One year

It's been one year since Madison and McKenzie were born. I wondered how I would feel when it had been a year. I wondered if I would be sad, but I'm not. I know they are in a better place and that everything happened for a reason. I know that we will see them again and get to raise them. I just hope we never have to go through that again.

To celebrate their birthdays we had a party in Thatcher with both of our families that could make it. My dad bought some rock to spread over their graves. So we spent an hour at the cemetery cleaning up and spreading rock. I think it turned out really good! Then we ate pulled pork sandwiches with Jory's dad's homemade BBQ sauce. I'm glad everyone that could make it came and helped! Thanks!




Melissa working hard


Daya saying "cheese"

Laughlin Trip/ 17 weeks

Since Derek is leaving on his mission soon my dad wants to do as much with Derek as he can. So they have planned all these "boy trips." Going to Laughlin to ride jet skis down the river was one of them. For this trip my whole family went, except Dani and Bryce. It was a lot of fun, but VERY hot!

This was on the way down to Thatcher before Derek opened his call but I thought it was funny. Chad decided to put a fruit roll up all over his face to be funny. Then he fell asleep, which was even funnier.


In Phoenix we stopped at Sam's Club and Jory made me ride in a wheel chair because I'm not really supposed to be walking around. I was really embarrassed and never wanted to do it again. People were staring at me probably wondering what I was doing in the wheel chair.


In between Phoenix and Wickenburg we had a tire blowout on the jet ski trailer. So the boys had to change it in 113 degree weather.


About 40 miles outside of Wickenburg another tire went flat on the trailer. We had run out of spare tires after this, so the boys decided to go back to Wickenburg and get all new tires on the trailer and the girls went on to Laughlin. I was so glad when we finally made it to our hotel. It was a long day!


The next 2 days the girls went shopping. It got so hot the first day. The car's air conditioner was having a hard time working.


We found some weird sunglasses that had lines through them and looked like blinds. You couldn't see anything through them. Why would you buy sunglasses like that?


This is what Jory looked like when he got back from jet skiing the first day. He had crazy hair and his eyes were very red. He didn't get sunburned though! He was really proud of his shirt. He said he got lots of compliments.


This is me at 17 weeks. I had an appointment this week. I thought I was going to get an ultrasound and find out what we're having, but I didn't. I was really disappointed. I met with the doctor and all she did was check for the heartbeat, which she couldn't hear because my placenta's in the front and it was over powering everything else. We did hear movement which was good and she kept saying, "Wow your placenta is really loud." We have actually only heard the heartbeat once this pregnancy and that was during an ultrasound. It's usually not a big deal to me since we get so many ultrasounds and I can see our baby moving around like crazy. But it still worries me. The doctor just told me to take it easy until our next appointment and we'll go from there. My next appointment it August 31st and I'm really excited, because we will for sure find out what we are having...if the baby's cooperating.

Derek's Mission Call

My brother Derek got his mission call! He is going to the Culiacan Mexico Mission. He's leaving December 2nd. His mission includes Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. We are all really excited for him. I'm mostly excited because we'll hopefully get to go with my parents to go pick him up! Here are the maps of his mission.


His mission includes all of the highlighted part


In this map it includes the bottom half of Baja California


This is Mazatlan. Isn't it pretty?


This is Cabo



Too bad Derek can't really enjoy all of this!

14 weeks

I had another appointment yesterday and everything looks really good. The doctor we saw was a new one. The clinic I go to has 3 different doctors and he is the only male doctor. They have such different opinions, it gets really confusing. The doctor that did the surgery said I need to take it easy and that I'll probably be on bed rest most of the time. This guy said I don't have to be on bed rest and I could pretty much do whatever I wanted, except lift 200 pounds. But he doesn't really know me or my situation. The first doctor was there from the beginning last time and knows my history first hand, so I think I'll trust her. I've been feeling really good lately and I'm loving all the ultrasounds we get, but we finally get a 3 week break, so I'm really excited. We have gone to an appointment every week this month.

The ultrasound lady tried to find out what we were having this time, but the baby was curled up in a ball upside down the whole time she couldn't see.





Here is me at 14 weeks. I'm already getting big. Oh yeah, and I got my hair cut. The lady cut it about 3 inches shorter then I wanted it to be. Jory likes it, so that's good. I woke up this morning missing my hair though. I don't think I've ever had it this short.

I'm Alive!

Well I made it through surgery. I was very scared. I had to be at the hospital at 9:00 am yesterday morning to get ready for my surgery at 11:00. I ended up going in early because they weren't very busy. I got an IV and my blood taken, but it was really hard to get a good vein because I was so dehydrated from not eating or drinking for 12 hours. I got a Spinal from the anesthesiologist (who wasn't very nice to me), as soon as the medicine went in me I couldn't move at all. When I was completely numb I didn't even think I had my legs. I kept saying, "Are those my legs?" Then they gave me something to relax and it did a very good job. I almost fell asleep. They were done with the procedure before I even knew they started. As soon as they moved me on the bed to take me to the recovery room I got really sick and threw up because I was so dizzy. Then later they gave me some ice chips, I had three and I threw up again. I was so miserable. During all this time my bottom half of my body was still numb. I felt like an old, sick lady in the hospital. I finally got moved to my room by being wheeled on the hospital bed. That's when I really felt old and sick. The nurses finally let me eat after what felt like a million hours without food and right in the middle of it my body started itching uncontrollably. I thought I was going to die. I called the nurses station to get me some benadryl, but they didn't bring it to me until 30 minutes later because they had to call the doctor and get an order for it. Well I finally got it and I was so tired that all I wanted to do was fall asleep, but I was still itchy. I didn't even want to eat. An hour later my real nurse came in (she had been with another patient and then had her lunch break, so I had nurses who didn't really care about me). I told the nurse about my bad itching and she realized I'm probably allergic to some medicine they gave my during the surgery. Then I got to thinking they did test me to see if I was allergic to it, but I didn't get hives, so they just kept giving it to me. They did say that 10% of people who are allergic to penicillin (which I am) are allergic to the medicine they gave me. Anyway, about 3 hours later I was itch free and my nurse told me to never let them give it to me again. After that I was pretty accident free. And I did get a nap. I stayed the night in the hospital and got to go home this morning. I'm on bed rest until Monday (I hope). My doctor did tell me though I will probably be on bed rest this whole pregnancy and that I will have to get a cerclage every pregnancy. So who knows how many kids I'll have now!

12 1/2 Weeks

Here's our cute little baby. I kind of like being high risk because I get ultrasounds all the time. He was flopping around all over the place during the ultrasound. He (we think it's a boy) was measuring 6 days ahead of what he really is, so I'm getting scared he's going to be a big baby.



A closer view


Tomorrow I get my cerclage and I'm getting really nervous and scared. I'm so glad my mom's here to take care of me! I just hope everything goes well!

Lake Powell

Last week my whole family came up to visit. We did things around Kayenta for 2 days then went to Lake Powell for the next 3 days. We met up with some of my mom's side of the family and also Sonya Anderson and Brittani Clonts. I was so excited to see them. It was a lot of fun, but I was so tired at the end of every day. I was glad to finally be home!


Most of the group


Jen, Me, Sonya, Brittani


Brittani (the flag girl), me and Jen


My cute little husband