Operation Jack In A Box

My youngest brother has been in California since September at his Marine training school. The training is supposed to last until July and he warned us early on that he might not be able to come home for Christmas. About a month ago he called to tell me he got permission to come home! Originally he'd wanted to surprise everyone, but he'd never bought a plane ticket before, so he called our dad to help him, then he was going to surprise me, but I'm always in charge of the sibling gift exchange, so he needed to tell me to include him, so it ended up being only his girlfriend he got to surprise. But it was such a fun surprise! He got some of his other friends in on it to help, and even his girlfriends' mother. He'd told her he couldn't come home and he was really, really sorry, but he was going to send her a big package. So he flew home late on the 22nd and the surprise was arranged for the 23rd. I arranged to leave work early so I could be there. My other brother got a HUGE box from work for him to hide in and then my mom called his girlfriend and told her a box had come to their house for her. She was so confused why he didn't send it to her house, and said she'd been watching for a UPS truck for over a week! She was out with some friends, who knew about the surprise, so they drove her right over to my parents house to get her present. She didn't suspect a thing and was so surprised when he jumped out of the box, it was great!

About to get taped inside the box

So happy!

My New Favorite Website

I sometimes stalk other peoples' blogs, people I'm not really friends with, but am interested to see what they're doing or cute ideas they have. One of the blogs I stalk sometimes posts things she finds from pinterest.com. I finally decided to check it out and have fallen in love! People "pin" up everything from recipes to makeup tips, cool haristyle tips, cool picture ideas, etc., etc. I love it! I'm always looking for interesting ideas as I feel anything but creative a lot of the times. My three favorites from the website (so far):

I love this waterfall braid, I wish I could do it:



Chalkboard paint on the pantry door, perfect for grocery lists:



21 Days to an Organized House:

• Day 1: Junk Drawer
• Day 2: Computer Desk
• Day 3: Tupperware Cabinet
• Day 4: Linen Closet
• Day 5: Under Kitchen Sink
• Day 6: Dresser Drawers
• Day 7: Pantry
• Day 8: Coat Closet
• Day 9: Toy Organization
• Day 10: Laundry Room
• Day 11: Freezer
• Day 12: Spice Cabinet
• Day 13: Medicine Cabinet
• Day 14: Under the Bathroom Sink
• Day 15: Medicine/Vitamin Storage
• Day 16: Fridge
• Day 17: Mail
• Day 18: Keepsakes
• Day 19: Master Closet
• Day 20: Photos
• Day 21: you pick!
  

A Busy, Busy Weekend!

It's that time of year for parties and such, but most of my weekend was filled with non-Christmas related things!
Friday night a friend's mom took a bunch of us out to dinner at Olive Tree. She is having her first girl so her mom thought it would be a great time to have a baby shower and get her lots of cute girly stuff! We had a lot of fun chatting, cooing over the adorbale clothes she get, and eating until we were, or at least I was, ridiculously full.

Saturday was completely nonstop! I worked in the morning, went straight to my mom's house to pick her up for a bridal shower, then we went to a friend of hers house to make some holiday cards, I took a short nap at my mom's house, then picked up Chris from the airport after his week long visit with her parents. I left the house at 8:30 in the morning and we got home about 12:30 at night! It was a crazy long day and I was exhausted, but I had a lot of fun and I was so excited to get my husband back!! Sunday (today) will definitely be our day of rest - and recovering!!!

The bridal shower was really fun, it was for a friend of mine I've known since we were about five, she was one of my bridesmaids and it's been great to see her finally meet someone she wants to settle down with! Another friend of ours from way back in the day was also there, it's been so fun over the years to run into each other! So, my favorite part of the shower was the one game we played - who knew the bride best. And I won! I was really surprised because there were several things I didn't know about her and other people there included roommates of hers from the last couple of years, who have certainly spent more time with her over the last five years and I was sure would know more about her. I guess it goes to show the friend who's known you the longest does know you the best! It was obviously really neat to be able to celebrate her upcoming wedding, and me being pregnant, after all the times we've talked about her wanting to get married and me wanting to have a baby, that we're both finally getting what we've been waiting for!

My Sweet Little Friend

Eight years ago I went to see one of my best friends' new babies and got a fun surprise - she had the same color red hair as me! The rest of her kids have dark hair, so it's been a running joke that this little girl was supposed to be my daughter, but got sent to my friends' family instead! Since then I have treated her as kind of a surrogate daughter and we have a pretty special bond. A lot of times she sits with me at church and over the years we've done lots of special friend dates and a couple sleepovers. Recently she accidentally called my future daughter her sister, and I'm pretty sure that's how she'll treat her, especially if my daughter has the same red hair!

