Surprise, Surprise

On August 1st we received two VERY big surprises....both of which are fun and exciting, but in very different ways. We found out I was expecting and that I was to be called into the Relief Society Presidency. Talk about a little overwhelming, especially not knowing how my body would handle this pregnancy and knowing that my new calling would require a lot of time and energy. However, we plunged right in putting our trust in the Lord and things have been working out just great!
Back in January, I had a medical scare that sent me into emergency surgery. After experiencing abdominal cramping and spotting/light periods for several months I became a bit concerned, especially once the cramping became more severe, occurred more frequently, and lasted for longer periods of time. To make a long story short, I found out I was pregnant, that I had an ectopic pregnancy, that the mass was too large to treat with an injection, and that I needed surgery, all in ONE day. I went into surgery that very night and they found my circumstances were a little more severe than they had anticipated. My fallopian tube had ruptured, I had internal bleeding, and my appendix looked inflamed/infected, all of which resulted in having a salpingectomy (removal of a fallopian tube) and an appendectomy (removal of appendix).
Once the surgery was complete and I began attending follow-up visits we discussed how/if it would effect my chances of conceiving to which our doctor replied that I would still be able to have children. Regardless of how many times he said that, it was difficult for it to sink in. It did not seem logical to me, that a woman could have one less fallopian tube and everything would remain the same. He reassured me that one, single, fallopian tube can grab an egg from either the left or right ovary. Who knew? The only way for me to really know was to wait until the timing felt right for another child.
So.....as I took the pregnancy test the morning of the 1st, I was overwhelmed with such excitement, joy and peace when the results were positive. What a HUGE relief and a HUGE blessing. We feel truly blessed for this little one that is taking steps to be a part of our family come April 2011.
Now about my new calling. When the call was extended to me to be the 3rd Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency and handle the Visiting Teaching I felt very overwhelmed. Here is little 23 year old me, working towards graduating with my Bachelors in Home and Family Living, with two young children and one on the way (as of that morning). At that moment I thought of so many others who would be more qualified and better suited for this particular calling but I knew that the call was coming for the Lord and it is where he needs me to be serving at this time in my life. I accepted willingly and have been incredibly busy. Although, the calling is time consuming and requires sacrifices from my family, I feel that Heavenly Father is blessing us and watching out for us. My testimony of Visiting Teaching has exploded, I am coming to know the sisters in the ward on an individual basis, and I am witnessing miracles and great acts of service performed by sisters in the ward.
I feel so blessed at this very moment! I know that Heavenly Father is aware of our needs, our strengths, our weaknesses, and the intents of our heart. He wants us to succeed in this life and in order to do so we need to be stretched beyond our own abilities and learn to put our trust in the Lord. I am grateful for the challenges I have been given in my life and the many lessons I have learned and continue to learn as I strive to endure.
So anyway, with our two big surprises, perhaps it will not be a surprise to you if I do not get to blog as often as I would have liked. Stay tuned....there are a few posts and many pictures to come!