Great Weekend!

Oh my! This last weekend was so fun. :)

Bryan and I headed out for a movie date Friday evening - I really wanted to see "The Words." We nabbed Aunt Becca to babysit and drove off for some nice couple time. It was wonderful to spend some quality time with my hubs. Gotta say I just adore him. Seeing as how I'm pregnant and always tired, we headed straight home when the movie was over. (it was pretty good, by the way.) We pulled up to a quiet looking house, everything seemed as we left it. We walked in and could tell that Ellinor was asleep (score!) because of how quiet it was. This ALWAYS makes my night. :) When we got upstairs Becca was just watching some TV and I started in on the usual questions; how was she? what time did she go down? Within a few seconds a head popped out of Ellinor's Lion King tent!! I was surprised and shocked to see Andrew climb out of the tent. HAHAHAHAHA. I screamed so loud that Ellinor woke up, of course. And then the tears started - because what extra hormonal lady could be surprised with a visit from her brother without being brought to tears?! IT WAS THE BEST! Apparently my entire family knew about this planned visit and had kept the secret extremely well. I was absolutely caught off guard and loved it!

We had a party that night - meaning that Ellinor stayed up for a couple of hours after that while we all caught up. Poor Becca had to head home early because of work the next morning, but I enjoyed catching up with Andrew.

Bryan and I had planned on taking Ellinor to the zoo on Saturday, so Andrew gladly joined the crew and we took off on our adventure. It was the perfect day to be there! Not too many people, great weather and awesome company. Ellinor did really well for the first 1.5 hours, then became quite grumpy as nap time quickly approached. She has been to the zoo before but was much more interested in people watching last time around. And this time she decided she was afraid of most of the animals - she wouldn't let us get too close to their exhibits without freaking out. Not sure where she picked that up, but it added an interesting dynamic to visiting the zoo - since the point is to look at animals. LOL. She loved the seals though, so it wasn't all a bust for her. :)

Bry was offered tickets to the ReAL Salt Lake soccer game Saturday night by his boss, so we threw that into the schedule. We stopped at Cafe Rio on the way home from the zoo, because sustenance was badly needed, then headed home for a quick nap/rest before driving back north to the game. Ellinor was well rested when we got home since she zonked out on the car ride, but she was entertained enough with the ipad for Bry and I to lay around for about half an hour. Then we geared up and got our cheer on at the soccer stadium in Sandy.

Since we had 4 tickets to the game we asked my cousin Jeff to join us. It was great seeing him! I was dubious about whether I'd really enjoy the game, as soccer isn't my thing. But there is something about being in the crowd - not to mention our AMAZING seats. You can't help but get excited and proud for your team. It was mucho fun! Ellinor was an angel and did so well! Nothing like the Bee's game experience not too long ago. ;) Needless to say, we were all pooped that night.

Sunday was a nice respite and we just enjoyed each other's company. Ellinor loves her uncle Andrew - he is too wonderful with her. The funniest thing all weekend was watching Ellinor interact with Andrew's dogs - he has two mini pinschers (super cute and sisters). She wouldn't talk to them in her normal voice. It had to be high pitched squealing and yelling, which of course terrified the little things. Oh, so entertaining. The poor dogs will probably be scarred for life, but our little girl sure loved them. :)

Becca and Nick joined us for a game night Sunday and we enjoyed a few rousing rounds of "Pass the Popcorn" and "BS." - good family fun. Haha. I LOVE having family around. It just boosts my mood like nothing else can. I really wish the rest of our family could have joined us - but I will take whatever I can get when I can get it. :) Andrew left Monday morning back to his real life. :( It was sad to see him go. Love him to death. I am so grateful that he showed up to surprise me for the weekend. It was the most amazing. Love you Andrew!!

Here are some pics:

Uncle Andrew, Ellinor and myself

Outside the seal exhibit - Ellinor wasn't exactly in a posing mood. 

Loving the game

Her favorite thing all evening - standing on Daddy's feet to see over the wall

Because I love them

We all look interesting in this one - candid shot!

Great seats!