A couple of weeks ago she was baptized and I think I teared up almost as much as my friend, her real mom! It's been amazing to be such a big part of her life and to be there for this important milestone in her life. I'm already looking forward to sharing many more milestons with her.

Playing in the pool

I love kisses!

Watching movies

In a corn maze

One of our sleepovers

Hanging out on my birthday

A trip to the zoo

A "family" picture on the 4th of July

Her baptism day!

The Day After Halloween

I'm so proud of myself, I've never been good at remembering to clearance shop after holidays, but I've been listening to friends talk about costumes for their babies or seeing the ADORABLE baby clothes, so I've been anxiously waiting to hit the sales today! A couple things I wanted are sold out already, so I'll have to figure out something else, but I'm happy with what I got!

I got three bibs, I just forgot when I was taking the picture! The hidden one is my favorite, it says "My first Halloween".  The picture frame I thought was cute and had a great idea for - to display it with the previous years' costume picture.  The banner was just for fun, I never decorate for Halloween, so maybe I'll want to next year! I don't remember the exact prices of everything, but it was all 50% off.

   

This onesie and hat I found from Old Navy, on sale for $6 and $3 and I also ordered some much needed maternity clothes, also on sale, so I got free shipping!  I just have to hope my baby is average sized and not too big or too tiny and will be able to fit into the onesie!  I'll have to find some really cute accessories if I end up having a girl, because the clothes are a little boyish, but I don't think that will be a problem!
Luckily when I shop the Christmas clearances I should know whether the baby is a boy or girl and be able to buy appropriately instead of trying to stick to neutral!

Thirty-One

This was the most low key birthday I've had in years, especially after my week long party last year!  Part of that was because I didn't have any more vacation time from work and part of that was because I got the best birthday present I could ever ask for in July - getting pregnant.  It was still a nice day.  My co workers decorated my desk and made me cupcakes, and Chris sent me flowers, a balloon and a teddy bear.  When I got home he gave me a bag of gifts - a movie and some candy I like and the new Lego Pirates of the Caribbean game! I didn't even know it was out yet, so I was really surprised and excited and played it a lot over the next couple of days!  That weekend we went out with my family to celebrate my, my brother's, and my dad's birthday.  We uaully go to Sakura for family dinners, but my mom didn't think it would be necessary to make reservations on a Saturday night.  So we tried a newer Japanse steakhouse in Severna Park, Kyoto.  It wasn't too bad, but definitely not Sakura, so Chris and I got carry out from Sakura a couple days later!

I feel like I just got used to being 30 and now I'm IN my 30's!  I don't know how I feel about that!

Funny Little Cat

Until the baby is born, the only cute stories I have to share are about my cat, who I adore and who has more personality than a lot of dogs!  She loves to sit on my lap, especially when I'm sitting in the recliner with a blanket on my lap.  When she gets really relaxed, she stretches out the length of my legs.  It cracks me up every time!  The other night, I had my feet up and a blanket on.  She decided she wanted to curl up under the blanket, so I let her crawl under.  Pretty soon she started stretching out until her head was all the way down between my feet.  I said something to Chris, who lifted up the blanket to see her little head poking out.  We both started laughing and I think she was mad that Chris pulled up the blanket because she jumped down soon after.

A Dream Come True

After 5 1/2 years, several doctors, tons of tests, two surgeries, millions of tears, two IVF cycles, and literally only God knows how many prayers, just when I was beginning to think it wasn't meant to be.................

July 19 - the first positive blood test! Several hpt's followed -

I couldn't get enough of seeing the positive test!

 August 12 - second ultrasound at 7w4d pregnant!

A beautiful yolk sac and the cutest little gray baby blob!

We could even see a tiny little heartbeat!!!

August 22 - third ultrasound at  9 weeks pregnant!

We saw the heartbeat and a little arm!

My first belly picture at 8 weeks!

My tummy has actually shrunk since this picture, after I

stopped taking the hormones the fertility clinic had me on.

I'm now 11 weeks and my tummy seems to be growing a little again.  I've had one appointment at the OB and got to hear the hearbeat and am anxiously waiting for my next appointment at 14 weeks and my first OB ultrasound at 13 weeks.  Sometimes it still feels so unreal that I'm actually finally pregnant, but I'm so thrilled and hope I can enjoy the next 6 months and have a healthy little baby!

