Baby Guessing Contest

I saw this on another blog and thought it was a great idea!

I decided to award our blog readers with a chance to win a prize of our choosing for correctly guessing the day, time, weight, length and name of our child.

Here are the rules: You must submit your guess via a blog comment (or an email to one of us) at least 24 hours before I go into labor. Any guess submitted after that will be considered void. A perfect guess is worth 100 points.

The breakdown is as follows:

Correctly guessing the...

date - 20 points

time of day - 20 points

weight - 10 points

length - 10 points

and...
the name - 40 points (you don't get awarded points for the middle or last name...sorry!)

(Partial points will be awarded for how close your guess is to the actual data. For example, if you are one day off you could still receive 18 points for that category.)

Here are a few helpful hints (well, maybe not) the dr. says I'm due Dec. 2, my calculations say Dec. 1...I'm measuring right on schedule, if that means anything...so may the best guesser win!!!

Tag

Beware, this is a SUPER long post...but I'm bored at work and it will fill my time nicely. I just thought this was a fitting tag for me right now, so here it goes. (Don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't read it)!

Age at Child's birth? 25

Occupation? Secretary

Favorite Food? I love any kind of salad...YUM

Pre-Pregnancy Weight? Why do you want to know???

How far along are you?: 32 1/2 weeks

Current Weight? Again, is this really important?

Is this your first pregnancy? Yep

Do you have any other children? No

How many children do you want to have? 4 (two boys and two girls, and if that's not what I get then I'm taking them back)!

Do you like being pregnant? Huh, interesting question, do I like the fact that I'm going to be a mom and that in order to do this I have to be pregnant...yes. Do I like the fact that every milimeter of my body is going through some wacky strange, ugly things...NO!

Have you had any morning sickness? Nope, non at all, I feel truly blessed!

Any mood swings? I say no, but ask Brian and you'll get a different answer

Do you feel you have a stronger sense of smell? Only when I'm really focused

Have you had any swelling in your hands or feet? Yes, this goes into the category of strange and ugly things

Have you had any aches or pains yet? Is this really a question for pregnant people??

What is the one thing you miss about not being pregnant? I'm still pregnant

What one thing makes up for it? I'll just pretend I'm not pregnant anymore to answer this one...um, let's think...I have my freakin' baby...duh

Will you take maternity leave? If you consider being a stay at home mom maternity leave

Favorite Maternity Outfit? I hate fat prego clothes, but I would say my brown sweater from the gap...love it!

Favorite Pastime While Pregnant? Being lazy!

Have you bought anything for baby yet? Of course!

What do you believe are your strengths as a mother? Caring, Loving, Patient, Fun...I don't know

Your weaknesses? Am I going to know enough?

Are you excited? Of course, I'm going to be a mom!

What are you most excited for? To see Brian be a dad, he's so good with kids.

About Daddy:

Name? Brian Lee Hudson

Age? 24

Occupation? He's a plumber, of if you ask him he builds highways for turds!

Relationship with you? Husband and the bestest friend anyone can ever ask for

How long have you known dad? Since 3rd grade...how long is that? like 17 years maybe

Does he have any other children? I sure hope not

How many children does he want to have? 4, but he says we're done when we have a girl

What's his favorite pastime? If you know Brian, then this is a dumb question, he's still going to do everything he did before the baby was born.

Has he bought anything for baby yet? Well, I was with him, but he picked out a onesie from target that says daddy's little wingman

Will he take any time off work to help you? Probably a few days, nothing like paternity leave...but that would be cool, he's in the wrong profession, they don't offer it to plumbers!

What do you believe are his strengths as a dad? Patience, Love for everyone, Priesthood, His understanding of the Gospel, He's a little kid for heaven's sake, he's going to fit right in!

His weaknesses? He's a worry wart...takes after his mom

Is he excited? Yes, but he wants me to birth a 1 year old

What do you think he is most excited for? To have a son, he wants to do everything with him like he did with his dad.

Your Pregnancy So Far...:

When did you find out you were pregnant? March 25, right after I came home from Sec. Day Snowmobiling!

Who was with you? I was by myself

Were you trying to get pregnant? Well, yes, but we didn't think it would happen this fast.

If so, for how long? I don't know, one freaking night

Do you have a guess when and where your baby was conceived? If you really want to know it was March 9 in our front room in front of the fire that Brian had just made!! There you have it folks!

How far along were you when you found out? 2 or 3 weeks

What kind of pregnancy test did you take? One that tells you you're pregnant

How many tests did you take? One, and then I took another one right before my dr's appt. I didn't have any symptoms other than missing my period, so I just wanted to make sure!

