You guys. Christmas is over already! (How did that happen?) ...and New Year's is here! That means that this is my last post of 2015! Aww! I'm feeling so nostalgic! It's hard to believe that 2016 is just around the corner: with some very good things to come! But more about that at the end of my post. Let's get to the updates first:
Pregnancy Updates:
How far in: 30 weeks.
Feeling: Generally, I've been feeling pretty tired and mellow. My belly has been getting all hard and its so weird!
Total weight gain: 18.6 pounds.
Wearing: My new favorite thing is my pair of ankle booties I received for Christmas! They are comfy and make any outfit a little dressier. (Its amazing what a pair of low heels will do for your posture.) I've also been loving putting on pjs and my slippers when I get home from work!
Sleep: The best! I love love love sleep. (I doubt that will ever change) I've noticed that I sleep a lot better with a pillow between my knees.
Miss anything: Being able to walk quickly. I realized that I can't walk much faster than a breezy normal pace anymore without a lot of effort.
Movement: Most of the time he's pretty mellow, but when he moves It feels like he's doing somersaults.
Food cravings: Sugar! Ha.
Labor signs: None.
Next OBGYN appointment: In two weeks. I've graduated to every other week! ^_^
Next OBGYN appointment: In two weeks. I've graduated to every other week! ^_^
Looking forward to: Getting Adam's nursery all set up. :)
We are going to have so much fun with Adam! Ryan is going to be such a great daddy!
Updates from Elder Arciniaga:
"Greetings y'all,
I absolutely have fallen in love with Texas!! The people here are incredibly amazing and the whole culture and mentality are so much more outgoing and friendly! Rewinding a little bit, I left the MTC on Wednesday and flew into the San Antonio airport with the two other elders, Grover and Villeda! I had the opportunity to be the travel leader so my job was to ma,e sure that everyone made it the airport and to the final destination safely and together. Anyways, we came down the escalator to baggage claim and it was there that we met Mission President and Sister Slaughter and the two APs (Assistant to the president). I was rather surprised to find that president and his wife were a rather young couple! We greeted them all with an embraco, or "embrace" which consists of a hand shake, a hug over the right shoulder, and then another handshake.
After that we gathered our bags and loaded into the Mission cars which the AP's drove, that is 2013-14 Dodge Grand Caravans. I was rather surprised that the missionaries drove such nice vehicles! We got to the mission office and dropped off our bags and met the senior couples and then went to the San Antonio temple grounds. And may I just say that the temple is very small but also one of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen! It has stained glass windows all around and they told us that it was one of the most expensive temples to build per square foot!
After our time at the temple, we had sandwiches and got in the car
with the APs to the Alamo! We got out of the car and were given three copies of the Book of Mormon and challenged to hand them all out to people just walking around the area. So we split up and started tracking people down and sharing our testimonies of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I can proudly say that I gave out all three copies and met some really kind folks. It was after that experience when I realized what being on a mission was all about. That is sharing what we believe and the joy it brings us and inviting and helping others to establish a relationship with God! Whether that be through service, or assisting, or sharing the gospel. It was after that experience when we all went to the APs apartment and settled in for the night, for we would be assigned our trainer the next day.
The next day we got up at the normal time and prepared for the day, we got the the church building around 7:30. It was there that we were given our iPads and bikes and met the senior couples that are serving in the mission. They are all such sweet and wonderful people! After that, the 8 of us (that is the three of us greenies, and the president and his wife and three children 14-18). Then the doors were opened and we were welcomed into the transfer meeting while the missionaries sang Called to Serve. It was at this meeting that I was notified that my companion (Elder Diaz) would not be in San Antonio until 5:30 pm (it was 10). So all the missionaries that were waiting for their new companions to come from Austin ended up deep cleaning the stake center! But it only took us about 45 minutes to do that so we ended doing nothing but playing basketball and hanging out for the remaining time. Elder Diaz is amazing and really knowledgeable! He is a convert to the church at like 17 but he knows deep doctrine like the back of his hand. We are now in Boerne, Texas in the Hill Country Stake. Everyone here is super kind and very welcoming to us!
I am so grateful for the blessing to be serving a mission in the Texas San Antonio mission and it has been the best time I have ever had in my life! I never understood when people talked about being guarded by the spirit until I came here! To any person who is considering serving a mission, do it. This is an experience I cannot describe, but it has been the most amount of fun and faith I have ever been involved around! I have also decided my new favorite scripture which is in the Book of Mormon in Moroni chapter 9 verse 25 which reads, "My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever." We do not experience hard times and struggles to complain and grieve, but to rely on the Plan on Salvation and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to carry us through and bring us closer to our Father in Heaven. I love his mission and I love these people. I would recommend that everyone watch the new Christmas initiative that the church has. What would the world
be like without a savior?
https://www.mormon.org/christmas/purpose-of-a-savior
We must all look back as we are caught up in the gifts and presents,
that we forget the first gift that the world ever received. Jesus
Christ is our savior and our redeemer and through him we can all be
saved and comforted. He is Christmas.
Feel free to forward this email to anyone who may want to see it
Happy Holidays,
Elder Arciniaga
p.s. write me: alexander.arciniaga@myldsmail.net"
I absolutely have fallen in love with Texas!! The people here are incredibly amazing and the whole culture and mentality are so much more outgoing and friendly! Rewinding a little bit, I left the MTC on Wednesday and flew into the San Antonio airport with the two other elders, Grover and Villeda! I had the opportunity to be the travel leader so my job was to ma,e sure that everyone made it the airport and to the final destination safely and together. Anyways, we came down the escalator to baggage claim and it was there that we met Mission President and Sister Slaughter and the two APs (Assistant to the president). I was rather surprised to find that president and his wife were a rather young couple! We greeted them all with an embraco, or "embrace" which consists of a hand shake, a hug over the right shoulder, and then another handshake.
