merry christmas!

It is Christmas Eve and we are going to be going down to my mom & dad's in a little bit. We're spending most of the weekend down there. I can't tell you how excited I am for Grandma's Chicken Noodle soup tonight!!! Then we're going to have our Christmas with my mom, dad, sis, bro-in-law and us. Tomorrow is the whole extended family on my mom's side out at the farm. It will be a fun-filled weekend! :) Glad to report that I am feeling better, although now that I type that I'm not sure if I mentioned I was sick... Earlier this week I got the cold that Paul had last week, so that was fun. Not. I am not 100% yet, still full of snot, but at least I can breath for the most part and my head doesn't feel like a balloon anymore. Anyways, I will probably be late on my weekly post again this week. Today is actually the 25 week mark, but I have a bunch of things I need to get done and ready to go before Paul gets home so we can head out. And by the time I look decent enough to take a pic I won't have time to do the post. I will maybe see if Paul will take a pic for me before we leave. Well I better get a move on! Have a Merry Christmas!! :)

24 wks

I'm a little late on posting this time. The picture is from Friday, but I didn't have time to get online because we went out for supper that night. Saturday we were at Paul's mom & dad's for the Staples family Christmas. We had a lot of fun! It's always great to see the girls and Aaron, and they had a great time opening gifts. We also celebrated Allie's 3rd birthday since everyone was together. This year we all played a dice game that was a lot of fun too, so hopefully we'll keep that tradition going! Our Christmas cards finally came in the mail yesterday, so today I got them all addressed and ready to be sent out tomorrow morning. I wasn't going to do a card this year, but changed my mind at the last minute. I think they turned out pretty good for putting them together and ordering them all in an hour and a half! :) I am still taking pics for my December Daily album and try to keep up on the journaling, but I haven't put anything together in the album yet. Since I don't print my pictures at home it's hard, so I'll probably just wait and order them all at the end of the month and then put the album together. I am looking forward to having it complete, even if it isn't real exciting. I know we'll look back in a few years and enjoy it. Anyways, on to this week's survey!

How far along?: 24 wks 2 days
How big is baby?: Still the size of a papaya, almost a foot long and just over a pound I believe.
Weight gain?: I'm sure more than I would like. I am not a fan of my scale so I don't use it. I don't feel like I've gained too  much since last week though.
Stretch marks?: Nope not yet.
Maternity clothes?: Yep.
Sleep?: Good most nights, getting sick of sleeping on my side.
Best moment of the week?: Probably making cookies last Sunday with my mom & sister. Nothing really new with the belly this week.
Food cravings?: Still the carbs. And just food in general.
Gender?: Baby boy!
Movement?: Feeling lots of kicks and punches. Seems like whenever I stop to watch my tummy or feel them though he stops! :)
Belly button?: Same as last time.
What I miss?: Nothing comes to mind.
Labor signs?: Nada.
What I'm looking forward to?: Those stronger kicks so Paul can feel them more often.
Milestone?: Reaching Viability week! Yay!

23 weeks

Paul is zonked out on the couch right now. He hasn't been feeling great the last couple days. Heaven forbid he take it easy at all though. But that is just him, can't let feeling like crap get in the way of getting his stuff done! I'm glad he was home early tonight so he can at least rest this evening and hopefully get a good night's sleep tonight.

Well, another week went by so that means I am at 23 weeks today! I've been feeling pretty good yet, starting to get sick of getting up and down at work. I had to bring a pillow to put on my chair because my butt starts to hurt when I sit for too long. I've had some other 'issues' that I'll spare you as well. Sometimes when I am sitting I feel like my belly is resting on my legs since I am carrying pretty low. I don't think I ever put a picture of my last ultrasound on here, so I wanted to share one of those now.

How far along?: 23wks
How big is baby?: The size of a papaya! Almost a foot long and weighs about a pound.
Weight gain?: 2 pounds more than last week, so I think 20 lbs all together so far. I still need to keep an eye on it, but it's really hard this time of year. (I know, I know...excuses)
Stretch marks?: None yet.
Maternity Clothes?: Pretty much everything except sweatshirts and tees, but some of those are getting snug too.
Sleep?: Not bad, waking up in the middle of the night most of the time to use the bathroom but I go right back to sleep.
Best moment of the week?: Hmm...nothing real exciting happened this week.
Food cravings?: Stupid carbs...I could eat bread and pasta everyday and be happy. Gotta try and keep those veggies in there somewhere though.
Gender?: Baby BOY!
Movement?: Yup! Still not super strong kicks so Paul can feel them, but hopefully soon.
Belly Button?: Stretching but still an innie. I am anxious to see it pop but don't think it will be for awhile.
What I miss?: Being able to sleep on my back.
Labor signs?: Uh, no.
What I'm looking forward to?: Feeling some stronger kicks. And for the month of December to be done. Even though I love Christmas, I will be glad when the month is over and we can relax again.
Milestone?: Not sure...making another week?

Not much change that I can see. It feels heavier if that makes sense though.

