Spencer, Ashley, Alice, Norah, Declan etc....: Texas Here We Come!!

It has been really fun to think about being back in Texas... But seeing as I moved a total of 6 times the year before I moved to Utah, I am NOT excited to pack! I am putting it off actually... Enough about that.

Here are the happenings of late.

-Alice is walking everywhere now, and she loves to be outside! She doesn't like the feel of grass on her bare feet though. The other day we went to BYU to pick up Spencer and we decided to eat there and sit on the grass outside of the library. Spencer took off Alice's socks so she could feel the grass on her feet, but she would not have it. As soon as I got there with our food she was climbing all over me so she wouldn't have to touch the grass. Even when she was sitting on my lap she didn't want the grass touching her. It was entertaining. Spencer said that when he first put her down on the grass she tried to climb back into her stroller to get off the grass. Haha! "Mommy, I've got grass on my feet" (Sound familiar, Grandma)

-Alice is finally breaking a top tooth or two, so we have been handling a very fussy baby for the past few days :( Although, since she is refusing almost all pureed foods, it will be nice when she gets her chompers in so she can relish in all the foods she is yearning to have!

- Spencer is on his last leg of school! I think I am more excited than he. We have been really spoiled this semester in that we have had alot of time to spend together as he doesn't have such a heavy load. Perfect last semester. He received second place on his group Capstone Project (Senior Project) in which they made an ipod app that the BYU IT people want to take! It is an app that will tell you the locations of all sorts of things on a college campus, i.e. water fountains, restrooms, events, it'll show RSS feeds, and they are making it so that the user can upload info on other things that aren't already included. It is pretty sweet.

-I can't tell you how much I will miss Utah weather (minus the snow in mid-April), the sweet friends we have made here, and the 5 minute drive to BYU. However, I will NOT miss this apartment... not anymore anyway.

Last Thursday (April Fool's Day) changed how I would remember this place... and not for the better. Alice and I were enjoying a particularly gloomy day when Steve came over before he had to go to work. He spent some good quality time playing with Alice and left just before 5. Less than twenty minutes later our upstairs neighbor left leaving the parking spots in front of our side of the quadruplex empty. There was a man crossing the sidewalk in front of our building who stopped to watch the car back out of the driveway. He then proceeded to make a profile of our building, staring in our window (our curtain was drawn back) and around the side of the building through the open gate to the back yard. He looked like a student to me, and it was cold out, so I watched him suspiciously as he decided to take his 6', scruffy, unshaven, beanie-wearing, sweater and jean-bound self and black backpack with attached water bottle, into our back yard. I was in the kitchen facing the front window this whole time, and was very nervous that he was, what I thought, cutting through our back yard. I then heard a loud noise around the back of our building and quickly looked out our kitchen window, which faces the back yard. I saw nothing so I quickly opened the back door and looked right, the direction of our shed, which contained our rather new window A/C unit. There are two bikes chained up out there too, but they were still there. I looked left, towards the sound, and saw nothing, although I wasn't fully outside.

I came back in and proceeded to help Alice finish her dinner, and 30 seconds later I see the man walking back out to the front of our building and then he headed West. Creepy. I put together that he must have quickly hid on the side of the building when I looked out the back door, so I immediately called Spencer and told him what happened and agreed to call the police while Spencer made his way home. I was going to finish feeding Alice and then call the non-emergency line, give a description, and let them know he trespassed, but didn't take anything.

Upon hanging up the phone I had the distinct impression that I needed to look out the back again. When I did, I poked myself out further and noticed that the noise I heard was him popping the screen off of Alice's window! It was off and just sitting to the side. My heart started pounding and I immediately called 911. This man MUST be caught! What if he had gotten inside?! It was just me and Alice! This was NOT happening! If I hadn't opened the back door, he wouldn't have known anyone was home, but STILL! I have never felt so invaded. 911 proved to be affective because as I gave the description and the direction he was headed a police officer happened to see him. He was caught! Since I didn't actually witness him popping the screen off, the officer had to investigate, he found his footprints and tracked them to the back yard... he followed them to a bike, figured he tried to take it, and told me that he would at least be able to get him for trespassing.

They said they had him, but why am I still nervous?? Why didn't I ask for the cop's partner to bring the car around so I could see him?? Why didn't I ask what would happen to him?? Spencer went and cut boards that fit in our windows to prevent anyone from being able to slide open any of our windows. The only way for someone to get in now is by breaking a window, or pick locking the doors. If I didn't have a plane ticket for Texas before this happened, I would have come home the next day.

When Spencer got home the officer was leaving, and I was sure that the noise I heard was the screen because when Spencer put it back on it sounded EXACTLY the same. He even popped it off to make sure, and this guy must have been really good because he managed not to bend it when he took it off, but Spencer didn't have such luck. At least you cant see where it is bent on the outside... because the bend faces the window, and we were able to straighten it back out. I didn't spend a lot of time alone here the next few days.

We are as safe as can be now, but I can't wait to leave! This experience left me paranoid. But I know the Lord was on my side, because he made it possible for me to remain safe and get such a good description of this guy. I know I had the Spirit whispering to me that day and that is why I opened the door, the first time and the second. I know the Lord was with Spencer because he was able to make it to the bus just in time to get home only 15 minutes after I called him. I truly believe that the Lord is with me even now, protecting me and Alice as we are alone a lot during the day. As mad as it made me, it also strengthened my testimony to know that we were protected. I am glad to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, and if we put our trust in the Lord, he WILL protect us from the evil workings of Satan. I have a strengthened testimony in the power of the Priesthood, and I know that because Spencer dedicated our apartment it kept that evil out. I was also able to find such comfort from the priesthood blessing Spencer administered to help me get past the hurt and helpless feelings I was having. I love that I am married to such a strong member of our Lord's true church, and that he is always giving thanks to our Lord for the part he plays in our lives and our marriage. I know not all who read this believe the way I do, but this is my testimony that the Lord is with us always, as long as we keep the door open for Him, He will guide and direct our paths.

-To end this blog on a happy note, here are some pictures of my cute little Alice!

Take the tray off and she puts her feet on the table.