Big News/Updates

For those reading this blog who are not on Facebook/Instagram, I'll start with the biggest news from us - Claire is going to be a big sister! We are expecting a little boy in February, and we are all very excited. :) I've been feeling good, thankfully. My belly seems to be getting bigger faster this time than with Claire.

This picture is from a few weeks ago. Baby is growing well, right on track according to my most recent ultrasound. They captured an amazing 3D image of the baby. He looks so sweet.

Can hardly wait to snuggle this cutie! 

Another big update is that my youngest sister got married last month. So very excited for her and her husband! I didn't take many pictures, since I was in the wedding party - and Claire, too (she was a flower girl) - but here are the good ones I have.

Claire was the cutest flower girl. She did well walking down the aisle!

This is right after their first dance. They make a perfect couple. :)

We visited Quentin's family out in Colorado and Utah about 2 weeks ago. We flew in an airplane to Colorado - my and Claire's first time on a plane! Claire really enjoyed the plane ride. She kept saying "We're flying!" and giggling. She loved looking out the window.

I enjoyed the flight, for the most part. It was great seeing clouds from the other side, like a big white blanket. Takeoff was probably my least favorite, but it didn't last long. I was thankful for the free juice and snack that they gave to everyone on the plane. :) 

Quentin's brother picked us up at the airport and let us stay with him that night. Thank you for your generous hospitality! The next morning, we drove from Colorado to Utah, to stay with Quentin's brother and family there. The view along the way was very cool. Here's one cliff we drove by.

We stayed in Utah for a week. We're so thankful for the generosity of Quentin's family, letting us stay at their house and giving us meals, and taking us on fun trips. :) Thank you all so much!

Here are a few photos from our week in Utah.

Antelope Island, in the Great Salt Lake. We saw lots of wild bison there, which was really neat.

Claire got to go trick-or-treating with her cousins. She had fun, and was a very cute kitty. :) 

The last full day that we were there, we visited the Uinta Mountains. It was cold and snowy up there. We walked around Mirror Lake, which was pretty. There are lots of amazing places out west!

The trip home was a bit crazy.We had a two-part flight, the first plane from Utah to Arizona, then a plane from Arizona back home. (the only direct flight from Utah to home started at midnight, and we didn't want to do that with Claire) Quentin and Claire had stand-by tickets, which means they only got on the plane if it is not completely full, and I had a regular ticket. We all got on the first plane fine, and got to sit together. It was a short, fun flight. 

Then when we got to the gate for our second flight in Arizona, they said it was full and I had the last seat. I didn't want to be separated from Quentin and Claire, since we didn't know when the next flight was leaving and Quentin had been feeling sick all morning. So I chose to forfeit my ticket and stay. I'm sorry to say, I had a terrible attitude about the situation. I kept saying, "We should have been on that plane." I was angry. I didn't want to spend the night in Arizona, I wanted to go home. Quentin kept saying that we should be thankful that we were all together. He was right, and I was wrong to be angry.

We got a shuttle bus from the airport to a hotel. When we got to our room, Quentin lay down in bed and couldn't get back up. He had a headache and fever, his muscles all ached, and he was exhausted. That's when I realized that God knew we needed to miss our second plane that day. Quentin wouldn't have been able to lie down and get much-needed rest on the plane, and it wouldn't have been an enjoyable flight. And I am so glad that God caused me to decide to give up my ticket, because Quentin needed me that evening, and Claire, too. 

We were able to book another flight for me, and Quentin and Claire, in the morning, so we weren't stuck in Arizona for too long. I ended up on a separate airline, since it was half the price of the one that Quentin and Claire got. So we were on different planes. Thankfully Quentin felt somewhat better, so he was able to take care of Claire well. We all got home safely in the end, because of God's grace. And I learned a lesson in trusting God no matter what the circumstances seem. He is always faithful!