22 wks

This is the first week I've noticed that I can see the baby kicking from the outside! The other night he must have been in just the right place because I sat and watched my tummy bounce for a minute or two. Other than that it's been pretty random, I have to sit and really watch. Of course the night he was the most active, Paul was in the basement doing something else and missed it. Most of the time when I feel him kick it is still in my lower stomach.

How far along?: 21w6d
How big is baby?: 12.7-20.8 oz, the size of a papaya! I'm guessing a little over a pound.
Weight gain?: I didn't weigh myself again this week. I know, I'm a chicken. I'm afraid of what I'll see... In other words I need to start watching what I eat more and back off the carbs!
Stretch marks?: Not yet!
Maternity clothes?: All pants, most tops. Still fitting into a few pre-pg tops and I live in my hoodies when I'm at home.
Sleep?: Still good for the most part. Trying not to lay on my back too much, but I still end up waking up that way a lot.
Best moment of the week?: Watching my tummy pop out when the baby was kicking!
Food cravings?: Nothing in particular. Changes by moment.
Gender?: BOY!
Movement?: Yep!
Belly button?: Stretching more and more, but still an innie.
What I miss?: Nothing.
Labor signs?: None.
What I'm looking forward to?: Seeing and feeling more of those kicks! I love it! :)
Milestone? I'm going to use seeing the kicks from the outside again. That was about the most exciting thing that happened this week as you can tell!

Little bit bigger than last week. I'm apparently having a hard time getting the camera to focus on my face, but oh well. That thing gets heavy.












December Daily Album Update: I have 12 pages of the album done, just waiting for some more Christmas supplies that I ordered to come in the mail. I've taken pics for yesterday and today and am keeping the journaling in a small notebook until the weekends, when I will hopefully have more time to put the actual pages together. I'll try and get some pics taken to share them too! :)

21 weeks

It's a....BOY!! We are very excited and I am glad that I can start planning some more things, like the nursery. I already have a few ideas! :)

Well, at my appt. on Tuesday the dr. decided to keep my due date at April 8th, so that would make me 21 weeks tomorrow. Madison is super excited that "my new baby boy cousin is coming on my birthday!!" Too cute! Since today is Thanksgiving I would like to say that I am so very thankful for having such a wonderful husband, for this little guy growing inside of me, and for my family. We are very blessed!

How far along?: 20w6d
How big is baby?: The ultrasound tech said he weight about 1 pound! According to the bump, the size of a banana.
Weight gain?: Um. Yes. Since my last appt. I apparently gained 12 lbs, 17 lbs total then. I don't totally believe that, because I had a full bladder and we had just eaten, so I'm going to keep an eye on it at home for awhile.
Stretch marks? None yet, trying to keep ahead of them with the lotion.
Maternity clothes?: Yes when it comes to pants, some shirts.
Sleep?: Still good. Getting up to pee once a night usually.
Best moment of the week?: The ultrasound and seeing our baby again!! :)
Food cravings?: Comfort foods lately. So, nothing healthy. Ha.
Gender?: BOY!!
Movement?: I usually feel some good kicks daily now.  Don't feel much from the outside yet though.
Belly button?: Still an innie, but stretching a little.
What I miss?: Not a thing.
Labor signs?: None.
What I'm looking forward to?: Seeing my family for Thanksgiving on Saturday. We had a great day with Paul's family today too!
Milestone?: Reaching the halfway point (YAY!) and finding out we are having a little boy! :)

Not a ton of change from the last picture. I actually took this on Tuesday, so it was a couple days ago.

big day tomorrow!!

Well tomorrow is finally the big day!! We're having the ultrasound and *hopefully* finding out if it's a boy or a girl! I say hopefully because there is always the chance that the baby will be moving around too much to tell. It's funny how many people have asked if we're finding out what we're having, then when I tell them yes they say that we should be surprised for the first one. It's kind of starting to bother me actually. Like, come on people, it's our decision and don't make me feel bad for it. Oh well, I'm not changing my mind now! I just want to be able to say 'he' or 'she' instead of 'it'. I still have no idea, but Paul thinks it is a boy. So we'll find out soon!!

new project!

Well, inspired by Ali Edwards and this post from Elle @ Elle's Studio, I decided to do a December Daily mini-album this year. I ordered a bunch of Christmas stuff from Two Peas in a Bucket and Elle's Studio, and I think I have everything else I'll need. Right now I am pumped about it, so hopefully that feeling continues and I don't push it aside like I tend to do with things sometimes. The main reason I decided to go for it was because I thought it would be fun to see how the month of December and the Christmas season is for us now, and do this again next year to see how much it all changes! The thing I'm worried about for this year is that I won't have a lot to put in it on certain days since, you know, we're not super exciting. Ha! I'm sure I will come up with something. That's what's so neat about this, you can do whatever you like. I am excited to see how it goes, and I will make sure to share the progress!

