Catch Up

It's been a long time since my last post so here is my quick catch up of the last couple months. November went by super fast. We went to Phantom of the Opera and it was fantastic! My wonderful hubby got us 5th row tickets. We had first row tickets for Wicked but I thought it was actually better being a few rows back, that way the orchestra pit wasnt in the our line of sight.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We spent the day at my parents house and ate way too much. I think 2 out of 5 of my gained pregnancy pounds were gained in that day. Which leads me to pregnancy news. Yay! I have gained some weight. I am still 6 or so pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight but at least I am not losing anymore. We had another ultrasound at 18 weeks where we found out that my placenta previa has resolved itself, but unfortunately we did find out that baby boy has a couple of choroid plexus cysts in his brain. Man, I just can't catch a break with this pregnancy! Doctor said not to worry about it and we will get it checked out again this Friday at our 5th ultrasound. Its always fun to have ultrasounds...even if they aren't under the best circumstances...we are always excited to see the baby again.

December came way to quickly. We were excited this last week to pay off one of our big debts! It was exciting to have it out of the way...a little sad to be depleting the savings account to do it but definitely a relief to have out of the way.

Also, this week we went to a great combined choral concert with Gilbert LDS Stake and St. Anne's Catholic Church. Afterwards, there was hot chocolate and cookies, which got me into the spirit of Christmas and we went to look at Christmas lights after.

Also, I am so excited to say that I actually have a nursery now! Brick moved his office into the dining room and after some major organization and moving skills on my husband's part, the room is empty of all storage boxes and now has our nursery set in it. I am so thrilled to start decorating it! I still need to buy my crib bedding and buy a rocking chair but then I am set as far as furniture goes. Having a nursery really makes having a baby real, as does feeling him kick, which was an exciting milestone for me at 17 weeks pregnant and then at 21 weeks having Brick able to feel him from the outside.

I am sure I have plenty more to say, but now I am just rambling, so I will update again on Friday when we get our next ultrasound pics and results!

It's a.....

It has been long and a heck of a ride this pregnancy thus far. My first trimester consisted of 24/7 nausea and many doctors appointments. I have to admit though, I am kinda excited about the 12 pounds I have lost. I think it will give me a little wiggle room when faced with my upcoming cravings!

The many doctors appointments were due to a car accident in my first trimester, and some concerns they had about my pregnancy being high risk...which were later confirmed to be nothing at all. Thank goodness for insurance cause all the ultrasounds I have had have run up quite the bill.

Now that all of that has been cleared up, I am grateful to be in the second trimester. I have been feeling better and haven't been constantly hugging the toilet this past two weeks. I have a little more energy and have actually been able to clean house a little. I haven't gained any weight yet but I am sure that will come in time.

The most exciting thing that has happened recently is that they were able to tell the baby's sex this last ultrasound. We weren't expecting to find out for another 3 weeks but were thrilled we got to find out early. And drumroll please.......

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!

Yay! A boy! We are so excited! So happy that I can finally start to buy stuff for the nursery and buy cute baby clothes. We are so excited for this chapter of our life to begin. For those of you that know us well, you know that the three year wait for us to start our family was very taxing on us. I am finally being able to catch a glimpse of this new reality that our lives are. We are thrilled!

P.S. Sorry for the blurry pictures. Our scanner broke and we had to take the pictures of the sonograms with our camera!

10 Week Ultrasound- Baby Randall

We just had our second ultrasound today. It was so exciting. Mostly because it was just a huge relief. Last ultrasound they told me I had a short cervix which can greatly increase your risk for preterm labor. I was so happy to find out that it measured much longer this time so I don't have to worry about bed rest or other procedures.

Baby Randall is doing great. He is big for his gestational age. I should have asked if they were going to move up my due date but I forgot. I love this sonogram even more than the last cause you can see his little hands and feet. Last time he/she just looked like a little blob! Baby is almost an inch and a half now. Getting bigger every week! Our next ultrasound won't be for awhile, probably not until our 18 week appointment when we find out if it's a little boy or girl. I am almost positive it's a girl but I will let Brick think it's a boy for now!

