Thanks to Momma Quincy!

Thanks to Chris, we have pictures!

Man, I look huge.

No more boot for Josh, just a brace (which most of the time he doesn't wear) Physical Therapist says recovery should be "fast". That was great news, considering the boat isn't winterized yet. :)

Ankle Update - Happy Birthday Mom

Turns out, the ankle isn't broken. Yippee! That still doesn't mean he didn't do a whole lot of damage though. He tore a bunch of ligaments, which will still take some time to heal.

No cast though, that is the best news of all. He has to wear his Air Cast/boot thingy for 4 weeks, and then a brace with Physical Therapy for a couple more. Hopefully by Thanksgiving he will be in mostly working condition. I think he still is determined to ski one last time this year....

So, it is my mom's birthday today. She would have been 62 today. This day still means so much to me. I was so lucky to have a birthday close to my mom, so we always got to celebrate them together. I miss celebrating with her. I think that is one of the hardest parts about her being gone, I don't get birthday wishes from the woman who gave birth, raised and taught me all that I know. Does that sound so selfish? I miss that so much. However, I know she is still with me celebrating my birthday every year, and especially this year, she is playing with her newest granddaughter. Teaching her all good habits, I'm sure. :)

Josh's poor ankle and his Wonderful parents!

Sounds more and more like Josh's ankle/foot is broken. Friday he went water skiing with some friends, and crashed, like always, but not like always, his foot got stuck in his boot. Ouch! The thing swelled up twice the size of his skinny little ankles, and after a Dr. visit yesterday, we are pretty sure he will have to be in a cast for 6 weeks. He is less than thrilled about that. Thursday we will know more after he has an MRI.

Since Josh isn't walking very well, his dad came out last night to mow our lawn. How nice is he? I told him I was fully capable of walking behind a mower, but obviously he felt differently. :) I have to admit, it was so nice to have him come take care of us, but it was also nice to have some company! We love visitors! Thank you again Richard and Chris, for all you two do for us. We are so blessed to have you as parents. We love you!

Countdown

I only have 16 more weeks to go.

That's 112 days.

That's 2,784 hours.

I'm not excited (ready to not be prego) or anything.

Nursery and the infamous Pregnacy Photos

We finally got the nursery painted, and I LOVE it. This is before (the purple is cute, but I wanted something a little less girlie. Also, sorry for the rotated picture, it wasn't cooperating)

This is After:

These are for Summer. Notice the total amusement on my face. This is 22 weeks - 18 more to go.

The Verdict

After some coaxing, the baby cooperated and let us take a look.

It's a GIRL!

The ultrasound tech said right off, "You have one Photogenic baby" until it came time to check between her legs. She had them crossed just like a little lady. She had her knees in her chest, and was moving her little mouth like crazy. Looks like we might have a talker on our hands. :)

Everything looked normal and healthy (thank goodness) and I was told the placenta is in front of the baby, so that is the reason I haven't felt a lot of movement. That was reassuring. Hopefully in a couple weeks I will be able to feel her moving and shaking around in there.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes and congrats!

Boy or Girl??

Ok people, time to guess. The big day is tomorrow, considering this baby will cooperate, we find out the sex.

Pink or Blue?

Today I am 20 weeks. Exactly half way (if I go the entire 40 weeks) Which is so weird to think about. I sure am showing, and will post pics soon (I promise Summer!)

Did you notice?

The baby ticker on my sidebar?

Our baby is due 1/11/2011. Pretty cool, huh?

Also, did you notice my HUGE belly forming? I did, and I am reminded each day as I try to squeeze into my pants. Am I really supposed to be gaining this much weight this early??

I also have other body parts getting bigger, and now I feel I know how my sister Keli lives....well, a few letters of the alphabet smaller, but I still get an idea. :)

It is amazing how the body changes and adapts so quickly.

Now, if I could just find my motivation....I know I left it around here someplace.