(about) 19.5 weeks

One more week and we will have a set due date again! Then I'll know for sure how far along I am, but I think I am pretty close. Sorry it has been such a delay since the last time, I kept meaning to get on here, but just put it off. I've been feeling pretty good for the most part yet. Starting to get a little bit of heartburn here and there, but nothing too serious yet. Hopefully it stays that way!
One week from tomorrow is when we will find out the sex of the baby! I am just a little excited! :) Paul keeps asking me what I think it is, and I seriously have no idea. Some days I think for sure it's a girl, and other days I feel like it's gotta be a boy. According to a few things I've heard over the past couple weeks...

Chinese gender chart: Boy
High heartbeat: Girl
Craving sweet things: Girl

So it will be interesting to see what happens!! I don't have a preference, as long as he/she is healthy, and Paul feels the same way. On to the survey...

How far along?: About 19.5 weeks
How big is baby?: the size of a Mango :)
Weight gain?: Forgot to weigh myself this morning, so not sure. I feel bigger in the belly, so I'm sure I've gained a couple pounds!
Stretch marks?: So far so good!
Maternity clothes?: Pants, yes. Tops, a few. I'm not quite big enough to fill out a lot of the tops yet, so when I went shopping this past weekend it was sort of frustrating. Soon enough I'm sure.
Sleep?: Still good for the most part. Once in a while I wake up in the middle of the night but usually go right back to sleep.
Best moment of the week? I might have been imagining it, but I think one night I felt a little kick in my lower stomach. I had my hand on my tummy feeling my heart beat, and all of a sudden I felt a little tap on my fingers that I know wasn't my heartbeat. Paul says when he has his hand on my stomach while we are laying in bed a couple times he thought he felt the same thing.
Food cravings?: Right now all I am craving is my Grandma's chicken noodle soup with dumplings. Yummm...can't wait until Christmas Eve!
Gender?: Soon!!
Movement?: Feel him/her move usually once a day for sure, if not more. THINK I might have felt it from the outside a few days ago. (Just felt the little bugger right now too :)
Belly button?: Stretching a little, but still an innie.
What I miss?: This is kind of weird, but on my way home from my mom & dad's the other night I passed a party bus and it made me think of some fun times with our friends and kind of want a drink. It passed pretty quick though. Ha!
Labor signs?: Zippo, thank goodness.
What I'm looking forward to?: Our ultrasound next week. Not only to find out the gender, but just to see the baby moving around on the screen again. Love that!
Milestone? Possibly feeling the baby from the outside?! And being almost halfway through my pregnancy!!! Praying that the last half goes as well as the first did!!

Pic:

I can definitely tell that I've grown from the last pic! After I took this I couldn't believe it because it actually looks bigger than it feels. I'm sure the fact that all I wear is sweatshirts doesn't help. And I think some days it looks bigger than other days. I'm happy that I finally look pregnant now at least. :)

18-ish weeks

I think I am closer to 18 weeks now, since I have been going by the April due date...yes, I know, it's confusing. A few more weeks and it will be set for sure again! I don't really know what I am talking about. Still feeling good for the most part. Today I had (and still have) what I am thinking is a gas bubble in my lower left side that has been sort of annoying. It hurts when I sit or move certain ways. Hopefully it will work itself out. Anyways, here's the survey!

How far along?: 18 or so weeks (according to an early April due date)
How big is baby?: About the size of a sweet potato :)
Weight gain?: I actually weighed myself this morning and it was the same as when I went to the dr. last week.
Stretch marks?: Not yet.
Maternity clothes?: Random pieces here and there mostly.
Sleep?: Still pretty good. Noticing that I switch sides a lot more often though, trying to get comfortable. Once I'm out, I'm out though.
Best moment of the week?: Seeing the girls in their Halloween costumes. They are goofballs!
Food cravings?: Lately I have been having to use some will power when it comes to sweets...like, say, chocolate chip cookies, and mint brownies someone brought to work...YUM!
Gender?: Unknown.
Movement?: I am pretty certain I've been feeling little flutters and kicks in there more often now.
Belly button?: No change yet.
What I miss?: Nothing comes to mind today.
Labor signs?: None yet.
What I'm looking forward to?: Craft sale on Saturday...I am a nerd.
Milestone?: Knowing for sure I am feeling our little peanut moving inside of me. I love it! Can't wait until Paul can feel it too.

And the pic:

my favorite chocolate chip cookies

I have been trying out chocolate chip cookie recipes since Paul and I got married, hoping to find a good one. They always tasted good, but were so...flat. Until I discovered this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. OMG. They rock. It all comes down to the vanilla pudding I think. I made them this afternoon and decided I needed to share the recipe. I inhaled one as soon as they cooled off enough, then figured I better have another so I could use it for a picture. YUM.

The Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
chocolate chips

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Combine butter, sugars and pudding mix, beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. The dough will be stiff. Bake and 375* for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

In my oven they always bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden on top. I like them a little gooey in the middle so I don't let them get too dark. SO good! :)
Here is the link to the original recipe: The Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies

18 weeks

I have been putting off posting this week b/c I was sick at the beginning of the week, and then I didn't have a belly shot so I was waiting. Well I still don't have pic but decided I needed to at least get the survey done. Hopefully I will be able to take a pic today sometime and add it, even if it is a little late. I went to my monthly doctor appointment on Tuesday, and that went good. I was mixed up with the due date, she actually had it on her records that we moved it, but she said that until the next ultrasound (next month!) I should just figure the beginning of April instead of telling people an actual date. SO, after next month's appointment that should be set for good! Talk about confusing! :) I am looking forward to the next ultrasound because we should be able to tell if it is a boy or a girl!! We now have both of our names picked out, so we are excited to find out. Ok, here is the survey:

How far along?: About 18 weeks, give or take a few days.
How big is baby?: Between 5.1 and 5.6 inches and 5.9 and 6.7 oz according to thebump.com
Weight gain?: Actually went down a pound from the last appt., but my dr. was ok with it as long as the baby was growing.
Stretch marks?: None so far, but I started putting lotion on after I shower to maybe prevent a few!
Maternity clothes?: Still not much. Decided I don't like the low-rise ones I got from ON, at least at work when I am sitting a lot. The wide waistband bunches up under my belly and it is uncomfortable.
Sleep?: Good. I'm trying to get used to sleeping on my side, but I find myself waking up on my stomach or back a lot yet.
Best moment of the week?: Hearing the heartbeat again at my appt.
Food cravings?: Not really anything in particular this week.
Gender?: Unknown for another month!
Movement?: I think I am feeling some movement here and there, but it's not real consistent yet. Mostly I feel it at work since I am sitting for longer periods of time.
Belly button?: Looks the same yet.
What I miss?: Eating chocolate chip cookie dough...figure I better not since it has raw eggs, but man it was hard not to lick the beaters!
Labor signs?: None.
What I'm looking forward to?: Besides the ultrasound at my next appointment, I am super excited for the craft sale next weekend!!
Milestone?: Finally feeling some little flutters from our peanut! :) Hopefully feeling them more often now.

17 weeks

The other night while Paul was paying some farm bills, I was browsing around online and happened to stop at the Baby's R Us website, where I saw that they were having a sale: 20% off the Storkcraft brand of cribs. That just happened to be the brand of the crib we were thinking about getting! So, I showed Paul, and we decided to just go for it and get it ordered! So it's on it's way!! I am excited if you can't tell. :) Hopefully it's a good one. Ok, well on to the survey...

How far along?: 17w2d
How big is baby?: The size of an onion!
Weight gain?: Not gonna lie, I didn't weigh myself this week. I don't feel much bigger though.
Stretch marks?: Still nothin' that I've noticed.
Maternity Clothes?: Got the pair of low-rise jeans that I ordered from ON today, and they fit good, so I'll probably start wearing those more often. Maternity tops are still too big...I've been living in sweatshirts.
Sleep?: Good yet.
Best moment this week?: Having my mom and sister come visit on Saturday and going to the antique store.
Food Cravings?: Nothing in particular I guess. Been having chips w/ cheese and salsa after work and that always hits the spot. Probably not the healthiest...
Gender?: Unknown for another few weeks!
Movement?: Waiting patiently...
Belly button?: Looks the same to me.
What I miss?: Not too much yet.
Labor signs?: NO.
What I'm looking forward to?: My bump getting bigger...so it actually looks like a baby bump, not just extra pudge. And going shopping with some girlfriends this weekend! Hopefully finding some cute stuff!
Milestone?: Hmmm...making it one more week?

And the picture...

So the whole taking my own picture thing didn't work out so well. I was hoping to use my dslr, but turns out I'm not real good at pointing it at the right angle unless I'm looking through the viewfinder. And it kept wanting to focus on the wrong things, I'm thinking it was b/c the mirror is so narrow. So I defaulted to the p&s. I'm going to try and get my face in there next week...

16 weeks

I decided that I'm going to do weekly updates for the rest of my pregnancy, along with belly shots. I wish I would have been recording things more early on, but I guess I felt good and didn't feel a lot different, so I just kind of let it go. I do have a book that I've been writing my weight/measurement each time I've been to the doctor, so I guess that counts for something. I've been having fun reading what is all going on inside of me, and I decided that since from now on things will probably be changing more I wanted to do something to keep track of it. Hopefully this will keep me motivated to post at least once a week too. One other thing, I decided that I'm going by the due date from now on instead of what the ultrasound said, because otherwise I just confuse myself! My dr. told me that if they did decide to change the due date, it wouldn't be until I was quite a bit further along since the difference was only 10 days. So then, I was 16 weeks yesterday! Today I felt super FAT. I don't know if I was just bloated, or what. But it was horrible. Besides that, all my stomach did all afternoon was moan and groan and make noises at me. Ughhh. Feeling better now for the most part. Survey time...