That's Right.... We're Pregnant!

I wish I could be a California girl....

Blogger takes forever to load photos. So go to my facebook to see some of our pictures from our Cali trip.

www.facebook.com/sarandall

p.s. you have to be my friend to see them....its a private profile. :-)

To let all of you know...

To those of you that know us extremely well, you will know of the trials we have faced in the past seven years. For those of you that don't, it was just a long hard road that we would like to forget and move on from.

Brick and I want to let you know of the miracle that has taken placed in our lives and that our trial is finally over. We look forward to starting our brand new lives together.

We are so grateful for this blessing in our lives and are thankful for all of you that have helped us through it. Thank you for the many prayers and fasting.

We are so grateful for the Lord and the blessings of the temple. We know it was through our decision and effort to go through for the first time, just months ago, that has brought us this wonderful miracle in our lives.

To celebrate the end of this struggle, Brick and I hit the road for four days in Cali. Pictures to come soon!

Thank you all again for all you do!

When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Salsa

Have you ever had something happen to you that made you so mad that you just had to laugh?

Last week sometime, what I knew is that I wanted to have some chips and salsa for a late night snack. What I didn't know is that last time I had had my favorite snack...I had neglected to screw on the lid the entire way.



When I grabbed the salsa, I shook it so it wouldn't be all watery when it came out. This is what happened. I shook it so hard it opened and splattered all over me, all over the floor, and all over our dogs. I was so mad that I just wanted to scream but all I could do was just laugh. I tried to blame Brick for it, since he was standing near by, even though I knew I was the last one to use the salsa. And I tried to blame the fridge, the salsa, the dogs. My husband was nice enough to clean up the mess for me. But only after Lily, our chihuahua, ate most of the salsa on the floor. I was glad I was wearing Brick's pajama shirt instead of any of my clothes though.




I learned a lesson though. Sometimes you just get so angry but you just have to let it go. It makes you feel a lot better if you just laugh instead and get a great couple of pictures to blog about as well.

Awesomely Wicked

We finally made it! We got tickets to Wicked last night and it was absolutely amazing!

We didn't orginally have tickets, but we heard about the Wicked lottery they have at Gammage before every performance. If you show up in the evening before each performance you can enter your name into the drawing. About 200 people show up and they draw 10 names who get 2 tickets each. The odds of winning aren't very good but we decided to go anyways.

After 4 days of trying I was about ready to give up. Brick's grandparents were even so wonderful as to come so we could take their tickets if they got drawn. Anyways, I finally got drawn yesterday and we got 2 first row tickets to that night's performance. You still have to pay $25 per ticket, but for $150 per ticket seats it was well worth it.



This picture is from my favorite part of the whole musical. The lead character was actually played by the understudy this time which was totally ok. She was absolutely wonderful. She had a beautiful voice. It was well worth the wait in the Arizona heat for the tickets. It was such a fun night. We did take a quick picture of us outside Gammage but it didn't turn out so well. So you will just have to imagine how happy we were to go!

Miracles

"Has the day of miracles ceased?
“Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?” (Moro. 7:35–36.)
“Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased, wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.
“For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then faith has ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.” (Moro. 7:37–38.)

For those of you that know me and my husband well, you know that we have had years of struggles and trials, some due to our own actions and some by chance. We are at a point in our lives where we are hoping that the hardest trial we have met with will soon be over. I am grateful today for the small miracles that God gives his children. I see miracles happen in my daily life. Other times miracles occur and I don't know that they are miracles until much later on. I am so grateful for our Temples and the blessings that we gain because of them. I have such a strong testimony of their power and gifts. Thank you to all who have supported us during this trial and for never judging. We love and thank you all for the many prayers and fasts on our behalf. We pray that this will all be over soon.