It's been awhile

Well, I guess it has been awhile, AND, I am SUPER busy at work, AND I have no Internet at home, AND, I have been really lazy. :)

Things are good. House is wonderful, now if we could just move it about 20 miles south.... It is a little far away, and my commute has caused a few swear words to fly, but I am trying to maintain a good attitude and suck it up. My 10 minute commute, and being able to run home at lunch days are over. Too bad.

We do have great friends and family who all have packed a lunch and made the drive to come out and see the place. Thanks you all, and all of you who haven't, give me a call, I'm open anytime.

BOATING!!

It has come time, no matter the weather, that we FINALLY get the boat out.

Here is Josh and I ready for our first trip of the season!

We got to bring our boat "home" for the first time Saturday too. It was like bringing home a new baby (I think) and it even has it's very own, TIGHT, garage. Here is a picture so you can see how close it is.

Here is Josh acting SO proud of his mad backing up skills. Man, it is a tight fit, but totally worth it. Now our whole garage smells like Boat. We love it!

We had a wonderful time, and I think I might have even gotten a little sun. Man, we sure miss the boat all winter, and can't wait to start getting it out weekly. This week, we are leaving the rain and the cold, and heading to Lake Mead. I can't wait! Sun, warm, boat, water and family. Does it get any better??

Homeowners - almost

We close on our house in less than a week! I can't believe it. I don't think it has hit me yet..

Here are some pictures of the house, currently. Obviously some things are going to change as soon as I can get my grubby hands on it. :)

We are doing our final walk through Saturday, after I take part in the MS Walk. I should be able to get some more pictures then. I am trying to talk Josh into doing some painting before we move in. I hate the thought of moving into someone else's house. Does that make sense? I also want to change out the toilet seats first thing.... Josh thinks I am a germ-a-phobe.

Little by little - WARNING

I really hoping to be in just a bandaid by today, but I guess this will due.

Much better than having my whole hand wrapped.

Ok, this next one is not for the Sqeamish. I'm warning you, it is not pretty.....

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Oops

So, I am (kinda "used to be") a cyclist. I used to have the occasional bumps and bruise from falling off the bike, or rubbing my calf against my chain ring, etc.

I am a water skier. Summertime brings lots of bruises and cuts on my legs. I bruise easily, what can I say.

However, my newest found hobby has proven to be the most dangerous....

Who would have thought that a morning sewing a baby shower gift among other things could turn into this:

Yep, a sewing injury, worse than all the cycling, water skiing, running, swimming, and all active sports I have taken part in my life, injuries. Rotary cutters are sharp!

Good thing we have a trained nurse next door, so I didn't have to fork over my other arm & leg for a visit to the ER.

No stitches, cause there wasn't anything left to stitch up. Just LOTS of blood, bandages, and ouches, and actually a lot of laughs. Words of advice, don't cut fabric with the shower running, a cake in the oven, and in your underwear. :)

Happy Easter, Bake Sale, and House Inspection

We had a wonderful Easter, and I hope everyone also did! We had yummy turkey dinner at Kelli's, an Easter Candy hunt, and then another dinner at Josh's Grandparent's house. It was a great day!

Here is the only picture I got from Easter. Gretta had stamps on the bottoms of her feet, and they crept up from there. I had a great idea to put one on her forehead, then she wantd Mimi to have one too.... We both had Easter stamps on our face until the next day!

We had a fundraising bake sale at work last week. I signed up to make cupcakes. Thanks to Martha Stewart, this is what I came up with.

Josh did our house inspection on Friday. Everything seems to be in order, so we are just waiting for news from the loan on Thursday, and then we should be already to close at the end of the month. YAY!!!

New News!

We bought a house! Yay!