What was your first reaction? WHAT THE!!

What was the dads first reaction? Are you serious???

Who did you first tell the good news to? Um, this is a little secret, but Leah

What were your parents reactions? They were really excited!

Would you ever consider having an abortion? Never

Who is your doctor? Dr. Thorpe, Dr. Gammett, Dr. Broberg, Dr. Jacob, and Dr. Rees

What hospital will you go to? Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, also known as the birthing capital of Utah

How far along were you at your first doctor appointment? 9 weeks

Have you heard the baby's heartbeat? Uh, yeah, I am 32 weeks remember

Have you had any ultrasounds? Yes, my oh-so-fabulous sister in law Katie does mine!

Will you have any 3D/4D ultrasounds? No, I think they're dumb, but whatever.

Have you had any complications with this pregnancy? Bronchitis, Pneumonia (twice), and a fractured rib, but that's all!

Are you high risk? No

Girl or Boy? Boy (I hope Katie's right)!

You picked out any names yet? Several, we just haven't agreed upon any!

Any food cravings yet? Fruit

Whats been the strangest craving you've had? Pickles and marshmallows together!! They really are good, I promise!

What is something you eat almost everyday? Fruit

Do you have any pregnant friends? No, but my sister in law is pregnant!! YIPEE

Do you frequent any message boards? No

Have you felt any movement yet? Yeah, he kicks non stop, and he likes to plant his little feet right into my ribs...AWESOME!

Has dad felt any movement yet? Yes

Do you or dad ever talk to baby? No, that would be really weird. I do sometimes yell at him to get out of my ribs...he doesn't listen.

When did you really first start to show? Day 1??

Have any stretch marks? yeah, my butt, thighs, stomach, boobs, you name a place and I have them!

How well have you been sleeping? Fine, until 2 nights ago...I like to think of this as a good thing...it means I'm in the home stretch...RIGHT???

Any strange dreams? Yeah, I dream about the dead girl on Shutter...Brian likes to call her Mushi Mushi, we can't remember her name!

Have you had any braxton-hicks contractions yet? Yes, as a matter of fact I have, and let me tell you, they aren't always painless...little liars.

Has dad made any midnight runs for you yet? No, I really haven't had that many cravings, he has made midnight ice cream runs for himself if that counts.

Any baby shower plans? Yep, Oct. 25 with my fam and sometime later with Brian's fam (it's still in the planning stages)

Have you registered any where? Baby's R Us, but it's a pretty crappy registry.

What was the first thing bought for baby? clothes (flip flops, swim suit, and a little hoodie)

Are you going to take any birthing classes? what's the point, no birth is the same, so really, I just grunt and bear it!

Are you reading any pregnancy, baby, childcare books? What to Expect When You're Expecting...great book :(

Has anyone said anything unusual to you since you've been pregnant? Um, let me quote my favorite...You're as big as a house...well thanks, really wanted to know that!

What is the best part about being pregnant? Feeling this little guy kick and knowing that I'm going to be a mom in 8 weeks.

What is the worst part? Strange and ugly things

What are you most nervous about? Not being ready for everything

When is your next doctor appointment? Oct. 22

Birth Plans...At home or at a hospital? Definitely in the hospital

Vaginal or C-Section? Vaginal, if everything goes as planned

Natural or Medicated? Give me the MEDS!

Will you be induced? Only if I have to

Who will be in the delivery room with you? Well, here are the people that are invited, it's up to them to be there...Brian, Mom, Mom-in-law, Leah, Katie, and Marianne...wow that's a list...now I just need to let them know that they're invited...

Are you going to have a "doula"? No, but I think with my posse, they'll take care of me!

What couple of things will you be sure to have with you? My hubby...he thinks he can get out of this..so he's numero uno on the list! And whatever else I feel like having at the moment

What do you think will annoy you during delivery? Everything...I told Brian last night that he just needs to keep reminding me to count, that's how I get through any annoying thing!

Are you going to take pictures or videotape? My mom and sister think I need to videotape, I mean I know I'm inviting the whole world to look at my crotch, but really, come on...pictures will have to do.

Will dad cut the cord? Yes, I'm going to make him (he thinks it's gross)

Will Dad pass out? As long as he's positioned by my head, no

What is your opinion on circumcision? Most definitely...it's the only pain boys will ever have to suffer down there, so suffer away I say!

Will any relatives come in from out of town? My bro and sister in law for the blessing, other than that every else lives here.

Are you scared? No, just anxious and excited!

What are you most scared about? Did you read my answer to the last question...I'm not scared

When the baby is here:
What is baby's coming home outfit? A cute little outfit...I can't do it justice by just explaining it, you'll just have to wait for pictures.

