The Weekend and Monday Update

I know I didn't blog all weekend. But I've been super exhausted lately, so by the time I get home, I fall asleep before I get a blog in. But here is an update on what Jess and I did this weekend.


Friday

On Friday night, Jess and I went out to Chandler. First we went to Nordstrom Rack to get Jess some new Sunday/work shoes and flip flops. And I picked up a cute shade of nail polish.

Then, we headed over to Famous Dave's for dinner. (This is Jess's favey fave place to eat and we never get to go because we are never out by Chandler mall or Mesa Riverview. So, we went and it was yummy...but I felt so fat afterward. I ate wayyyy too much.







Then, we stopped in Nordstrom. And I got a cute shirt/cardigan combo.

And finally, we went and saw Sherlock Holmes. Woooo! Finally.

Saturday

On Saturday morning, Jess and I decided to be lazy and chilled. Then we headed over to Sweet Tomatoes for some yummy soup and salad lunch. Sooo good. After that, we went out to San Tan for a little bit of Christmas gift card shopping. I got some cute jewelry and shirts from Forever 21, a pair of Vans, and a cute shirt and skirt outfit at Macy's. Then we went and saw Leap Year. It was a totally cheesy romantic comedy...and, of course, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jess, on the other hand, wasn't as big of a fan. But it was worth it. After the movie, we headed over to Barnes and Noble to peruse the books. We're both total nerds and so books are our favorite thing. But, we held ourselves back and didn't buy anything. Whew. (P.S. -- I will post pics of what I bought later...hopefully).



Sunday

(This is my Macy's shirt/skirt outfit)

I got to speak in church. Wooooo. Our ward got split at the end of the year so this was our second week in the new ward. And I also subbed for the Sunbeams again until the new teachers are called. My class is adorable and I love them. But...teaching sunbeams is a chore. The lesson is about 10-15 minutes from start to finish. The kids LOVE to color...but are bored after about 5 minutes. So I'm left with a good 35 minutes of wondering what to do. There are only so many games that you can tie back to church related topics. So if anyone has any ideas...let me know. I'm subbing again this Sunday.

Monday

Monday was an interesting day for me. I got a call around 7:45 AM from my mother informing me that my Uncle Bill had passed away earlier that morning. It totally shocked me and I wasn't expecting it at all. He's been in the hospital/ICU for a few months now...but I just thought that he would pull through. I've been extra emotional lately...and that combined with this news left me crying nonstop for about an hour. Jess stayed with me and went into work late.




I spent most of the day thinking about my uncle and the wonderful person that he was. He fought kidney disease for over 30 years and I'd never seen him complain. He spent lots of time in the hospital, plenty of hours on dialysis, and had multiple kidney transplants. I am so amazed with all the things that he endured. He was such a sweet and an amazing man, uncle, friend, dad, son, brother and person. His example of kindness, love and enduring will live on. I already miss him but I know that he is happy and is now with his sister and father.

My thoughts and prayers are now, and have been, with his wonderful family. His sweet wife Lois, who babysat me when I was a baby while my mom was at work and who made my amazing wedding cake. She is such a strong woman and has gone through so much. His oldest son Adam, who is such a great cousin and can always make me laugh. Adam's wife Kelsie, who is such a cute, fun girl. I'm so grateful to have her in the family now. His middle son, Dallin who is just a couple of years older than me and has always been such a great example and friend to me. And his youngest child, Chelsea. She is such a beautiful daughter of God. She, too, has gone through some health problems of her own. Like her father, she is a strong girl with a big heart. And she is a fabulous writer. I have learned a lot from her over the years, even though she is two years younger than me. His mother, my grandmother, who is one of the most amazing women I've ever known. She reaches out to others and has blessed so many lives. My heart aches for her as this is the second full grown child she has seen go before her (she also lost two children shortly after they were born). Her daughter, my amazing aunt Jo, died of cancer 10 years ago. And, of course, I am also thinking and praying for the siblings that sweet William left behind. My Aunt Jenny, my Aunt Jan, my Aunt Judy, and my amazing mother, Jill. These women are all fabulous. They are all such great examples to me and have done so much for me in my life. And then to the rest of the family. Cousins, uncles and family friends. I love ALL of you above mentioned.

We will all miss you, Bill. Thank you for your amazing example and all that you have done for us!