it's been too long

It's been too long since I updated our blog. So much has happened--but that's not the main thing.

[ big news ]

The biggest reason for not blogging more often is that I just haven't had much energy lately. The reason? We are expecting our third baby this fall! The newest Swain will join our family sometime in October. While I haven't had the morning sickness I had with Christie and Jordan, I have been really dragging. Some days it felt like a major accomplishment just to get dinner on the table! I am 3 months along now and am feeling so much more like myself. So I should be back to the weekly blogging.

[ birthdays ]

One thing that Spring means in our family is BIRTHDAYS! Christie turned 9 and Jordan turned 7, and Steven will have his birthday in two weeks. This year wasn't a friends birthday party (thank heavens--I don't think I would have survived :D ) so we had Grandma and Grandpa Swain over for dinner. Christie and Jordan both chose what they wanted for their birthday dinners as well as what kind of cake they wanted. Christie chose grilled hamburgers and potato salad, with a carrot cake. Jordan chose chicken fingers, potato finger fries and a chocolate cake. They got some fun gifts.

Steven and I had a good time telling them about the baby. I got a Littlest Pet Shop toy for Christie and wrote a little card that said "To Christie from your new little brother or sister". She read the card and for a moment looked like she didn't quite understand what she had read. I asked her if she knew what that meant and she said, "We're getting a new brother or sister?" I said, "Yes, we're going to have a baby!". She said, "You mean you're pregnant?" I said, "Yes!" And then they GOT IT and were so excited! Steven's parents were there too and so that's when they found out too. Of course, Jordan wanted something from the baby too, so he got Fillmore from the movie CARS.

[ easter ]

We had a nice, low key Easter. One of my callings is assistant music leader. The music leader asked me to be in charge of a choir for Easter. Even though I announced it a month before Easter, and continued to announce it each week, NO ONE signed up. With a week to go before Easter and no choir, I asked Christie and Jordan if they would be willing to do a song in sacrament meeting. They are born performers and were quite excited to do it. They sang/signed "Did Jesus Really Live Again?" We had two really good speakers in sacrament meeting. I didn't have to teach my Primary class because all three of my Primary kids were out of town. So I was able to enjoy going to Sunday School and Relief Society. After church, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Swain's for Easter dinner and we did all the Allen family traditions--we colored eggs, had a Easter candy egg hunt (put candy in the plastic eggs), and decorated Easter cookies for dessert.

[ families can be together forever ]

On March 16th, we had the opportunity to attend the sealing of a baby boy to some friends of ours from the ward. We have known this couple for a long time--first met them in Provo, then they moved to Logan and we met them again a few years later when we moved there. Then they moved to Salt Lake and once again we are in the same ward. It was a wonderful experience to see this couple have their adopted son sealed to them in the temple for time and eternity.

[ general conference ]

This weekend is General Conference and I am so excited for it. I love General Conference. It's so inspiring to hear our leaders. This Saturday will be a special experience--we will participate in a solemn assembly to sustain President Thomas S. Monson as our new Prophet and President and also find out who our new Apostle is. I will be signing the songs for the Sunday afternoon session. It will be available over the Internet--go to this page and click on the ASL link near the top of the page.

Til next week!

S, M, C, J and baby