Will you come home as soon as you can? No, I plan on staying in the hospital paying an enormous amount of money for the gourmet food that they're feeding me!

What is the nursery's theme? Jungle

What is your favorite thing in the nursery? The lamp, or the crib, or the cute little clothes that are all over the floor in there piles

Will you breastfeed or formula feed? I'll give the good ole'boob a try

Will you co-sleep? That's a big FAT negative, my sleep is precious to me and I am a light sleeper, I can't even sleep if I can hear one of the dogs breathing.

Will you cloth diaper? No, I'm all for filling up the landfills

What can't you wait for most? Having my little baby boy and watching him grow!

That took my about an hour to do...now I just need to find 4 more of those and my day will be over!

Happy September!

Here's my little tidbit of the day...

I think my pelvis is being RIPPED apart!

Oh the joy's!

Double Digits!!

I just wanted to point out to all of you, that yes, the time is finally here...our baby has reached the double digits until his birth. This is very exciting news...probably only for me, but exciting non the less! Have a great day! And a shout out to Erica...HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

Donation Please

This story has been going around the blogging world since Sunday. I have been reluctant to post about it because I didn't really know what to say, but as I think about it I'm doing this family a great injustice. If you have heard about the Nielson (NieNie) family, then you know what I'm talking about. If not you can read about their tragic/inspirational story here or you can read Stephanie's blog here. I'm sure even if I didn't know this family, it probably would have felt close to the same way, but since I know them through school and Stephanie is one of my sister-in-law's closest cousins, I feel very connected to them. I can't even imagine what I would do if this were my sister/brother or even my cousin. Words can't even describe the heartache that I feel for them and their entire family (especially their 4 little ones), but as you read Stephanie's blog as well as her sister's you come to know that this family has an incredibly strong understanding of the gospel. And that is truly inspiring. I love them for it even though I don't know them all personally. They have truly made my testimony grow immensely. So, please, please, please keep them in your prayers. And if you wish, I added the donation button to my sidebar for you if you wish to donate in anyway, I'm sure at this point every cent will help immensely.

Bronchitis...Pneumonia...Fractured Rib?

If you didn't read the title, then go ahead and read it and you'll figure out what I've been going through over the last 1 1/2 months. That's right, it all started with a nasty annoying (but dry) cough. I just assumed it was allergies, since they've been really bad, but 4 weeks later and I still have annoying cough, but it's turning into a wet cough with nastiness being coughed up, and being awake countless hours of the night coughing, I decided that maybe I should go to the dr. thinking, I don't know, maybe I have asthma, like every other person in my family (I was secretly hoping that's what it would be). But what did the nice Dr. lady have to say??? I apparently have/had bronchitis that turned into pneumonia and what can they do about it? Well, I'm prego, so she gave me the only antibiotic that I could take, and preceded to tell me that the antibiotic will only clear up the pneumonia, but the bronchitis can last up to 3 months! GREAT!! So, pretty much I went home with an antibiotic and nothing else. After 3 days on the antibiotic and still hardly any sleep, I had a meltdown around 9pm. I freaked out at Brian (as only a pregnant woman can) and called my Mom, who lovingly told me to just call my obgyn and see if there was anything I could take for the cough. Sudafed was the answer...oh, and have you tried a humidifier...off to Target I go, pj's on and all, with my hair disheveled and my face all blotchy from crying! I can only imagine what the poor cashier thought when I was checking out, she kept looking at me like I was going to pull a knife on her or something. Fast forward a week...I'm doing ok, my cough is almost gone, still lingering, but not keeping me up as much as before. But now I have this excruciating pain in my left side...OUCH! Brian can't even give me a hug without my almost screaming in pain. I can't do anything...ok, the babies not that big yet, so I know it's not from him kicking me. So, after 4 days of sucking it up and thinking it will get better...I go back to the Dr. and what did dr. lady tell me this time...oh, it looks like you have a fractured rib from coughing so hard. WHAT?!? And guess what we can do for you....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, since you are pregnant. She said that even if I wasn't prego the only thing that they could really do was give my pain meds. Oh, but don't you worry folks, I can still take tylenol! YIPEE!!! And just in case you are wondering...NO, it's still not better and I had another monumental freak out last night at 12:43am...Brian got up while I was crying in the bathroom and asked if I wanted a blessing, I said yes and after trying to compose myself, I walked back into our room, just to find Brian already zonked out...so I didn't want to wake him and I just dealt with it!