How far along?: 16 weeks.
How big is baby?: The size of an Avocado! Hard to imagine that is inside my tummy.... :)
Weight gain?: So far I think around 6-9 lbs, which is probably too much. I will admit that while we were ttc, I totally slacked and gained a few pounds. I hadn't weighed myself for quite awhile (because I knew it would be something I wouldn't want to see), so I wasn't sure about my starting weight. Not trying to justify it, but I was getting pretty down on myself from how long it did take to finally happen (getting pg), and somewhat lost my motivation to do anything for awhile. Just makes that much more work for me once the baby comes I guess!! Ok, sorry for such a long answer to that one...
Stretch marks?: None YET thankfully.
Maternity clothes?: I bought one pair of pants and have been stocking up on tops from garage sales, but so far just a hair twistie around the buttons on my regular jeans has worked good. I am [not so] secretly excited to go maternity clothes shopping though. I guess I am just excited to shopping, period!
Sleep?: Good, still sleeping like a rock like normal. I have had to get up to pee in the early am more often, but usually go right back to sleep.
Best moment this week?: When my headache finally went away! Yay!
Food cravings?: CARBS. Mostly things I know I shouldn't have. Nothing really specific, it changes every day.
Gender?: Unknown.
Movement?: None yet, looking forward to feeling those flutters anytime in the next few weeks though!
Belly button?: Still very much an innie.
What I miss?: So far nothing comes to mind but I'm sure that will change as time goes on... One thing I DO NOT miss is my period. Enjoying the break from that! Ha! :)
Labor signs?: NONE, and hopefully staying that way for a looong time!
What I'm looking forward to?: Feeling our little peanut move for the first time. :)
Milestone?: Even though it was a few weeks ago, reaching 2nd trimester is pretty exciting! I decided since this is my first weekly post I can use that. :)

Ok here is the belly pic(s)...I decided to put together the 3 that I have taken. 1st is from about 9 (or 10) wks, 2nd is around 12 wks, and the last one is from 16 wks. Not a TON of change. I am definitely looking forward to when I actually look like I have a bump and not just chubby!!

 A few more things...I think I'll be taking most of my pics myself from now on b/c 1) Paul isn't home that often to take it for me, 2) I don't like that spot b/c it has bad lighting, and 3) I hate my point & shoot camera. Yes, I know the last point was not related. Anyways, I think I better get supper out of the oven before I burn it, b/c that would totally be my style these days!!

oh, october...

...You're going by so fast. Just like the last 6 months have! I really don't know what I've been doing, but I tend to keep somewhat busy enough to neglect blogging. I have been taking an online photography class that has been a lot of fun! It is through Maggie Holmes. I have definitely learned a lot and am excited to use my new skills when the baby comes! Until then I can always practice on the girls and Aaron. :) Speaking of Aaron, holy cow that kid is growing fast! He is just over 2 months, and it's amazing how much different he already looks. He's getting his own little look. He's smiling a lot now so that's pretty fun!

Not a lot new on the pregnancy front. I am almost 15 weeks along. That is according to my ultrasound date, which I'm going with in this case, but I'm still telling everyone the March 29th due date. I am starting to get a little belly showing. It's sort of at that awkward place, where if you didn't know I was pregnant I would probably just look fat. I can definitely feel that it's getting harder though. So far I've been able to keep wearing my normal jeans, just having to put a hair band around the buttons. I'm hoping I'll be able to do that for a little while longer, unless I all of a sudden just pop. I won't lie though, I am excited to have a more noticeable baby bump. :) I do have a feeling though, that I'm not going to be one of those girls whose belly goes straight out...with my luck I will be big and wide. I guess only time will tell!

Harvest is going pretty smooth for the most part since there hasn't been any rain for quite awhile. The guys are done with beans (yay!) and working on getting the corn out now. I know some of the fields are still pretty wet unfortunately, but they are managing to keep going. Hopefully if the weather continues for another week like the forecast is predicting, they will be able to get everything done! That would just leave tillage, which is a little less stressful.

update & rant

Well, we finally got to hear the heartbeat of our little bean!! It was amazing. I actually ended up having an ultrasound as well, just to verify how far along I was. According to that, I am a week earlier than they originally thought. So I could have my due date changed, but the dr. has to check everything out, so we won't know until my next appointment what she says. Anyways, thought I would share the picture because I am super excited about it!! I don't have a scanner, so I just took a picture of it from my fridge. :)

It was just crazy to see it moving around in there! And move it did! Wiggly already! Can't wait until I can feel it moving. :)

Ok, on to my rant...maternity clothes. Specifically Old Navy and Gap. Seriously cute stuff. Most of which is available online only, and return by mail only. Which means you pay $7 for shipping to GET it, then another $6 to RETURN it if it doesn't fit. So dumb. It would be one thing if it came with a free returns label, but when you have to pay to return it, that is just bs. And the fact that most of the things I want I won't even be able to see in the store when I do finally get to go shopping is ridiculous too. I totally see where my sis-in-law was coming from when she said maternity clothes shopping stinks. Don't get me wrong, I am excited, but I know I will get plenty frustrated. Another thing that bites is how much it all costs. I guarantee I will have to spend over $30 to get a decent pair of jeans. Ughhhh...oh well, only time will tell! Maybe I'll luck out and find a store with a good selection!! :) Wish me luck.

