A Game

Chess is just a game....until your husband becomes the pawn. Most all of my posts are light and tend to be humorous (or atleast I think so:) ). This one is intensely personal. We have known since we were engaged that Cory was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in 2009. This was something that caused me anxiety and worry. But, Iraq is a war that is deescalating. The troops are not even allowed inside the cities anymore. He would go and spend 99% of his time in a building with four walls out in the country. Contact with families was much more established and phone calls and emails were a regular occurence. I figured "Hey, if things have to suck, atleast this is as good as I could ask for". The Department of Defense made an announcement on Tuesday that those plans were changing. They need emergency troops to go to an extremely hostile region of Afghanistan (I hate that I even know how to spell the name of that country) and open it up for occupation. The danger is multiplied umpteenth times and means of communication with families has not been set up in the same way. He will probably live in a tent. Also, they need the troops NOW. We don't know if he will be around for our baby girl's birth. Everything feels like it is temporary and unreliable. I sometimes wonder if the "big guys" consider, think about, or even care about the ramifications of the movements of their little pawns.....

Please take a look at the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcK7Dtdxz_Q

Two views

Outside of me at 21 weeks

Inside of me at 21 weeks.

I think that so far she looks like a Bertha. What do you think?

When did HE grow up?!

Just wanted to do a shout out and announcement for my little bro. First of all, I need to start with the fact that I think I am in denial that this is even happening. My LITTLE brother apparently is old enough to go and get married. I don't know if you know my brother, but he's kind of....weird. I mean that in the nicest form of the word. It really is a compliment. I look up to him and he is a hero of mine. Somehow, he convinced this lovely young lady that she could handle that weirdness for time and all eternity. So, congratulations Spencer and Ashley on your engagement. March 14 is just around the corner.

Don't worry. She's not mine.

I have a lot of catch up to do. First of all, my sister Phoebe had her sweet adorable little baby girl. Yea! Her name is Corinne and she was born on 21 January. She weighed 6lb. 3 oz. (a whopper for Phoebe). I think she has attitude. She'll fit right in :)

The Turning of a Page

I wouldn't be able to call myself an historian if I didn't pay homage to the events of today. I will try and make this short and sweet. I did not vote for Mr. Obama and there many points of his policy that don't jive with my own idealogy. But, I respect him as a good man and a charismatic leader. I think American's needed a fresh change, and they got it. The significance of today in regards to equality in America also does not escape me. We have come to the point where race really does not matter, and I believe that is exactly as God would have it. But, to sum up my feelings, I will quote a man who wrote a note to the new President. He said "I sure hope you are everything they say you are going to be, because you are going to need it." May God continue to bless America.

18 WEEKS!

For those of you who are asking, I am due on 6/21 and I find out what I am having on February 2nd. I am finally getting to the point that I feel less like I just ate a big lunch and more like there is an actual kid floating around in there (though I can't confirm any movements yet). I saw an old soldier of mine in the store a week or two ago. After we chatted for a bit, and as we were parting, she says "Are you pregnant?" Wow! You are good! Uh, yeah. I am. But you are the first person who has asked without me telling them first. Her response? "Well, you just used to be so skinny"....... Thanks. I think.

The Tooth Fairy

I know this isn't about me, but it was the funniest story of the day. My friend Tiffany's 6 yr. old daughter Madison lost a tooth on Sunday. She was so excited she ran up and told me at church. I always love talking to her because she has an older sister named Brooke as well. In order to distinguish between us, she calls her sister by her beautiful first name and she calls me "Silly Brooke". I don't know where she got that from. Anyway, I digress. She showed me her tooth, or lack therof. We of course engaged in a conversation about the great loot she would find under her pillow the next morning. Well, apparently the Tooth Fairy also had MLK day off. We went out to dinner with them for family night and she disclosed to me that, in fact, the tooth fairy had not come by the night before. I told her to believe her mother, that the Tooth Fairy also takes federal holidays just like the rest of us. I almost peed my pants this morning when I called Tiffany and she told me that the Tooth Fairy AGAIN had not made the drop the night before. She said she felt so bad she went to her purse to get money to give her daughter and she did not have any! So, while her daughter prepared for school she snuck in her room and stole 4 quarters out of her daughter's piggy bank and gave her her own money! You really can't find good help anywhere anymore.

