I Don't Want to Talk About It

I had to put some space between myself and the issue. All I can say is we lost, and it was soul crushingly awful. All our hopes are smashed into little tiny pieces. That's all I can say.

AIDA

Oh my giddy aunt! A few weeks ago I went and saw AIDA at the Hale Center Theater in Orem and it was AMAZING! I have been dying to see this for years and finally, finally I got to. If you live nearby do yourself a favor and go, it's playing thru November 22 I believe. But a warning- you will fall in love with Radames. He is beautiful. I am now officially obsessed with this musical. Great music. Great story. Cute man-who sings. What more could you ask for?

Introducing...

John Thomas Dunn

This is the beautiful John Thomas Dunn! 9 lbs. 3 oz.

Sadly, he was stuck under these lights all day for the 2 days he was in the hospital due to jaundice.

This is his blessing day!

Grandma Hess came to the hospital and was in the room when he was born. She's a very proud grandparent!

Washington D.C. Here Comes Jenny!

My parents are the best! For my birthday present I'm going to DC! My dad goes to Washington often for business and I always beg him to let me go but he always said no because it conflicted with school and he would be in meetings all the time. But yesterday, he called me and asked if for my birthday I'd want to go with him to DC at the end of October!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED. I've already started planning everything I'm going to see and do and eat (yes eat- restaurants are a vital part of the experience). Anyway, if any one has any advice I'd love to hear it. I'll be wandering around DC all by myself for 5 days! YAY!

BABY

My mom had her baby! John Thomas Dunn was born on Wednesday July 16 at 9:50 pm. He was 9 lbs. and 3 oz. and absolutely beautiful. Pictures to follow soon! (I hope!)

Each Life That Touches Ours For Good

My 18 year old brother, Marshall had an...interesting experience that has really lead me to think and reflect the past few days. To explain the situation I'm just going to quote from my Dad's e-mail:
" Holly and I were waiting for him to get home from a trip to Lake Powell with some friends yesterday. They were supposed to get in around 6pm and we were still up waiting at 12:30 a.m. Monday morning.
It turns out that their fun trip to Powell had a very traumatic ending as they came upon a horrible accident in Emery County. People were asking if they had any medical training and it so happened that one of Marshall's friends is a certified EMT, but has not had any real-world experience to speak of. He suddenly became the "expert." A family and some friends towing two trailers ended up flipping their vehicle at full speed. Marshall and his friends helped pull the husband from the wreckage and administered CPR to him and the two fatally injured children. Unfortunately, all three ended up dying at the scene. It was a very horrific scene and I hate to think of these young men having to deal with it. Of course it's even worse to think about the poor mother, siblings and friends who survived."

Every time that I try to actually imagine Marshall and his two friends being in this situation and kneeling on the asphalt in the middle of no where, telling this poor woman that her husband and children are dead and but still doing all they can to help them, I am overwhelmed. It was up to these three 18 year old boys to help this family and I cannot even fathom how it must have felt. I am amazed at these boys and I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father put them there at the right time in order to help this woman and a few other survivors. While, I don't think that it's something that anybody, but especially three teenage boys, should have to face- I know that it was a good thing for them to go through and face and that above all Heavenly Father does have a plan and He always knows what He's doing- and it has a purpose.

Also, it made me extremely grateful for my amazing family and it made me realize that I should never take them for granted.

Tagged!

My wonderful cousin Sam tagged me, so apparently I'm supposed to inform you about myself.
All about me, from A to Z
A-- Attached or Single? Single
B-- Best Friend? Candy Lou Mercer and Jamie Marie Hills
C-- Cake or Pie? Pie (particularly fresh peach pie-delicious!)
D-- Day of Choice? Saturday- I get the whole day to do whatever I want!
E-- Essential Item? Sadly, my cell phone and my Burt's Bees chap stick
F-- Favorite Color? Red
G-- Gummy Bears or Worms? Worms- they're so much more fun to eat
H-- Hometown? Ithaca, NY
I-- Indulgence(s) Cheesecake! (It's pretty much the greatest thing EVER) and Jane Austen movies
J-- January or July? July- the 4th is one of my favorite holidays and it's smack in the middle of summer
K-- Kids? Nope!
L-- Life is incomplete without? My familia, and my books
M-- Marriage Date? Not for a very, very long time
N-- Number of siblings? 5: Angela, Marshall, Parker, Joseph and Jacob (this is what I've decided we should name the newbie- NOT Hyrum or Brigham!)
O-- Oranges or Apples? Apples- oranges have that yucky white stringy stuff you have to peel off
P-- Phobias or fears? So I had to think about this one for a while but I've decided one of my greatest fears is my family dying and I'm the only one left- morbid huh?
Q- Quotes? "You would"
R-- Reason to Smile? It's summer! And I started my new job! And mom is having a baby!
S-- Season? Spring. It's just starting to warm up and everything is so beautiful!
T-- Tag 5 People?? I don't think I know five people- Jayson, Katie, Chloe- nope only 3!
U-- Unknown Fact? I sleep with a stuffed cow every night named Puffa- given to me by my friend Samara in England.
V-- Very Favorite Store? Target, American Eagle
W-- Worst Habit? Biting my nails- although I've gotten much better if I do say so myself.
X-- X-ray or ultrasound? I don't understand the question- but I'll just say neither because that implies something bad has happened.
Y-- Your favorite food? Cheesecake and pasta (in that order)
Z-- Zodiac? Virgo