Sawyer Ben

I took my cousin Sawyer's senior pictures a few weeks ago. He is so photogenic and has the most gorgeous blue eyes! Just wanted to share a few favorites!

long delay!

It has been a crazy month! Hard to believe it's already September! We have been keeping busy, but it still seems like I haven't gotten a lot done. I have hardly scrapbooked at all this summer. :( I've had the same page laying out for like a month, with picture, paper, etc., all ready to go and haven't done any more than set it all on the table.

We do have one good thing to share! We are having a baby! Due on March 29th. So that might explain some of my absence! :) We've been busy telling our families and friends, so the news is out now! I've been feeling really good so far, no morning sickness or anything. I get cramps off and on, and I can tell I'm more tired and hungry at times. I'm about 10 weeks along, and we have our 2nd dr. appt in a couple weeks, which I am super excited about b/c she said we would hopefully be able to hear the heartbeat by then! Since I haven't been feeling icky or anything, it's all been sort of surreal, like there's no evidence that I really am pregnant, so I'm looking forward to hearing that whoosh-whoosh because then it will hit me for sure! I am just excited beyond words to experience being pregnant and can't wait to meet our little one. I am praying that everything goes well and we have a healthy, happy baby next spring!

I took some senior pictures for my cousin Sawyer a couple weeks ago too, and will share a few of those soon too, when I am finished editing them!

baby Aaron

Welcome to the world, Aaron Gregory! Our first nephew was born on August 3...he is almost a week old! He was just a little peanut, 7 lb 3 oz 20 inches long. The girls are loving having a baby brother!

I went to a concert on Saturday night with a friend. It was really fun! The band was called Hairball, and they were an '80's cover band. Right up my alley! Next time I definitely want to take Paul along, he would have had a blast too. It was down at Jackpot Junction Casino, so I ran into a lot of people that I knew from high school. It was fun to see old friends again, it was just too bad we didn't have too  much time to talk or anything.
Fair time is already here this week too. That means no cooking for me 3 out of 5 nights this week! Score! :) Probably not the healthiest, but it's only once a year and we don't really go overboard. The must-haves for me are fresh made fries, a steak sandwich from the cattlemen's tent, pork chop on a stick, and a strawberry shake...mmmmm! Not all on the same night mind you! Lol.
Paul is in the middle of combining wheat with his dad and brother tonight. I know they are done with Paul and Mark's field, so now they are working on getting his dad's finished. Usually I am able to ride with Paul since he's usually running trucks to and from town, but I haven't gotten out there yet this year. Maybe this weekend if they are still going. Sounds like it's a possibility since there are chances of rain all week. Even though it is a stressful time getting the grain off, I think they are getting good yields, so hopefully when all is said and done Paul will be happy with everything. The corn and beans look really good also, but it wouldn't hurt to get some of that rain they are talking about. Sounds contradictory, since they want the rain to stay away to get the wheat off, but on the other hand it would be really helpful for the other crops! I guess that's part of the farming game! Wouldn't have it any other way though. :)

i'm here!

Long break between posts...we have been busy!! July is almost over and it went by just as fast as June did. Ugghhh! I feel like I am missing summer. We haven't even been to the beach yet! But most of the things we've been doing are fun. Friends, family, etc. We did have a good time on vacation though! A few days away from normal life was really nice. I took a bunch of pictures, but they do not do justice! The Black Hills is soooooo gorgeous!! I could go there every year and not get sick of the views. We were only there for 2 1/2 days by time we drove out there and back, and one of those days was spent at Paul's Dad's Cousin's ranch (confused yet?) not too far from the ND border. AKA in the middle of nowhere. I'm talking 45 miles between towns, 3.5 mile dirt trail for a driveway, free-range cattle. It was fun to visit and all, but I could only handle living out there for like a week, and then I'd be ready to see some peeps instead of cows. Ha!

This was right after Paul's hat blew off his head! It was flippin' windy the day we were at the Badlands! We had to make sure we found a Runnings the next day to purchase a new one...it's his special IH cap...

Mount Rushmore

On the Needles highway

Look! Cows! I loved the 'Cattle at Large' signs, but I didn't get a good picture of one b/c someone didn't want to stop for me...

This is the driveway to the ranch we spent the day at. Yeah.

I have this feeling that August is going to fly by like the last two months have...lol. Lots of fun stuff going on though, and I am looking forward to it! Hopefully in the next couple days I will have a new baby nephew to share pictures of! So excited! I attempted making a blanket. It's cute, but not anywhere close to perfect...and if you know me, it annoys me. I wanted to start over, but my mom talked me out of it. I'm glad she did b/c I don't have time to make another one. :) I'll share some pics later once I finish the last couple stitching. Which I should be doing right now!

r&r

Tomorrow we are heading out to the Black Hills for a little vacation, and both Paul and I are pretty excited! Mostly just because we're both looking forward to getting out of here and having a break from work/life. It should be a fun trip, and I am planning on taking a boat load of pictures, so I'll be sure to share when we get home!