I have to stick up for Brian, he's been a tremendous husband. He's been working 6 12's, and yet he's still happy when he comes home and always makes sure that I have what I need. And he even put in 15 1/2 hours yesterday (hence the reason I was crying in the bathroom and not our room, I didn't want to wake him up)! I honestly love him and am so grateful that he is my husband! He's the best!

Has anyone else out there had a broken rib? If so, can you tell me what you did to alleviate the pain?

P.S. Sorry for the long post, but that's what's been going on in my life!

Harley and Ace

I'm totally at a loss as to why I haven't posted about our dogs before, so here you go!

HARLEY:

(Harley when he was a little puppy)

Brian and I went to the pet store the day after Valentine's last year. We didn't go thinking we'd leave with a dog, we just like to go look. We saw Harley and immediately fell in love. Then Brian saw that he and Harley shared a birthday, so a few $$$ later we walked away with Harley...what can I say, we love him! Harley is our crazy dog...he can never sit still (except to eat), and even then he has a hard time. He also has a crazy eye, for some reason one of his eyes doesn't have any white around it, it's all black! He is always wagging his tale...even when he's getting into trouble. He also loves his little brother (Ace), you will often find Harley grooming Ace (he knocks him over to get him so he can clean his ear out) I must say that Ace, for the most part, loves it. As soon as Harley is cleaning his ear, he falls asleep. It's very funny to watch! Harley is 1/4 English Spaniel and 3/4 Beagle.

ACE:

(Ace the day we got him)

I was looking ksl classifieds one evening...scrolling through the dogs, when I came to a listing with the cutest beagles EVER! Brian and I had been thinking about getting another dog so that Harley wasn't so bored by himself while we both were working. Brian called the owner and he said to come take a look. Once again Brian and I weren't going there to buy a puppy...just to merely look. Well, Ace caught out eye (he was the fattest puppy by over a pound) and he has the funniest overbite you will ever see! He is also a rare beagle since he has no black on him. Well once again after a few $$$ later, we walked away with Ace. Ace is our mellow dog (except when bothered by Harley) he is very chill and always wants to snuggle and relax. He loves to play fetch and keep away from Harley. He is very timid and you can't get mad at him because he'll be sad for hours. He is a follower and tends to get blamed for a lot of things that Harley does! He also has the prettiest golden brown/green eyes! He is 100% pure beagle!

(Aren't they cute???)

(Harley meeting Ace for the first time!)

(They aren't puppies anymore)

We love our dogs and really I can't imagine not having them. They make life a lot more enjoyable and a lot less sleepful (I got up 3 times last night with them). And they make life a lot more stressful all at the same time! So there you have it, our dogs....I know you want one now!

LOST OR STOLEN DEBIT CARD??

I must admit that I have never lost or had anything from my purse stolen (ie...my debit card). So, this is a little traumatic for me. It all came about when my temple recommend fell out of my purse this morning...I proceeded to go to the gas station to get a bottle of water, when I found that my debit card was not in my purse...STRANGE, so thinking that it fell out of my purse when my recommend did (and since they are doing construction right in front of our house) I felt that I should immediately run home to make sure that it wasn't just sitting in our driveway for some crazy construction dude to pick up. Well, it wasn't there...when was the last time I used it??? Oh yeah, my sister's b-day was yesterday and I was trying to buy her a book at Barnes and Noble (needless to say, she already has every book on the planet) I didn't end up buying her anything, but I did buy myself a baby name book! Anyway, back to the point...so I come to work this morning anxiously awaiting for the time to read 9:00am, since that's what time they open. 9:15am I make the anticipated call...just to be put on indefinite hold with no hold music, what is this world coming to. Finally, the ever present lady gets back on the phone, asks me my name and phone #, then just says ok, we'll look for it...what? Do you mean you didn't find it up at the cashier's desk, or did you not look for it, did you even check??? Fine, whatever, this really sucks. Ok, I'll check my car once more, maybe it fell underneath the seat, surprisingly my car is spotless, so it's very easy for me to check. It's not anywhere to be found. Dreading, I call the bank with the anticipation that they are going to make a huge deal and it's going to be ever so hard to use it...this is how the call went:

Banker: Good morning how may I help you?

Me: I'm not quite sure who to speak to, but I lost my debit card...

Banker: Oh, I'm just the person you need to talk to.

Me: Oh, good.

Banker: Ok, well what's your name?

Me: Katie _____

Banker: Have you already checked your account to make sure nothing has been charged that you didn't authorize? When was the last time you remember having it?

Me: Yes, I did that this morning and nothing has been. And I used it last night.

Banker: Ok, Katie what are the last 4 digits of your SS# and your mother's maiden name?

