Bella Ella Ell.. hey hey...

Best new Bella story. The short version. Bella was missing. My daughter Mariana and I went on a hunt to find her. We recreated her night from the muddy cat foot prints on the top of my car and down the window and on the top of the garbage can. Then we followed the trail to the back yard. Our flash light beheld some cats a few houses away. We ran to the front. And to the house we saw the cats in the back of. There we called for Bella. This little cat came up and jumped into our arms. It was a mini Bella. Like she had lost a ton of weight and shrunk (and in the light it was obvious she lost all the orange from her fur too.) Ok, ok we knew it wasn't Bella. But we brought Little Bella, ella ella home and told Big Cody that it was Bella and she musta had a busy day. Haha. We fed the starving baby and then determined it was a boy. Then we found the real Bella locked in a closet for the whole day! Poor Bella. And she still hates the new cat! We are keeping him. His name was going to be Mouse but I think that is too confusing to little Cody. I wanted to name him see-a-tee. or c-a-t. Cat. Hahah.

Lots of words

Pictures coming soon!
We arrived. We have been in San Antonio, Texas for a week and 2 days. I am on my second week at my new job. I have met and love my soon to be step daughters (Stephanie and Mariana.) They are super awesome! We spent the whole weekend together. We got our Christmas tree and decorated it. Our family went to the San Antonio Riverwalk and celebrated, Stephanie’s birthday on the River at the Hard Rock Café.’ The 5 of us went and saw Avatar. (It was long for lil Cody, but he still did pretty well.)

So the big news… As if all that is going on isn’t big enough… Our wedding has been moved up! Waaay up. We are getting married in the San Antonio Temple on January 2, 2010! I am so excited! This is a wonderful way to start the new year! Cody and I have been working toward this goal for a while now, individually. And recently together.

The lil’ story of us…
About a year and 2 months ago Big Cody joined the church. I had recently become active and was working on it more. Around the time he became a member I moved into a new ward in Chandler, AZ. I decided I was finally ready to start dating and what not. Cody was being pushed by the missionaries that converted him to start dating, too. He was in San Antonio, TX. One of these young men convinced him to join LDSsingles.com. I had just signed up myself and only paid for one month of the service. I decided I was going to make the most out of my $14.95. So, after the initial email, Cody asked for my number and I gave it to him. We started our long distance relationship over the phone in November of 2008. In Jan of 09 lil’ Cody and I came out to Texas for a weekend and met Big Cody. We has a blast. But, I went home and we didn’t really make plans for the future. (Cody tells me he thought I was too serious for him. I mean, I am a professional and all. Haha!)

Over the next 9 months we kept in contact via phone calls and text messages. Picture messages, too. Some times a month would go by with nothing then he would let me know he was thinking about me. A few months ago about the end of September we decided to try getting to know each other better. We set up phone dates. We has both progressed quite a bit personally and spiritually in the 9 months since we’d seen each other. We started getting more serious. (As serious as we felt wasn’t crazy for the dynamic our relationship. Met once a year ago, talk on the phone, making plans to see each other again.) We made plans to see each other over Thanksgiving and Christmas. We booked his flight to AZ for Thanksgiving and mine to Texas for Christmas. In the mean time I attended the temple for the first time. I went to the Mesa Temple in November. As I was there going through this experience for the first time I could see Cody there with me. I could picture him in the Temple. I think that was when I knew.

I already told you the engagement story via my last post. So that is a bit more of the story of us. On the 29th I will get to see him there in the Temple with me as he goes through for the first time. Then on January 2nd we will be married!

Engagement story

I am moving this week. Some times life just moves and changes so very fast. Last week was a crazy one for us. I went to urgent care on Saturday with kidney pain. The doctor told me I had a UTI. I left and went to the bathroom in the lobby and passed a gnarly kidney stone. The blessed part of this ordeal was as soon as it was out I started feeling better. And the pain ebbed quite a bit. That afternoon Lil’ Cody was taking a nap and Big Cody and I were talking. I was trying to fight off the major headache that had set in. Cody asked me if I knew a romantic place. With out a moment’s hesitation I answered “yes.” “Wow, that was quick,” he says, “Where?”

Now I have to come up with something quick. I went with the silly route. “Through that door, then turn; behind the door there is another door. Open that and step in.” “That’s your shower.” I was being funny. I am a regular funny gal. Ha. We (and by we I mean I) proceeded to talk about how that shower was actually too small for the 2 of us. But we could go into the other bathroom to change the laundry and he could step in the tub/shower in there and ask me to come in there. Then I could tell everyone he proposed to me in the shower. And we would have a funny story. I included all of this in my narration of how he could propose. After I was done with my talking/narration this story I got up to do the laundry. He came into the bathroom (where the laundry is) with me and I said, “Oh, yah?” And we stepped into the dry shower fully clothed. Drew the curtain and then Cody got to write his own lines here when with a grin from ear to ear he asked me to marry him.

So much to be thankful for...

I love my family. I love that we get together once a month and for holidays. I am thankful for Cody, my son. I am thankful for Bella, my kitty girl. I am thankful for big Cody. This Thanksgiving weekend was so wonderful and fun. Cody came to visit from Texas. My family got together for Thanksgiving. Melissa and Rob got to come. We were just missing Ben and his family and Jeaniece's hubby and kids. We has yummy food and a fun filled foam dart gun war. I am thankful I have a job. I am thankful for the gospel and the joy and happiness I have in my life because of it. I am thankful for repentance and forgiveness. I am glad I have gotten to know a wonderful man.
This thanksgiving weekend Cody proposed to me. (Yes, Officially.) We are not sure when the wedding will be. We are planning on being married in the Mesa Temple and living in Texas. I am so excited to meet his girls. This was an awesome Thanksgiving weekend!

A cousin is a ready-made friend for life

Cody loves his cousins. We always have such fun on family days at my parents house. The family gets together at mom and dad's once a month. It is something we look forward to every month. This time grandma and grandpa Kern got to be there with us, too.
My parents go to yard sales and buy fun costumes and toys for the boys. I love it when they dress up. So cute. Ethan, Drew and I were the village people. We even performed the song YMCA. Then all the other boys got into the hat action.

"Cousins are different beautiful flowers in the same garden."

A day that will go down in the history of my forever. . .

On Saturday November 7th I went to the Temple for the first time. It was a great experience. I am so thankful for my friends and family who joined me that day. Grandma and Grandpa came out from California. That was super awesome!
(above~ Mommy, Grandma, Dad and Grandpa)
After the Temple mom and dad took some of us to lunch. It was fun.
Ry-ry Too Fly, Jeaniece, Drewberto, and Coders.
Hudson was not feeling the close up. But Patti and Abe did good. Hudson was wiggly in Meagan's shot, too. He is so cute! I heart him!
This is a few shots of the group at lunch and my close ups with my friends Angela Hoach and Kayla Conover. Thanks for coming to lunch on surprise notice, hee hee!
I am really thankful for all those that came with me to the temple and those of you that thought of me and had me in your prayers. I am thankful for all those who have helped my get this far and progress in life.

I didn't get pictures, but the others that were at the temple but not at lunch were, my friends, Kristen Shumway, Tanya George, Erica Schifsky, Jenn Johns, Deb Hardy, and Kristen's mom. Thanks to the girls hubby's for babysitting their kiddos and Jeaniece for watching mine.