Friday at the end of the day at work, we got to go watch some of the guys that work at the hog barns we manage play soccer against one of the dairy teams. That was a pretty good time! Besides being stinkin' hot, that is. We also go some darn good fajitas for supper! The Mexican restaurant in Benson catered the employee supper for them and we got in on it. YUM!! Love that place! Here are a couple pics of the team, and the guys in action!

4th of july weekend

This weekend was a lot of fun. Again, we stayed pretty close to home. The parade in Hancock is always good, and we usually go to that on the 4th. It was extra-fun this year since the girls were there! They make things so much more entertaining!

 
 Pretty cute shades, huh?

The car in the top pic is representing where I work! (Nice signs too, I wonder who made them!?) The girls absolutely LOVED the horses! Especially since there was a baby one. It was pretty dang cute, who can resist any sort of baby animal? We sat pretty close to the beginning of the parade, so there was plenty of candy. I had to sneak any if I wanted it, otherwise it was snatched out of my had before I knew what hit me! Haha!

Saturday night we went uptown to the street dance. That was another great time! The band was really good too. And lets just say it's a good thing we walked home...

On another note, received this lovely package in the mail today! I am super excited to make a mini album. I've never done one before but I think this will be a great start. Now I just have to decide what I'm going to make it about...I'm thinking I'll do our vacation this year to the Black Hills. WHICH, might I add, is only a week away! YES!!!

This awesome little album is from Memories in a Binder, and you can find more here.

july!?

Can anybody tell me where June went? Because last time I checked it was like May. Seriously, I can't believe it's the 4th of July this weekend! That means that summer is half over! :( But we have plenty of things to look forward to in the next couple months, so it will be good.

I am happy that tomorrow is Friday, obviously! Long weekend ahead of us, nothing too strenuous planned. Saturday is when the parade and festivities in town are all happening, and I think that Paul's family are going to come to our place for a bit after the parade, so that will be fun! I went and bought a few outdoor toys for the girlies to play with since I'm sure that's where we'll be hangin' out. Saturday night there's a street dance uptown, so we'll probably go up there for awhile. I haven't decided if I will be having any adult beverages yet or not though. Sunday we're heading down to the big village of Renville to hang out with my family. Fun times! I'm sure I'll be taking plenty of pictures, so hopefully I'll have some good ones to share! I'm going to attempt to get some good fireworks shots, so we'll see how that turns out! If anyone happens to be reading this (hehe), I hope you have a fun, safe weekend! :)

senior pics

Here is the first scrapbook page I finally got around to photographing! My sister graduated in '06, and I just scrapped her senior pics a couple months ago when I was working on getting caught up. Happy to say that I'm up-to-date, besides our wedding pictures which might be a little while yet.

I had a lot of fun with this page! I just went for it instead of thinking about what I was going to do for an hour first, and I really love the results. I used paint and a roller stamp behind the title, and I used glitter mist on the title letters. The stickers are from Hambly Studios.

finally...

...got a few minutes to get on here! Not really much to say though. It doesn't seem like we've done a lot in the past week or so, but we've been busy. Paul bought a new farm truck last night. It's an '83 F150, and I think it makes him feel like he's 16 again. It's got louder pipes than our nice pickup does. We went for a cruise after he brought it home and you couldn't wipe the goofy grin off of his face! Dork :) I have a picture that I'll get up in a few days. It's actually a pretty nice looking truck.
Tonight after I went for a walk we planted a few hostas that Paul's aunt and uncle gave us. She has a ton of beautiful plants, and she wanted to split a few of the hostas that were getting big, so when she asked if I wanted some I definitely said yes! I put them by the ones I already had from my mom, so now there is a nice gathering of them.

crisp cucumber salsa

I have a subscription to Simple and Delicious magazine, and every issue it seems like there are tons of recipes I want to try. Usually I end up just cutting them out and adding them to my binder, but when I saw this one, I knew I wanted to make it asap. It was soooo good! Paul even liked it! I made it yesterday and we've already devoured it. I can't wait until I can make it again using my own vegetables and herbs from my garden! YUM!

Crisp Cucumber Salsa
Yield 2-1/2 cups

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

1/4 cup (w/out chips) equals 16 calories
Recipe from Simple and Delicious magazine

Mr. & Mrs. Dahl

The wedding went great! Besides being rainy most of the day, everything went off without a hitch. I did regret my choice of shoes though...my 3" heels were killing me by the end of the ceremony! Man, I thought I was going to fall over! But I didn't, and it was all good. Katie looked gorgeous of course, and the ceremony was beautiful. Right now the newlyweds are on the second day of their honeymoon in Mexico. I hope they are having an awesome time, but really, how could they not?! I told Katie to bring me home a shell from the beach and to take lots of pictures, that I can't wait to see! Here are some snapshots I took throughout the day...

wedding

Well, tomorrow I am heading down to my mom and dad's to help them get ready for my sister's wedding on Saturday. It will be a hectic couple of days I think, but it will be worth it. I will have more details of how everything went when I get back!