Banana Sour Cream Bread

My sister Jenna made this banana bread for me and it was sooo good. It's a little different cause it has sour cream in it, but it is amazing!


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

The Value of Work

On Sunday we had a great lesson in Young Womens about the value of work. As a handout we got the following quote:

"We are here on earth to work-to work long, hard, arduous hours, to work until our backs ache and our tired muscles knot, to work all our days. This mortal probation is one in which we are to eat our bread in the sweat of our faces until we return to the dust from whence we came. Work is the law of life; it is the ruling principle in the lives of the Saints."

----Bruce R. McConkie-----

I fell completely in love with this quote..so much that I taped it to my bathroom mirror so I can read it every morning. It is a wonderful reminder of what we are supposed to be doing here on earth. It made me realize how often it is that I complain about working at my job too much or how much I dread house work. It gave me a new outlook on the value I put on the work that I do. If a man of God tells us to work until our backs ache and our muscles knot, then I know that that is what God wants. It makes me want to try everyday to work harder in everything I do and to not settle for second best or to get by doing the bare minimum.

Thank you Michelle Dalton for such a great lesson!

Cute Aprons

I just got back from Utah yesterday and while I was there I had a chance to do some shopping. I found this way cute kiosk at the University Mall in Orem that sells adorable aprons. So naturally, I just had to buy one. Here it is!


If you are interested..their website is flirtyaprons.com

All About Me

I am a crazy and scatterbrained 23 year old who has been married to her wonderful husband for a little over three years. We dated for two years prior to getting married and I can barely remember what it was like before we met. I am a hairstylist and work out of my own studio in Gilbert. I love my job...probably mostly because it's so flexible and I can work as little as possible to make the money I need to. My husband, Brick, is a web designer and also specializes in small business marketing. We are very privileged to work right next door to each other and get to enjoy each other's company probably a little more than what is healthy. We don't have any kids as of yet, but are hoping to start trying soon, as circumstances in our lives change in the next few months. We have many furry friends that fill our house and are our "replacement children". We live in Gilbert and just moved here from Queen Creek at the end of last year. We love our ward and our neighborhood and hope to buy a house here when we are in the market to do so. Brick is our ward's choir pianist and I am serving in the beehive class in young womens. It is the best calling I have ever had. I learn so much from my girls and they teach me so much more than they could learn from me. Both of our families are also in the Gilbert area and we appreciate them being so close. If you know me, you will know that I tend to be a little dramatic, a little persistent, need to have organization in my life or nothing will get done, but most of all just want to experience the wonderful things in life with my family and friends.

An Incomplete Recap of the Last 2 Months

It's been forever since I have posted...and since my wonderful husband is working on a facelift for my blog I thought I better get crackin.

It's been a fun filled summer so far with tons of stuff to do and see. My summer started out with taking our long awaited trip to Higley Stake Girls Camp. We went to Taylor Ranch which is a spot up near Pinedale, where the owners have so graciously let us use their land. It was definately a far cry from what I was used to having be girls camp. We really were roughing it. The port-a-potties were a welcomed commodity considering we had to haul our own water, there was an absence of electricity, we slept in tents, and no showers.

Despite the dirt (that took me hours to get out from under my nails), we had a blast. We had wonderful experiences and so much fun getting to know each other. My beehives are the greatest! And I was grateful to get to know the other girls in our ward better as well.

I was so lucky to come home to a wonderful surprise. The Wonderful Mr. Randall had cleaned our house spotless for my arrival. Closets and pantries were organized, litter box was cleaned out, and even our most priorly uninhabited areas had been organized so that I could walk into them without tripping over boxes and furniture. And whats more... I had a shining clean bathroom ready for me to bathe the five days of accumulated dirt off of me. My sanctuary was fully equipped with background music, candles, and chocolate surrounding the bath tub. I really am a lucky wife. I only wish I had taken pictures of the wonderfully undeserved event.

