACKER I honestly know we were meant to be together.   I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend the rest of eternity with.  Josh is truly my best friend. I have never felt more like myself than since we've been married. He helps me feel a confidence I'd never had. Josh has a great ability of making me feel adored and beautiful in a way that nobody else can.  One thing I'd like to touch on in this post is Josh's admirable work ethic.  Once June hits, he works between 80 to 100 hour weeks for the whole month. Then, from July to the beginning of September, he works between 80 to 90 hours a week. I never hear a single complaint out of his mouth, even on t...

I love being a mom! I can't think of anything that I've ever done that has brought me more joy than taking care of my son.  Lincoln has been more awake this week. It's been fun to see him look around the room all curious. Plus, he's following movement with his eyes. I love that he's becoming more aware of his surroundings! He's been sleeping for longer periods lately which is refreshing! He sleeps really well in his bouncer. I'm still having a hard time getting him to sleep in his crib, but we're working on it. :) I've been really pleased with how well Chloe has been behaving around Lincoln. I was really worried that she would be jealous of him but she actually really likes him. Here's a clip of Lincoln when he was really awake! Be prepared for extreme cuteness! In other news, Josh discovered the game Skyrim. I played Morrowind years ago when I was young and I forgot how much I loved the Elder Scrolls game s...

Lincoln has been doing a lot better this week! His Jaundice has almost completely gone away! I couldn't be more happy and excited! He's sleeping so much better and I'm so grateful for that because it means I'm sleeping better too. He sometimes has feeding frenzies in the middle of the night where he will eat every hour for 3 or 4 hours but for the most part, he's a great sleeper! He's such a big boy! He only fits into half of his 3 month clothes, plus the doctor said he's in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. He weighs 9 pounds 4 ounces and is 21 and 3/4 inches long. Josh has fallen in love with his little boy. It is so sweet to see them together, they're already forming a father-son bond. I couldn't be happier. :) I can't believe how quickly my stomach is going down! I can hardly wait to get back on the treadmill once my doctor okay's it at my 6 week appointment.  Thanks for r...

I just wanted to share some talent I'm surrounded by on a regular basis! Here's a beautiful quilt made by my friend Shallise Fage as a belated wedding present. This thing was so huge, I had to stand on my bed to take a picture of the whole thing! This picture doesn't do it justice! She took it to tons of quilting shows all over Utah, that's how amazing this thing is! My husband is a talented artist. He draws completely freehand Celtic knots like these: I'm envious of their skills but I feel lucky to be surrounded by such talented people! Thanks for reading! Mackenzie

1 WEEK LEFT!!! How Far Along? 39 weeks Total Weight Gain: 24 lbs. Maternity Clothes? Yup Stretch Marks? They're everywhere!!! Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well this week. Best Moment This Week: Going to see Rise of the Guardians last night with Josh for (probably) our last date before Lincoln gets here. I even refilled our popcorn bucket so I can enjoy some of the buttery goodness today. :) Miss Anything? Being comfortable. Movement: He's not as fierce with his movements but it seems like he's moving around just as much as a few weeks ago. Food Cravings: Peanut butter! Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? Same ol', same ol'. Gender: Boy Labor Signs:  More Braxton-Hicks and they're getting a little more uncomfortable so that's a great sign! Also, as of Monday, I'm 1 centimeter dilated and 65% effaced. :) Symptoms: Lower back pain and swollen toes. Belly Button In or Out: Out! Wedding Ring On or Off? Sometimes on, sometimes off. Happy or Moody...