I know everyone is wondering what happened with the building idea. It just wasn't the right thing for us right now. We decided, (we being mostly ME) that it might be best for us just to buy something, get the $8,000 tax credit, live in it a few years, and then build. It took Josh a day or two, but once he fell in the love with the third car garage of the house we bought, he saw my way. :)

So, we bought a cute rambler on the border of Clearfield and Layton. I say the border, because it is! We put an offer on a house two blocks away, and it was Layton. This house is actually in Clearfield (which I am a little nervous about). Anyone from Davis County, your comments are welcome. I am new to the Davis County area, so fill me in! It seems to be a great neighborhood, and the houses are fairly new and updated. We will see. Anyway, the house is awesome! It is a rambler, with a mostly finished basement, a third car garage, and LOTS of grass! It has a little garden area in the backyard, and even came with a swing set! Bring on the kids! :)

Anyway, so that's the story. We are really excited! Both Josh and I have worked so hard for this, and can't wait to get out of Carl's basement. We love Carl, and will miss him, but it is time.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us with this decision. If anyone needs an awesome Realtor, let me know!

Good news!

I got some good news this morning, I was asked to accept a job offer within my company, but with higher pay and more opportunity! I decided to turn it down....no way! I accepted, and I start immediately. I'm excited to have more responsibility and to work on some new accounts, however, I am also sad to be leaving some GREAT people I worked with. Guess the good comes with the bad. The good thing though, I will continue to see those people almost everyday.

House Update: Plans are to the bank with cost breakdown from CSM Construction. Appraisal will be done today, and to us by Wednesday, so we can hopefully close on our lot on Friday. Plans should be picked up and ready to go this week, and we will get them off to Layton City for permits.

Angela, Ashlyn and Bonnie Hill met us out at our lot yesterday. This was the first time I have seen our lot without a foot of snow. It was exciting. We also broke into the house next door, and realized they have very good taste. Their floor plan is almost identical to ours! What are the odds when we all have different architects and builders? Anyway, we have yet to meet them, but I am sure they will be totally awesome. :)

Thanks again Ang for coming out. It really meant a lot to Josh and I to have you be so excited for us! I'm so happy Layton will be a lot closer to Clinton!

If I can't build a house, I will sew

I made this. From a pattern I got free online. Once i figure out where I got it, I will link it.

This is a little dress for a little someone who's bday I missed in February. Good thing we are visiting Las Vegas this weekend so I can give it to her! I can't wait! I think I might need a Meg sized one. :)

(If anyone is wondering, this is from Heather Bailey's, Nicey Jane fabric line. Oh how I love Heather Bailey! Also, I got a super good deal on this fabric off eBay, which makes it even sweeter!)

This is not from a free pattern online, but a free book I borrow from Mary Yang. He is missing his tongue, but it won't be long until he is done. This one might be for one of the MANY of my friends who are prego. There are like a hundred of you, seriously. :)

Just an update on the house. Still waiting on plans. Hopefully they will be to engineering this week, and we can start all the bank stuff. We had to extend our contract on the land since we don't have our funding yet. We are working as fast as we can though, too bad we just have to wait on other people. Anyhow, once we get the plans done, I will post pics. I am getting more and more excited with each little step!

We will soon have a new address

We finally did it. We purchased .27 acres of dirt in East Layton. :) We are so excited!!! It didn't quite seem real, until I called to get our loan, and I realized we have A MILLION things to get done all at the same time! Speaking of, off to the architect we go today to get our plans drawn up. So fun!

Disco Fever

Josh and I were lucky enough to be asked to Chaperon the Sadie Hawkins dance at East High on Friday. K, I was dreading it a little, because I am old, and have been out of high school 10 years!

As you can see, we had a blast!! We have the BEST youth in our ward. Seriously, I love these girls so much!!

This is Danielle, Me, Anna, and Bethanie. Bethanie was the one who conned us into doing this because she is on Student Government and is only 14. That means, no date for her. :) Again, these girls are the greatest girls in the world. I LOVE them so much!

Some projects...

This is what I have been working on the last few weeks.

This was my very first project I started. It will be a lap quilt, once I get the motivation to put the back on, and learn how to bind.

This is a from a bunch of Orange fabric I was collecting. I thought it turned out pretty cute. Pretty bright. I was thinking a cute bright green fabric for the back, but I haven't found anything I can't live without yet.

This I finished last night. I am SUPER happy with it. It started out a quilt top, then pillows, and finally, a table runner. I really really love it. It is Sonnet, by Moda, and I can't wait to put the back on.