With all the chaos of Girls Camp, I neglected to take any pictures. So here are a few that I lovingly stole from some of my young womens' facebook accounts!

Riley and Challis sucking down lemons

Madi, Quincie, and Hailey with the spirit stick our ward won!

Yay for YCLs! Anika, Lisa, and Hailey

Rachel and Scarlett strutting their stuff...

Alicia and Quincie posing for the camera

Happy Anniversary

Today is our third year anniversary. It is crazy to think that we have been together for so long. It's been 5 years including the dating years. I am so grateful for such a wonderful husband and the hard work that he does everyday to provide for our family. I could never really begin to tell him how much I appreciate him. I know I should do it much more often. I love him so much and appreciate the opportunity we have had this last month to be sealed for all time and eternity. I love you Brick. Happy Anniversary!

Locks of Love Donation

Yesterday I helped out at a Locks of Love Donation at Highland Junior High. And I got in the news! I am in the video and I am in the background in the picture in the story. Here is a link to the video and the story.

Video Link: VIDEO: Locks of Love event

Highland Junior High School students Jenna Hall, 14, right, and Jon Martin, 14, have their hair cut after both agreed to donate 10 inches of their hair to Locks of Love. May 1, 2009 in Mesa.

Tim Hacker, Tribune

Eighth-grader Veronica Contreras smiled as a stylist cut off 12 inches of her long, black hair Friday in a hallway of Highland Junior High School. It was her first real haircut, other than cutting off split ends, and her parents were nearby taking photos of the event.

"I needed a haircut and thought a lot of people would need it, so I decided to donate it to Locks of Love," said Veronica, 13, whose hair still fell down to the middle of her back after the cut.

Veronica was one of 20 Gilbert Unified School District students and a teacher who spent the morning at their southeast Mesa school getting free haircuts for a good cause. Two male students were among the hair donors.

The hallway was turned into a makeshift hair salon as two volunteer stylists spent more than two hours cutting hair. The hair will be used to make hairpieces for children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Seventh-grade student body president Natalee Lauro spent the year organizing the event with her good friend and seventh-grade "assistant," Heather McKendrick. Heather donated seven inches of her long, blonde hair.

Natalee is a brain cancer survivor, and although she didn't know about the Locks of Love organization until her hair started growing back, it's an organization she believes in.

A similar event was also held in March at Superstition Springs Elementary School in her honor.

"This organization is close to my heart," said Natalee, who wore a "cancer sucks" T-shirt. "I promised myself I would contribute. I've met a lot of people who have donated, and they've always come back with a big smile. It's something I've always wanted to be a part of."

Natalee was in second grade at Superstition Springs Elementary when doctors discovered aggressive, malignant brain tumors, or medulla blastoma. A fall during basketball jarred the biggest tumor and caused it to grow, which brought on the symptoms.

After enduring "really bad" headaches, Natalee had her first surgery on Christmas Eve 2003 to remove some of the tumor. After another surgery and aggressive rounds of chemotherapy, Natalee said she is cancer free. Doctors told her they won't say if she's in remission until she's 17 years old.

"But I don't think it's coming back," said Natalee, who is still trying to overcome balance problems after the brain surgeries.

Volunteer hairstylist Denice Cavanagh said she was more than happy to volunteer her hair-cutting skills. She has known Natalee since second grade when her daughter, Montana, was in the same class.

"I've been her biggest cheerleader," said Cavanagh, whose husband, Tim, grew out his hair so Natalee could cut it and donate it. "We hope we can do something to help other children be as strong as she's been. To have all these kids here means so much."

The other volunteer hairstylist, Gilbert High graduate Sara Randall, said she has given at least 30 free cuts to her clients donating their hair to Locks of Love. She owns a hair studio under her name in Gilbert.

"It's great to help those people feel good about themselves," Randall said. "It's also a great way to give back to the community."

Kristin Alexander-Lillard is the lone Highland Junior High teacher who donated 10 inches of hair Friday. She was Natalee's second-grade physical education teacher and said she has a special connection with Natalee.