I've been feeling so happy and excited for this new challenge on its way. I already love Lincoln with my whole heart and I can't wait till he's here! I'm feeling as prepared as I can be to be a mother and we have (at least I think) everything we need. I have the best husband in the whole world and a sweet little one on the way. I'm just excited to see what the future holds and I couldn't be happier with my life. :)

I can't believe its FINALLY here! Waiting for this day to come has felt like a lifetime in-and-of itself, I can't imagine how long the next few weeks are going to drag by. I'm getting excited and nervous all at once for this whole mothering thing, but I've got a huge support group behind me, backing me up. (And I feel SO blessed!)  Lincoln,      Mommy and Daddy feel so blessed that you've been cooperative and healthy throughout the journey so far. We both love you dearly and we are terribly excited to finally meet you in the flesh sometime in the very near future. Keep baking for as long as you need (even though Mommy wishes some days that you'd just come out already!) Keep kickin' little buddy, our arms are wide open whenever you decide to make your debut into this big, wide world!      Love, Mackenzie and Josh

In the past week, Lincoln has been dropping further into my pelvis, making it feel like I'm trying to hold a bowling ball between my legs. Because of this, I've been rocking the pregnancy waddle (I occasionally call it "pregnancy swag") Lucky for me, Josh thinks its cute. :) I'm glad he's so supportive. In other news, last night, I was somehow able to shave my legs! For those of you who haven't been preggo, its very satisfying when you can do simple things on your own, like shaving your legs or tying your own shoes, when you're THIS pregnant. I feel so accomplished.

H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G ! Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought I would make a list of some of the things I'm thankful for. Texting. I always worry about Josh working and driving around on the snowy and icy roads around the Salt Lake Valley so its nice to be able to ask if he's doing okay and if he's still safe.  The internet. Its such a blessing to have access to pretty much any information you want right at home. Blankets. I've always found comfort in blankets, whether its for snuggling up to a good movie with your husband or if its to protect from all the nighttime nasties that could be lurking in the darkness after a bad dream. Roses. They just make me happy.  Vacuum cleaners. Josh and I lived for just over a year without one of our own and when you have two birds who shed feathers everywhere, its nice to have some help with the cleanup.  Shoes. I don't think I need to explain this one. Socks. What else would I use to keep my piggies ...

     Today was Josh's day off and we did quite a bit of running around. We went to Best Buy to pick out a new video camera (I'm SO excited for it by the way, my mother-in-law is buying it for us for Christmas! Thank you Mary Ann!) we went to Office Depot, (both Josh and I love office supply places, we aren't sure why...) we went to Josh's favorite restaurant for our date this week, and lastly we went to Mary Ann's to help with a few small home improvement projects. To be honest with you, sometimes, Josh's days off don't really feel like days off. Usually we have a load of stuff to do so it doesn't always feel like he gets a break. But that's when I feel truly blessed.      He's really, truly, honestly the hardest worker I've ever seen. He never stops going and helping others every chance he gets. He'd do anything he had to to provide for our little family. He's so strong in the gospel and it makes me so proud to be married to a worth...

Christmas has to be my favorite holiday. I know what you're all thinking, "She just likes Christmas because she gets presents." FALSE I love Christmas for pretty much every reason other than that. The trees, the lights, the colors, the ornaments, the magic. But most of all, I love the snow. For anyone who wasn't in Utah last winter, the snowfall was less than satisfactory. I think it only snowed twice and the deepest the snow ever got (in Salt Lake, anyway) was about two inches. I was ecstatic when I woke up this morning to see this: The view from my bedroom window Lyle, my green Honda Accord, was covered in about twenty minutes. There was one lonely duck out by the pool that Chloe saw and she got all sorts of riled up when she noticed her. Chloe getting upset that the duck was there. The funniest part about that was the fact that there have been ducks out there for weeks now and she didn't notice them until today. I do have a fe...

Lets begin with my weekly update picture! Here's the weekly update picture with me wearing my costume; Pumpkin Smuggler! My partner in crime! For some reason, when Josh shaved his beard into a  handlebar-soul patch combo, we kept making this face at each other...  Chloe's costume! (Doesn't she look thrilled?!) \ Josh carving his pumpkin! Carving my pumpkin! It was the first time I had carved one in years! So much fun!  Josh's Jack-O-Lantern My goofy looking pumpkin Lincoln's little baby pumpkin!  Pumpkin family I just wanted to thank my brother Cameron for taking me and Josh to a local recycling plant where they had made a maze made of those blocks of recycled stuff! It was really fun! (Plus it was a little freaky considering there were guys dressed in black running around, scaring people!) H A P P Y  H A L L O W E E N ! ! !