Here's a pic of my sister and I at her shower back in May...

P.S. Loving the new digital frames I just downloaded! Super cute! I got them here.

memorial day weekend

We stayed pretty close to home this weekend. No camping, fishing, or anything exciting like that!
On Saturday I went down to my mom & dad's so I could get fitted for my bridesmaid dress for my sister's wedding (two weeks away!). The picture of the dog in my photo collage is my dad's new puppy. I guess she's not so little anymore, but she was digging herself a little hole to lay in to keep cool since it was so hot and I thought it was pretty funny.

We checked on the cows in the pasture quite a bit, and the guys ended up having to treat a couple calves. It's so fun to see all the mamas and their babies out there. I wish I would have gotten a better shot of one of the calves, but I almost forgot to take any pictures at all. On Monday, I helped Paul finish the rock that we put around the house. It looks so awesome now that it's done! It really makes the house look sooooo much better! Just cleaned it up a lot. It was nice to have the day off and spend the time with Paul even if we were kind of boring! :)

gear up!

So I got a new pair of shoes a couple weeks ago, thinking it would help motivate me to go for a walk every day. They are Sketchers Shape Ups, and I must say, I can really feel them working! So far that has helped me keep going, and I hope to continue. I've made it part of my routine after work instead of just something I have to do.














The other thing I can't go without (besides my shades:) is my iPod shuffle. It always helps to have some tunes!!

My goal is to lose 5 pounds, and once I get to that, I plan to make a new goal. I've also started keeping track of everything I eat in a notebook that I keep in my purse. I've tried this before and it never lasts for more than a few days, but hopefully this time I'll be able to keep it up. I don't think I eat too terrible much, but it's amazing how fast those dang calories add up!!

weekend overview

Crazy how the weekends just fly by, isn't it? We went up to St. Cloud and spent the night at a hotel for my cousin's confirmation the next day. It was a lot of fun, but it's always exhausting when the whole family is there. Kids all over! They are getting older though, so it's not so bad since they can pretty much take care of themselves. Josh, Katie, Paul and I sat in the hot tub for awhile while the kids swam, so that was nice. Paul seems to think that someday we'll be able to afford a hot tub...he better start saving! Ha!

Anyways, we did a little (and by little I mean not much) shopping on Saturday before we went to the hotel. Found a few things at ON and Paul finally took me to Barnes and Noble. I've been wanting to go there the last I don't know how many times we've been to St. Cloud. Oh man, I could have spent tons of time and money in that store! I had one book in mind that I wanted, and I was happy to find that plus a couple others. Paul even said he was enjoying looking at everything. So hopefully that can be a regular stop from now on. The few times we get up there at least.

It was really nice to get home on Sunday though. Home sweet home! I went to the farm with Paul while he and Mark moved a few cow/calf pairs and visited with Jess and the girls. It's always fun seeing those two munchkins! Always entertaining! :)

pictures

I just wanted to share a few pictures that I've taken this spring!


Our niece in her rainboots...no, it wasn't raining, but she sure looked cute!


Paul chatting with his brother before starting chores at the farm.


Mmmmm cupcakes!

a list about me!

I like to make lists, so I thought I would make one about myself to share. Just random stuff. Here goes...

1. Paul and I just bought our first home, been there 8 months now!
2. I love to scrapbook and hopefully I'll share some of my pages on here!
3. I am a little bit accident prone.
4. I was voted Most Quiet and Best Eyes in my high school class.
5. I like to cook and bake.
6. I have one sister who is younger than me.
7. I need to wear glasses when I read or use the computer.
8. I loooove to go shopping! Most of the time it's just window shopping though, until I win the lottery or something.
9. I've never bought a lottery ticket in my live..
10. I always regret it when I cut my hair, but for some reason I always chop it when it gets long.
11. I am a carb-freak. No way could I live without bread or pasta!
12. I have the two most beautiful nieces in the world, and soon I will have a nephew!
13. I like to watch infomercials. Yeah, I get sucked in. Haven't actually bought anything though, hopefully it stays that way!
14. I still watch the Disney channel on occasion...
15. My best friends are my husband and my mom.
16. My favorite pastimes (besides scrapbooking) are photography, playing around in Photoshop, reading, being outside, and spending time with my husband, family and friends!
17. I am still working on having more confidence in myself. This has been an issue for me all my life, but slowly I am improving!
18. I went to school for graphic design (woohoo ATC!!), and I now work at a local feed company.
19. I had an accident in shop class in 8th grade and cut some of my fingers in the jointer. I lost a chunk of my left thumb and cut my ring and middle ones pretty good. Funny thing is, about 6 months ago I sliced the very tip off the same thumb while cutting tomatoes. Me and sharp objects, I tell ya.
20. I get distracted kind of easily sometimes..

That's all I got for now! :)

first post!

Hello! Thought I would give one of these a try. Not that we're real exciting, but it's a good place to share pictures and what is going on in our life!