Me: I proceed to tell her...I think I passed with flying colors!

Banker: Ok, I've put a hold on that card and I will issue you a new one which you'll receive in 7-10 business days. Call us when you get it and we'll set you up with a new pin...

Me: Ok, thank you so much! (what, that's it, no hassle, no questioning, AWESOME)!!

With much relief I hang up the phone. That was WAY too easy. I now feel somewhat at peace, other than I will be checking my account all day!

Stay tuned for pictures from today's ultrasound!

Our little guy's debut

First off I'll apologize for being so behind on getting these posted. It feels like I have been crazy busy, but I really haven't. I just haven't really thought about scanning in pictures when I have had time, so sorry. And I'm sorry that they're crooked...I couldn't get them to sit straight while I scanned them! So, here's our little guy...isn't he cute! I sure think so! We're so excited, and I can't wait because I'm almost 1/2 through the pregnancy!

We're having some trouble with names though, so tell me what you think. We only know that we want the middle name to be Lee (after Brian, his dad, grandpa, great-grandpa...and so on)! Here are a few of the names: Maverik Lee, Drake Lee, Mason Lee, or (our favorite so far) Andon Lee. I think that's such a cute name...my Mom thinks it's girly...give me your opinions please!

I have another ultrasound on July 15 (Katie, I tried to get on your schedule, so if you want to check, they said you were on then...it's at 3:30) I can't wait to see him again, and this time we'll be able to check and make sure that he's developed normally so far...at my last ultrasound it was a little too early (13 weeks) to check everything out. I just hope and pray that he'll be a strong little guy! I promise I will scan those pictures right away (now that I know that it only takes a minute to scan pictures)!

IT'S A.......

BOY!!!

P.S. I will try to scan in the pictures tonight, after I'm done going on my shopping spree!

This One's for You, (you know who you are)

Ok, so after hearing from Leah, that someone (I won't mention names) was a little disappointed in my last post that I didn't make a BIG deal out of having a baby. Here it is. I hope I don't disappoint anymore!




And really, this is not my ultrasound picture (and hopefully I didn't just jinx myself)! I haven't had one yet, but I promise as soon as I get it (May 28) I will surely post it for all to enjoy. I'm anxiously awaiting when I find out what we're having. I think it will make it that much more real. When we went to the dr. I told Brian my biggest fear was that they were going to tell me that I wasn't pregnant. Since I haven't been sick at all, I was really paranoid that I was making it up! I fell very blessed that I haven't been sick, but I am experiencing the ever fun memory lapses (on occasion) and the sleep deprivation (why do I always feel exhausted?) and of course the hourly potty breaks I must take! I'm so excited to be a Mom! Hopefully this post is a little better than the last one. Sorry to disappoint, but it's hard to post at work!

News, news....and more news

I have to apologize for not posting in FOREVER! We seriously have been so busy that it hasn't been on the top of my priority list. Good thing I have absolutely nothing to do at work, so I decided what a perfect time...so sorry I don't have any pictures either. We have so many things that we've done I don't even know where to begin. Let's see, we have been to Moab twice...the first time was over Easter weekend. We decided it would be fun to drive down there and go camping and hiking with Harley and Ace (our two beagles). Incase you don't know, dogs are not allowed in National Parks, so we had to be creative in picking hiking trails that weren't in Arches or Canyonlands. We found one that was called Fisher Towers it took about 6 hours to hike there and back. It was so much fun and Harley and Ace only had one incident where this black lab ran up to them and they weren't expecting it and they got a little territorial. It was weird because Brian's sister has a black lab and they play with her almost everyday. I just think they were a little confused. They did seem to get along with the cutest German Sherpherd (who was probably on his last leg). We also camped with Brian's dad, who just happened to be in Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari.
The next weekend we went to Las Vegas. We went with all of Brian's friends and their girlfriends/fiancees. We went to the Monster Truck Championship...I know! I really didn't think it was going to be very fun and I wasn't really looking forward to the long drive. But I have to say, it is now going to be a family tradition! It was like nothing I've ever been to, but it was so much fun! We really were only in Vegas for 1 day. We didn't get to our hotel until 1am on Friday and then we left around 11am on Sunday. The funniest part of the whole vacation, was when some dude came up to Ryan, Brian's best friend, and asked him if he wanted some "WEEEEEEEEDDD" now you have to say that like you're really stoned, because that's pretty much what it sounded like and the guy followed us for about 1/2 a mile asking us the whole time. I about peed my pants I was laughing so hard!
I'm not quite sure what we did the whole month of April, but I kind of have some memory loss lately! At the end of April we went to Moab again for the "car show". We again went with all of Brian's friends and their girlfriends. Again, this was a guick trip. We left Friday night and came home Sunday morning. We didn't do any hiking, we just went "wheeling" as Brian puts it in his Jimmy. We had a fun time and the weather was perfect. We go to the car show every year and I must say it is always SO hot that I don't enjoy sitting in the hot Jimmy all day with the top off and the sun blaring on me with no wind whatsoever, but this year was perfect. It was around 80 and it was a little breezy, so I loved every minute of it! And Brian's dad came with us so he watched Harley and Ace in the back of the Jimmy the whole time! I loved it.
Then, the next weekend we went again to Las Vegas. This time we went with Brian's family. We went for the Supercross Championship. Again, we go to this every year and I never have much fun...mainly because I don't really care about going to the "pits" and looking at the bikes for hours on end. This year was different though, Brian decided that he didn't want to go to the pits because it's not that fun. So we stayed at our hotel with Brian's parents and sister and nieces. It was fun because we went to the swimming pool and swam the whole afternoon! Well I didn't swim, but I did get to read my book and tan (sunburn) my white legs! We drove to Vegas with Brian's parents and on the way back we decided to take tours of all of the little towns. So it ended up taking us about 7 1/2 hours to get home.
Last but not least, we are really excited for late fall as we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our first baby! We are so excited and can't wait to add to our family. I can't wait for Brian to become a "daddy" seeing him with all of our nieces and nephews and how good he is with them makes me so excited! My due date is Dec. 2, Brian's pretty excited about this too, he thinks it will be cool to have their b-days in the same month. All I can think about is how am I supposed to get Christmas decorations up? And what about the christmas tree? And all the christmas shopping...ahhhhh!! I'm already stressing about it! Hopefully this is a long enough post to satisfy some of you!