Hiking!

My mom and her friend and my brothers have gotten into hiking the last couple of years.  They've done a couple of overnight hikes as well as several day hikes.  I didn't ever have the desire to join them until I started trying to lose weight and jogging outside.  Then it was just a matter of working it into my schedule.  I finally was able to join them on a three mile hike to Harper's Ferry.  They had been working on hiking all the way to Harper's Ferry (I can't remember their starting point) and just had three miles left.  So on a Saturday in June my mom, her friend, Ian and I hiked those three miles.  My dad dropped us off and then picked us up in Harper's Ferry.  It was fun, not too overwhelming for my first hike and a really pretty part of the trail.

We followed a canal (can't remember which one) for a good way

and saw turtles hanging out in the muck and on logs.

Our destination, Harper's Ferry!

Lunch by the rivers

Another Graduation!

A month after the oldest sibling graduated with her PhD, the youngest sibling graduated from high school!

Thomas and his girlfriend, Alley

The graduates with their moms

Me with my two youngest brothers

Being silly

Thomas' dessert - it's a little tall!

My Sister, the PhD!

I don't know what's wrong with me that it takes so long to blog things! I love blogging and I love reading other people's blog updates, so that should be enough motivation to keep up with it!
The weekend after we went to Florida my sister graduated with her PhD in History.  It's been a long road for her, being a mom, teaching, and helping with her husband's company.  I wouldn't have gone if I'd been pregnant, so in a TINY way I was glad I wasn't pregnant so I could go.  Chris and I drove up with my parents for the weekend and stayed in a hotel while my sister's mom and her husband stayed at my sister's house.  We got checked into the hotel and went to my sister's house for dinner.  While we were there a storm started and there were flash floods that washed out part of her road and started to flood her basement! We had to wait several hours before being able to get back out and we were very glad that we'd brought our SUV! Luckily the weather for the day of the graduation was perfect and everything went well.  The graduation was for all the PhD and Master students, so it was long and my sister got her diploma at the beginning, so we all got up and walked around at least once!  Then we went back to her house and had a fancy celebration dinner.  Chris and my parents and I drove back on Sunday and were back to work on Monday! It was a long drive for a quick visit, but we were all glad we got to go.

My nephew running to hug my sister after the graduation

My sister and her advisor

My sister and her family

My sister with her dad and stepmom

My nephew trying on the robe

My sister with her mom and her mom's husband (not her stepdad, though)

Cooking dinner in her hat

Jessica, Bob and Zoe

On our last day in Florida I spent about about an hour and a half swimming with dolphins, the whole point of our trip.  For half an hour I did the structured swim, where the trainer tells the dolphin to do specific behaviors with you.  I was with another girl, from England, with three dolphins - a mom, dad and ten month old baby.  The baby didn't do any of the behaviors, except for jumping, she just hung out next to her mom.  But she was awfully cute! The time went by MUCH faster than I'd remembered, but it was a lot of fun.  The dolphins were really energetic and seemed to be having lots of fun.  So here are some of my favorite pictures!

Belly rubs are always fun

I love getting dolphin kisses!  It was actually hard staying next to him

(I think this was Bob), there were other dolphins swimming and making

waves and I had to really work to stay next to him.

This was the funniest part, the foot push.  They each put their nose on one of my feet

and pushed me backwards.  When they stopped the trainer said she'd been working

with them on pushing people farther, so she wanted me to put my feet up again and

they would come back and push me again..........

As you can see, one dolphin got to me first and started pushing, before

the other one got there, so I started going in a circle.......

So here comes the other dolphin, trying to reach my foot........

I tried so hard to help them out, but one dolphin was still pushing

and the other dolphin was almost in front, so I'm bending my knee trying to

get my foot on his/her nose.  It was quite funny and the trainer finally

let us give up!

Jessica dancing with me!

Bob bringing me a hoop.

Poor Jessica, I had a lot of trouble holding up a pretty heavy

hoop while treading water.  I was supposed to hold it OUT of the

water so that she could jump UP and through it, instead she had to

kind of jump vertically, poor thing.  She was a good sport about it, though.

This was my favorite part, getting kissed by both dolphins, I got to

pet their chins while they were there.  I loved it.

I got a face FULL of saltwater as they pulled me, they pulled so fast!

I was amazed they didn't crash me into the wall.

Here's the little baby, Zoe, jumping with her parents.  Obviously she can't

jump as high as them yet, but it was very cute to see them all jump together.