"She's just the sweetest little thing, and she wants to do anything she can for everybody else," said Alexander-Lillard, who was donating for the second time.

"It's such a great cause," she said. "When you're ready for a change, why not give it to Locks of Love?"

Locks of Love is a public nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Many hairstylists will give free haircuts to people donating to Locks of Love. For information, visit www.locksoflove.org or talk with a hairstylist.

Related

VIDEO: Locks of Love event

Need to Post Pics

Okay...so I know I am still long overdue in posting our pictures from Nauvoo. I promise it will be soon. I just hate uploading pics on here. It takes way too long. Anyways, I still wanted to write a little blurb anyhow.

We just wanted to let all of you close friends and family how grateful we are to have you in our lives. We our so grateful for all of the prayers and fasting that you have done to help us through this changing and trying part of our lives. We are thankful for the prayers, the fasting, the letters, and even the financial help that you have given us over the past couple months. We have been so blessed the past month to have been sealed in the temple and I feel as though that is what has really blessed us and given us the strength to move on with our endeavors. Thank you all for supporting us in our upcoming "trial" and for all the love and friendship you give us. We love you all so very much!

Furniture for Sale

So we have some furniture and other items for sale if anyone is interested. We are selling a bunch of stuff to get out from under our debt and to start an actual savings account..woohoo! If any of you are interested here are some of the links:

King Bedroom Set (4 piece) - http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/fuo/1099528870.html
Dining Room Table Set - http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/fuo/1099539831.html
Home Theatre Projector/Movie Screen/In-ceiling Speakers - http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/ele/1100166606.html

We did have some great TVs and a queen mattress for sale too but they went super quick. Goodbye to our nice big plasma televisions. We now have an mini 8" television which is the one we watch. I know...sad...but I would rather have savings than a couple of nice tvs. It's actually been really nice without them. I don't waste as much time watching television so I have the extra time to clean the house and read and whatnot. I think we were watching too much of it anyways.

For Time and All Eternity

Brick and I took out our endownments and were sealed yesterday in the Mesa Arizona Temple. It was a wonderful and exciting day for us. We had waited a long time for this occasion. It was also my birthday, so it was the best gift I could ask for. Thank you to all our friends and family that came to support us. We love you all.

Just a reminder....

Just a reminder to all you G-towners. It's election day tomorrow!!! Don't forget to vote for John Lewis for mayor....

Update!

A lot has happened in the Randall family this last month or two. Sorry I haven't posted sooner. First off, my sister Jenna had her beautiful baby Josslyn on Valentine's Day. She was quite the valentines baby weighing 7 lbs 7 oz (7+7=14) and was born at 1:58 am (1+5+8=14) on the morning of the 14th. She is sooo beautiful and looks just like both of Jenna's older kids.

Secondly, I got a part time job. I am working as an examiner for the State Board of Cosmetology. I help grade beauty school graduates on their practical exams, to see if they can get their licenses. It's just on Mondays, so it's a nice extra income without having to take too much time away from my clients. So far I enjoy it. There are a lot of nice girls that I work with, though it is a little strange to be on the opposite side of the test.

Thirdly, Brick was ordained an elder on Sunday. It was a wonderful experience and my dad gave him a wonderful blessing and ordination. We won't tell you that Brick forgot to hug his wife after the fact. :-) Now that that is taken care of, we are hoping to be sealed by the end of the month. It all depends on how fast the recommend process takes. We are really hoping to before April cause we are planning a trip to Nauvoo to visit his grandparents, and would love to be able to do a session in the Nauvoo Temple.

I also got a new calling in our new ward this last week. I was called to be the beehive advisor. I was so excited to accept this calling. I have always wanted to get back into Young Womens after they kicked me out at 18! I guess I never have wanted to grow up. It is a little nerve wrecking cause I have to teach the lesson every Sunday, but all the girls are so sweet to me it hasn't been that bad. I am especially excited to go to girls camp with them this year. I am, however, a little disappointed that we have to sleep in tents instead of staying in cabins at Camp LoMia.