A - Attached or single: Attached
B - Best friend: Brian
C - Cake or pie: Cake (but I do love banana cream pie and my moms fresh peach pie...YUMMY)
D - Day of choice: Friday night (just knowing that you don't have to work the next day) or Saturday
E - Essential item: Burt's Bees lip balm...the best ever
F - Favorite color(s): pink, green and brown
G - Gummie bears or worms: Both, bears if you want just a taste of heaven, but worms if you want a little more!
H - Hometowm: Orem or Provo (I grew up all over)
I - Indulgences: Anything that has sugar in it!
J - January or July: July...I'm sick of winter
K - Kids: Hopefully 4
L - Life is incomplete without: My family and the Church
M - Marriage date (if applicable): June 22, 2007
N - Number of siblings: 3, Blake - he's almost 30!! Lance - he's almost 29 and Leah - she's almost 28!
O - Oranges or apples: Apples...I use to eat a whole box in one day with Amy Goodrich when we were little!
P - Phobias or fears: Open water and fish...my fear is Brian dying
Q - Quote: "No sense in being clumsy if you can't show it" - thanks grandpa!
R - Reason to smile: Something really cool...but I can't tell you!
S - Season: Spring and Summer
T - Tag three: I don'tk now anyone to tag...so answer if you'd like
U - Unknown fact about me: I have crooked pinky's
V - Vegetarian or opressor of animals: Opressor of animals (yum, yum)
W - Worst habit: Spending money and not blogging
X - X-ray or ultrasound: I like both
Y - Your favorite food: Any kind of salad and I love pork chops!
Z - Zebra or Elephant: Elephants...they're cool

What the!?!?!?

Ok, so remember the end of my last post about the chainsaw? Well...here is what I ran out to find him doing.

He cut down my tree!! Apparently he didn't like it and I told him he could do whatever he wanted. And get this...the tree isn't even in the backyard, it's on the side of our house next to the drive way. I forgot to take a picture of the tree after it was all cut down. Not to mention that after this picture was taken he told me that he needed my help because he needed to use the ladder to get to the tallest branches. So, I (being the best wife that I always am) went to hold the ladder. Next thing I know he has the chainsaw right above my head and the branch falls right on my arm...AND it wasn't a small branch. So now I have a great huge black bruise on my hand and my wrist is a little swollen (I know!).