A Pinch of This, a Dash of That

SKYDIVING

So, Cory didn't really get me a Christmas gift......But he made up for it, and POOF! All was forgiven. He took me skydiving, something I have wanted to do for such a long time. I surprised myself by not being that scared at all. It wasn't any more scary than a great thrill ride at Six Flags, plus a whole lot more fun. I know, I know. Some of you may be saying "Girl! You can't be skydiving while your pregnant!" Well, I just did. Anyway, the research on skydiving while pregnant is inconclusive..... :)

Us in our hot jumpsuits

Cory slowly descending to earth.....

For a perfect landing! Not!

That's me coming down. I don't even need to include a pic of the landing. It was textbook, like a butterfly.

Me as a conehead with the good man that preserved my life for the ride down.

STUPIDITY

Cory has a bit of a tradition going. I am still trying to figure out the hellish origins of it. Every single New Year's day, he feels compelled to jump into a icy lake for a "polar bear" dip. It is truly one of the most masochistic things I have ever witnessed. If you will notice, he convinced some other poor sap to go with him, not myself. Hey! I paid my dues last New Year's in a lake surrounded by snow in "beautiful" British Columbia, Canada. I get a pass.

Christmas

Just a hodge-podge of pics. I had to include a picture of our rather pathetic tree. As an army widow this December, the task was up to me to go out and pick a tree, load it into the truck, and single handedly set it up in the stand, not to mention decorate it. I am extremely proud of my accomplishments. I firmly believe that setting up a Christmas tree with only 2 hands should be an Olympic sport. 3 hours later...TADA!

Would you believe me if I told you it doesn't actually snow in our neck of the woods? You can imagine the mess it created when it did for over a week this year.

I took advantage of the snow. I put on all my snow gear, went to the corner gas station to buy a hot chocolate, and went on a one and a half mile walk in the snow that took me over an hour. Some people never grow up...

We went down to my sister Phoebe's house in Hyrum, Utah. I couldn't believe how fun it was to spend Christmas with little kids again. They make everything an experience. I can tell you what wasn't fun, though. A 13 hour return home drive that turned into 24 hours + due to road closures and driving 30 mph most of the way because of a terrible snow storm.

Phoebe and Greyson decorating gingerbread houses.

Brooke and Natalya working on their architecture.

Christmas morning. Go ahead. Try and tell me it gets cuter than that.

Brooke and Cory Christmas morning, in our tradition PJ's.

Actually, one of the highlights on the trip for me was driving down to Ogden to see some friends from my mission. We stopped by President and Sister Joyce's house and had a great chat. She asked me if I had lost weight....I swear the good Lord reserved a place in heaven for that woman.

PREGNANCY PROFILE PIC-15 1/2 weeks

slowly but surely

My new sweet baby - The Lump!

It's been a long time....too long. Too bad you'll never know what great and exciting events happened in my life from August until now. I'll just dispense with the ceremony and jump right into another fascinating episode of "Stranger than Fiction".

I know. The first question you are asking yourself is, "Who are these adorable and slightly creepy children Brooke has posted in her blog?" Well friends and family, I would like you to meet "The Lump". This is going to remain the poor child's name till a few months from now when it emerges into the world and requires an actual respectable title. Yes, ladies and gentleman, Cory and Brooke are having a baby!

Actually, maybe I should post a slightly more accurate and current picture of The Lump so you can get a better idea of what it really looks like.

I thought I'd post a pic of the belly so you could get an outside view. It may not look like much now, but believe me, if you could see me naked, it's a whole different story. So here it goes, pregnancy profile pic #1 of a zillion-13 weeks along.

Domestic Goddess

There comes a time in every girls life when she needs to cross a line, a point of no return. For me, that time was tonight. I have to say that I am a freaking domestic goddess. I, Brooke Lynn Jenkins, baked homemade bread all by myself for the first time. I have to admit that it was a little touch and go for awhile. At one point it looked like drywall mud. I also got a little nervous when I realized I don't own a single bread pan (the goddess thing is a gradual process). But, after some quick thinking, the end result looked like half of a soccer ball, but it tasted like heaven on earth. In fact, it was so good that we made hot chocolate and called it dinner. It was raining outside, so we sat on the threshold of the house and enjoyed our scrumptious meal. MAN! I'M GOOD!