So that is a little recap for the past month. It really needs to be a resolution for me to post more often!

Valentines Day Craft

So I thought I was done with my post today, but then Nikki sent me pictures from last nights craft night. We have been trying to do them every couple of months for the upcoming holiday. So here are some pictures from the valentine wreaths we made. They are simple to make, but are a little time consuming. They all turned out really cute though!

Me and My Heart

Nikki

Mom

This one of Jenna was so cute I had to add it

Jenna is due in 2 1/2 weeks

The Nephews Rockin' Out

Me and Mom at Work

Our Masterpieces!

My Non-Productive but Fun Day

I have done absolutely no work today. I only have one haircut scheduled, I didn't clean the house, forgot to feed the pets, and realized when I went to Kohls today to return something...that I didn't have that something with me.

I did however get my hair cut again. It was in desperate need of one. I was starting to grow a mullet and starting to look like a boy. It was also a good day cause I was able to go to lunch with my friend Megan..who was my maid of honor...and somehow I haven't seen her in over a year and a half. I know..I am such a great friend. Well we went to Olive Garden for lunch for soup salad and breadsticks. Mmmmm my favorite. It was good to see her again and catch up.

I am also excited because next week I get to start up my voice lessons again. I was so sad when my teacher went on maternity leave, but now she is back and teaching one night a week. I was lucky to have her call me and see if I wanted one of which I am sure is a coveted slot in her schedule.

That is really all today. I know, nothing interesting, but if I don't post on a regular basis, I will have to go back to a huge post every few months. :-)I will post a picture of my new 'do soon.

Holiday Recap

It has been a long time since I last posted anything so here is a quick recap on what we've been up to. In biggest news, WE'VE MOVED. We moved from Queen Creek back to Gilbert a week or so before Christmas. We are renting a house just east of the San Tan Mall. We love the area and like how close we are to restaurants, the mall, the movie theatres, and most importantly work and our families. We love the new ward. Everyone has been really friendly and the ward seems to be a bit younger than our last one. Our church building is on our same street, so we can walk to church, that is when we arent running late or if I am wearing some killer heels. Brick's been called to be the ward choir pianist. Surprise surprise...after his last calling of ward organist. I have yet to get a calling... hopefully soon.

Our house is a bit smaller which takes some getting used to. But I guess how much room do you need when there is just two of you. Our entire house except for the bedrooms is tile, which is great for our many pets. A bonus to the house is the enormous backyard...well enormous compared to our last house. It's great for the dogs to be able to move around more...not so great for Brick having to clean up after our dogs. But all in all, we are glad we moved and are loving being back in Gilbert.

Our holidays were crazy. Thanksgiving went by without a hitch and it was nice to have to family together. Christmas was another story. It snuck up on me completely and I didn't do any shopping til a few days before. Unfortunately, Dad got real sick the week of Christmas and had to be admitted to the hospital. After outruling the initial diagnosis of Hepatitus A, we found out his gallbladder had to be removed. With another stroke of bad luck, all the doctors were out on vacations for their Christmases and poor Dad spent the entire week in the hospital including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. As a family we all celebrated at different times over the days following Christmas. In good news, Dad is doing well and is feeling much better. Good enough to even go on the scout campout the a couple weeks later.

Work has been busy for the both of us which we greatly appreciate. Both being self employed the holidays seem to slow down for Brick and since he our families bread winner we were glad to have a sudden on rush of business the past couple of weeks. I have just been working and am glad I took the semester off of school. I have so much more time to keep the house clean, which Brick appreciates. With my spare time I am planning on returning to the Phoenix Zoo to volunteer in their education department and get back on track with my voice lessons.

I am sure there is much that I am missing but I will try to be better with posting more regularly. I probably won't but I guess there's always the resolution to! So that is our life in general for the past few months!