Totally off the project subject, we got to celebrate Gretta's 3rd birthday with her at Classic Skating. Thanks to me, she finally got her jump on, and then wouldn't get off the scooter. :) It as so fun to spend time with the kids. I just love them!

To build or not build?

We want a house. We are tired Carl's basement, although I love Carl, I just don't love that which is his basement.

So, since Josh has recently finished school, and has joined the ranks of the full time employed, we have decided to get a move on.

We first looked at existing homes. A LOT. A lot of short sales and foreclosures. (since that is about all that is available these days) We saw lots of "Fixer-uppers" and some that only needed minimal work, BUT, we decided, hey, if we are going to do work, we might as well do the whole enchilada!

So, we have enlisted the help of a VERY well qualified, and gifted home builder, and are trying to get things started.

First on the list, Lot. We have two picked out. One in Syracuse, which is actually a really nice neighborhood. Not super far west (that was one of my stipulations) and not within miles of power lines. Will someone from Davis County please tell me the need for SO many power lines??? About half the lots we have looked at have a gigantic power station in the yard. What is the deal? Anyway, the other lot is in East Layton. A little far North, but BEAUTIFUL! Just west of Hwy 89, it has great views, and a 20 minute commute to Pineview. If you haven't already figured it out, this one is by far Josh's favorite...

It is so much fun to think about building our "own" house, but as soon as I think how fun it is, I think how freaking scary it is! I may like to spend a few $$ at Banana Republic here and there, but forking out the $$$$$$$ it takes to buy a lot, build a house, and pay your monthly Mortgage is another thing entirely!

Thanks to my very awesome brother for being so willing to help. Thanks also to my sisters who have to listen to me whine and have to keep reassuring me everything is going to be alright. :) Thankfully, they are all seasoned pros at this house building/buying thing. Although they are wonderful substitutes, I do still wish my mom was here to walk me through this.

We're Back!

We survived. Barely.

The cruise was wonderful, a little cold, and a little uneventful, but still had a lot of fun.

Day 1:

After our three, yes, 3 connecting flights, we and our baggage made it. It was a REALLY long day. We finally got to our hotel about 2am. Whew!

Day 2:

Sleep, South Beach, and boarding the ship.

Day 3:

Freeport/Grand Bahama Island. COLD COLD COLD! It was WINDY, and COLD, so no water fun for us this day. We took a cab to the local marketplace, walked through some random hotel and found the beach. Only to dare put our feet in. Hey, I thought we were in the Bahamas???

Day 4:

Nassau/Paradise Island. This was supposed to be the day to swim with the sting-rays, but again, TOO COLD. Darn. So, we gave in and took a glass bottom boat. It was the closest to snorkeling without actually having to get in the water! After a few short minutes looking at the bottom of the ocean, we headed over to Paradise Island and visited the Atlantis. What a cool resort! We went to the aquarium and did a little exploring of the place. Pretty cool. After, we walked over to Nassau and tasted the local fare of Conch salad. Weird. I opted for some fried shrimp, and they were De-Licous!

Day 5:

Great Stirrup Cay. Our Best weather day by far. 70, and that felt warm. In fact, I even got away with a little sunburn on my chest and nose, which are now both peeling. Love the arid, dryness that is Utah. We snorkeled and saw some Lion Fish, Star Fish and even a Jelly Fish! Thanks to some good advise from one of the cruise crew members, we missed out on having to pay the $30 snorkel fee by hiking a half a mile to the "nude" beach. :)

Day 6:

We got off the boat early, rented a car, and drove down to the Everglades. We visited the Everglades Alligator Farm, and it was great! We rode in an airboat, got soaked, I held a baby alligator, etc. This was probably one of our most fun days, and we didn't even have to leave the country for it!

Day 7:

We made it home, but our luggage did not. Not until 1:30am the next morning, thanks to United Airlines, and their speed recovery services.

I am glad to be back, I know, crazy, but really! Keli and Sean and the kids picked us up from the airport, and it just reminded me of how glad I am they are back! It is so nice to have my family close. Now, If we can just convince Jill..... :)