Anyway, enough of that (maybe I'll take a picture tomorrow of the stump that's left, and the pile of branches that he just left in the driveway)! I know I haven't posted in like forever, but I decided that I might as well post a whole bunch in one day, and then you can't all get so mad that I don't post everyday! Anyway, we finished the day by going to Mimi's Cafe, neither one of us had ever been. I must say it was quite tasty, and they have the best fresh lemonade I have ever tasted, it reminded my of chic fillet's lemonade. After dinner we made the long trek to REI, which I must say, it was quite a white out at the top of the mountain, you couldn't see 100 ft. in front of you. We finally made it to REI and we looked around for all the camping stuff that we are longing to buy and then Brian let me buy a new backpack!! For those of you who don't know we are also taking up backpacking this year and are now all gung ho about it! So, if any of you would like to go on a backpacking trip with us, let me know, we already have a few planned out! We also saw the cutest backpacks for Harley and Ace...I'm not quite sure they would do any good, but they would be so cute with them on! We finished off the night by going to Brian's parents house and watching Invincible with them. Brian's mom got out of the hospital today after having hip replacement surgery, so we also went over to help get her in bed. It was very fun! Ok, I'm going to end this post (I'm going to read more on landscaping and on trails to go backpacking on)!!

P.S. I can't quite figure out how to post two pictures, I mean I can post two, but I can't figure out how to move them around. Everytime I try to post another picture it just ends up at the top of my page and I can't move it...HELP!

The Joy of Spring

Isn't this the prettiest backyard you ever did see? I know, I know. We let it go to pot last year because, well first off the grass was already really crappy when we bought it, and add to that our two little beagles, and our getting married and all. We just didn't have time, and we didn't want to fix it all up just to have the dogs tear it all apart. So, we are undertaking a HUGE project this year, that is...Landscaping the yard. Little did I know we were apparently starting it today. Here is how my morning has gone thus far... I awoke today to find Brian biting at the bit asking me how we're going to landscape our backyard. HELLO...I just woke up, what is he talking about. I slowly came to my senses and told him that I still needed to consult with the ever fabulous most talented sister in the world (shout out to Leah). He told me that he wanted to start TODAY and that he needed something to do. WHAT?!? I told him that if he would have prepared me for starting our Spring (Summer, Fall, Winter and next Spring) project today, I would have been slightly more prepared. So, I told him to go get me a piece of paper so I could roughly map out our backyard and try to start coming up with something for him to do. He handed me a piece of paper, then told me that he better draw it and up he went to find his ruler. He got back and proceeded to draw (it was WAY off scale) I told him that we probably needed graph paper and to measure the yard, at this comment he gave me a look only Brian can give and handed me the paper and told me that I should draw it then. Needless to say I told him to go out and do whatever he wanted if he really wanted something to do. Well, I think I hear a chainsaw now, so I'll post later.

I'M BACK!!!

So, this is probably going to be a short little blog, because Brian is standing over my shoulder saying that I'm wasting my time and that we need to go do something fun (uh, it's 11:00pm) ...oh, and by the way he just said that blogs are for people who have nothing better to do...WHATEVER!!! Well, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am back in the blogging world...or so it seems. I will try my best though. I will try to post some pictures from our cruise that we just went on, but I don't have time tonight...(apparently Brian would like to teach me about the sons of perdition) making it impossible to pay attention to him and try to blog at the same time...so until tomorrow night (or a night when I have more time)...goodnight and goodbye!!

p.s. thanks Leah for helping me fix my blog...I'm really a blogging idiot!

HELLO!! It really seems like I haven't posted a new blog in FOREVER! I have a lot of updates too...well not a lot, but one really good one! Okay...are you ready for it...

I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!

I'm going to be the staffing coordinator at a specialty hospital in the Riverwoods. I'm excited because not only do I get to leave this awful blankity blank place, but I get to work with my mamacita! I know, I know, some of you who know my mom might think that would be a little overwhelming, but not me! I'm so excited to see her everyday!(not to mention she reads this blog too...) So I love you Mom! And really I'm so excited to work with her, and all of the other people too. I met a lot of them when I went in for my interview and they were all really nice and they seem like they will be fun to be around. I start Oct. 9 which is funny because that's the same day that Brian will start his new(old) job.

I'll fill you in on Brian's new(old) job so your not confused. When Brian first came home from his mission he worked for a plumbing company named PJ's, and he worked there until Dec. of 05. Then he got an amazing offer that he couldn't pass up from a family friend who does Government jobs, so he took that job and has been working there until now. But he's been really frustrated with some things that have been going on and how they treat him, and he's been complaining about it for a long time now. Anyway, about two weeks ago the owner of PJ's called Brian because he really wanted Brian to come back and work for them because they are swamped and he offered Brian another amazing deal, so Brian had decided to go back to his old job!! I'm so excited for him and I hope that he loves working for them...this was truly an answer to both of our prayers!

So, I have to go to a dumb meeting, so I have to go. I hope you all enjoy my blog, even though it's not that great.