After that we gathered our bags and loaded into the Mission cars which the AP's drove, that is 2013-14 Dodge Grand Caravans. I was rather surprised that the missionaries drove such nice vehicles! We got to the mission office and dropped off our bags and met the senior couples and then went to the San Antonio temple grounds. And may I just say that the temple is very small but also one of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen! It has stained glass windows all around and they told us that it was one of the most expensive temples to build per square foot!
After our time at the temple, we had sandwiches and got in the car
with the APs to the Alamo! We got out of the car and were given three copies of the Book of Mormon and challenged to hand them all out to people just walking around the area. So we split up and started tracking people down and sharing our testimonies of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I can proudly say that I gave out all three copies and met some really kind folks. It was after that experience when I realized what being on a mission was all about. That is sharing what we believe and the joy it brings us and inviting and helping others to establish a relationship with God! Whether that be through service, or assisting, or sharing the gospel. It was after that experience when we all went to the APs apartment and settled in for the night, for we would be assigned our trainer the next day.
The next day we got up at the normal time and prepared for the day, we got the the church building around 7:30. It was there that we were given our iPads and bikes and met the senior couples that are serving in the mission. They are all such sweet and wonderful people! After that, the 8 of us (that is the three of us greenies, and the president and his wife and three children 14-18). Then the doors were opened and we were welcomed into the transfer meeting while the missionaries sang Called to Serve. It was at this meeting that I was notified that my companion (Elder Diaz) would not be in San Antonio until 5:30 pm (it was 10). So all the missionaries that were waiting for their new companions to come from Austin ended up deep cleaning the stake center! But it only took us about 45 minutes to do that so we ended doing nothing but playing basketball and hanging out for the remaining time. Elder Diaz is amazing and really knowledgeable! He is a convert to the church at like 17 but he knows deep doctrine like the back of his hand. We are now in Boerne, Texas in the Hill Country Stake. Everyone here is super kind and very welcoming to us!
I am so grateful for the blessing to be serving a mission in the Texas San Antonio mission and it has been the best time I have ever had in my life! I never understood when people talked about being guarded by the spirit until I came here! To any person who is considering serving a mission, do it. This is an experience I cannot describe, but it has been the most amount of fun and faith I have ever been involved around! I have also decided my new favorite scripture which is in the Book of Mormon in Moroni chapter 9 verse 25 which reads, "My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever." We do not experience hard times and struggles to complain and grieve, but to rely on the Plan on Salvation and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to carry us through and bring us closer to our Father in Heaven. I love his mission and I love these people. I would recommend that everyone watch the new Christmas initiative that the church has. What would the world
be like without a savior?
https://www.mormon.org/christmas/purpose-of-a-savior
We must all look back as we are caught up in the gifts and presents,
that we forget the first gift that the world ever received. Jesus
Christ is our savior and our redeemer and through him we can all be
saved and comforted. He is Christmas.
Feel free to forward this email to anyone who may want to see it
Happy Holidays,
Elder Arciniaga
p.s. write me: alexander.arciniaga@myldsmail.net"
Isn't he just the cutest? I love my little brother!
Thankful Thursday: the Plan of Salvation, repentance, prayer, comfy pjs, hot showers, pillows, sweater weather, family time, hugs, eternal families, laughing until I cry, the simple life.
My Favorite Moments of 2015:
Watching The Crimson Tide play Ohio State. Unfortunately for us, Alabama got beat...that made Ryan very happy. :)
Helping the homeless for Elder Arciniaga's Eagle project.
Ryan taught me to back into parking spaces.
When I discovered that my wedding dress was too big! Yassssss...
Watching the Superbowl.
Spending time with Grandma.
Meeting these great peeps at a conference.
Our date to Walmart in our Batman PJs.
Hanging out with the Willis'.
Ryan surprised me with an Anniversary weekend getaway to the Delta King.
Meeting Hazel and doing her makeup for Senior Ball.
Ryan being sassy.
Getting into shenanigans with these two.
Doing McKenna & Allie's hair and makeup for Winter Formal.
Getting clothes for Ryan that he loved. (This was quite the accomplishment because he's very picky!)
That time Allie drove and didn't get in an accident. Ha.
Playing at Folsom Lake.
Wedding shopping prep with Jen.
Messing around during Wedding Weekend.
Two awesome couples got married.
Spending time with Tricia.
Allie's Sweet 16.
Spending time with my cute pregnant buddy, Kathleen.
I cut my hair off.
When we moved into our house.
Going through the Temple with Elder Arciniaga.
Going to the Coast for Thanksgiving. This little guy is my favorite.
Elder Arciniaga was called to serve in the San Antonio, Texas mission.
Weekly Obsessions:
- THIS VIDEO OF A BABY EATING BACON FOR THE FIRST TIME. I have a feeling Adam will react the same way.
- "Sorry" by Justin Bieber. This song is so catchy!
- That one song by Alessia Cara...I don't know the name of it, but it's been stuck in my head!
- Grey's Anatomy. I just watched that crazy episode that everyone was talking about a few months back and boy, did I bawl! I cried my sad, little eyes out. And then I proceeded to cuddle with Ryan because that's what needed to happen.
These memes.
I am so excited for 2016!
What are your favorite memories from 2015?
XOXO,