Classic Disney

Don't you just love the good ole' disney classics? We just got done watching Aladdin, which I must say is one of my favorite movies, right next to The Little Mermaid. I love it. And it seems that they are still coming out with such good wholesome movies for families. Anyway, not much of a blog this time, but Leah was mad that I didn't have anything knew...but I should be mad at her too since she doesn't have anything new either. I guess I'm just the better sister...

Uh...here it is Leah

I really have nothing to blog, but Leah is upset that I don't have a new blog for today. That must mean she's extremely bored. I shouldn't grant her request since she so rudely hung up on me this morning to talk to Erica...HELLO leah, I'm your sister...just kidding dik, I love you like a sister too!
I know you're all dying to find out how my hair appt. went. Just to let you know, it wasn't that bad. I really like the girl that I go to and last night her husband brought her little boy in, so I played with him while I was waiting for my hair to process. My hair is WAY cute, at least that's what Brian says. Actually, I just think that. All Brian said was "the more blonde you are the darker your face looks, because your face looks really brown right now." I'm not quite sure if that was a compliment or not, but thanks hun!
After I got my hair done I went and hung out with my Dad since my Mom is in Texas right now and my Dad gets lonely when she's gone. So I went and had dinner with him and then I made him watch Dancing with the Stars, The Biggest Loser, and Justice. I'm pretty sure he was in to all of them! After I left him around 9:15pm I went to Brian's church and watched him play basketball. I'm pretty amazed by how good he is. I mean he's no Lance or Blake, but he does his best for being a religious soccer player since he was five. The best part though was watching his dad (he's 71) play and school him! just kidding, that didn't happen. His dad is really good though, I was amazed at how fast and agile he still is for being so old. He also only has 1 eye...I know, it was extremely weird when I first met him. I didn't know where too look, it was a little embarrassing for me, but I really don't even think he noticed.
Anyway, that's pretty much about all I have to say. Oh, I'm going to the Olive Garden tonight!!!! The neverending pasta bowl is back! I've been craving Olive Garden for some time now, so I'm excited that Brian is going to take me out for a little treat. Hopefully, this has entertained you for the mere minute that it took you to read this. Until tomorrow...

I hate rain!

This picture seemed very fitting for the weather today. I'm a little sad that Summer is almost over, it seems that Summer always flys by, but Winter sticks around forever. I'm excited though that Fall is almost here, that means my B-day! Which reminds me, my b-day is one month from today! Just a little reminder for all of you who want to stay on my good side!! Here is my birthday wish-list:
1. Shoes
2. Clothes
3. Winter Coat
4. Winter Boots
5. iPod, any kind
6. Matt and Nat purse (preferrably the tokyo in pink)
7. More Clothes
Here are just a few of what I'm expecting!!! hahaha...don't worry this is the list that I gave Brian, you should have seen his face! Also, Stephanie's wedding is on my Birthday, so congrats Steph, you only have one more month! Hopefully it will fly by for you. And then the next day is my Grandparents 50th anniversary party!
Anyway, back to the weather. I really hate the rain, I can't think of one thing that I like about it. For someone like me who has naturally wavy hair, it really sucks when it rains and you've taken all morning to do you hair and straighten it and then you walk outside and pouf, as soon as a drop of rain touches your poor little head, it looks as though you stuck your finger in a socket. It really sucks. That's why I didn't do my hair today. I've learned by my many chance happenings with the rain that I should never attempt to do my hair when it's raining. I'm also a little mad because I'm getting my hair done today. And I didn't even get to do my hair. So I know that when they go to style it, they're going to style it in an ugly way that I don't ever do to my hair. They do this because they don't know how I usually style my hair, they don't know that I don't like it round brushed or curled with the curling iron, the only way I like my hair is straight. And they're not going to know that because I didn't get to do it because of the STUPID rain.ARRRGH! Just to let you know I do love storms though, but I haven't seen a good lightning storm in some time. That's another reason that makes me upset. What is the point of the rain if there is no lightning? Well, I'm not stupid I know the point of rain, but I just want lightning along with it. That's all I'm asking, and it's not much. But it has yet to happen today. Actually, if it has happened than I wouldn't know, because most of you don't know that I work in a room with NO windows. I know, another thing that really makes me not just mad, but pissed! Why would you stick your customer service reps in a room with no windows? That's a question that I ask myself almost daily. Wouldn't you want to keep us happy? I mean we do talk to rounchy people all day who sit and yell and call us names, and swear at me for nothing. And I don't even get a window...I'm a little pissed about that.
Well, hopefully you've all learned a little something about my life from this blog. I know you'll probably just take out of this that I'm mad at the World today. But I'm not, actually I'm in a very good mood!! In a great mood actually! Peace out!