Family pic in front of the giant elephant

Music - My Love

I just love music!! You can't possibly be anything but happy when listening to it - unless you've picked some incredibly sad song, but then you're bringing it on yourself. Haha. Ellinor and I boogie on down every day. My current obsession is the new Matchbox 20 album. LOVING it. I would suggest you check it out if you haven't stumbled upon it already.

There are just some days where everything seems to be going right and the smile physically cannot leave your face. Today just happens to be one of those days. I am loving my life. Sure, I still have plenty of worries and stresses (for my little family and extended), but today I am focusing on how wonderful things are. I have a handsome, kind, loving husband. A beautiful, spunky little girl. And a darling little baby on the way.

I took a 3 hour nap yesterday and then slept for almost 9 hours last night. Yes, I have been TIRED. And Ellinor has cooperated quite well. While she is awake she is absolutely crazy with energy - everlasting energy. Not going to lie. It takes all I have to keep up with her. I don't want to just lay on the couch all day - I want to play! But oh man, it's exhausting. However, come nap time or bed time she is pretty darn awesome. Grateful for this trait of hers. I need all the sleep we can get now in preparation for the total lack thereof this spring. :)

Have I mentioned that being pregnant makes changing diapers super challenging?! I swear the smell is about to kill me. I haven't been overly sensitive to smells just yet, but for poor Ellinor. Haha. I have to buck up all my strength each time there's a number 2 to be tackled. TMI? Sorry. ;)

Craving some projects to do! Bryan and I are itching to attack our to-do list regarding this house. We are picking one to go for in October. We have also finally decided on the type of flooring we are going to do in our kitchen and the 3 bathrooms - bring on wood-grain porcelain tile! It's amazing stuff - you can the tile to look exactly like any type of wood flooring you desire. Very cool sauce. So, bring on the DIY! Now to just wrangle the funds. ;)

Exciting News!

We are having another baby!!! :) 

Bryan and I are so excited to announce our newest addition due to debut April 9th 2013!! Here he/she is (taken at 7 weeks):

I have had to be so careful the last couple months when writing other posts to not let the news slip - just wanted to wait a bit and make sure everything was coming along well. We are certainly thrilled to be blessed with this baby. I just know Ellinor will be the best big sister in the entire world. The only hiccup will be making sure she doesn't love the baby TOO much. Hahahaha. I can just picture her sharing her toys and wanting to carry her new sibling all over the place. 

This pregnancy has already been so different from my last one. I have had a lot more nausea this time around, an appetite that won't be around for days and then show up with a vengeance and my energy level has been pretty pitiful. But, things are starting to get easier. I can avoid nausea if I eat regularly - now I just wish I could make it through the night without having to pee so much! LOL! I'm trying to keep myself working out regularly - at least 4 times a week. Especially since my comfort food items seem to be ice cream, pretzels and pasta. Oh yes - good stuff. 

Ellinor obviously doesn't know what's going on just yet. We talk about the baby and how he/she gets to come live with us. She will also rub my belly when I mention saying "hi" to baby. Too funny - I have a feeling that even when baby is here she will still rub my belly when that word is said. I'm positive she will adjust perfectly though. It's bittersweet to know that the days with just our baby girl are coming to an end. There is something so dear to me these days about one-on-one time with Ellinor. I know things will change when this new baby is here, but the addition to our family will bring so much love and happiness. 

Bryan and I are trying to prepare ourselves for the circus that our house may become those first few months. I have heard that having one kid is like none, but 2 is like 20. Not sure how the balance will be affected in our home, but I'm excited for the challenge. Bryan is really crossing his fingers for his baby boy. I would love to have a boy for him, but I'd be just as happy with a healthy, bouncing baby girl too. 

Looking forward to recording our lives as we take on this new adventure. Feeling blessed!

Just a Tuesday Morning

                                                                 I LOVE THIS GIRL!!!

Ellinor is currently trying to play the guitar and dance at the same time. She woke up this morning and gave me the biggest squeeze ever. She refused her eggs and bananas for breakfast then begged for animal crackers. Her hair is just too crazy to describe. We watched some 'Little Bear' then decided TV wasn't very fun. She is my bestest little buddy. Our days may by pretty uneventful at times but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Sometimes I look back on my life and get nostalgic for various times - maybe thinking about how I might have done things differently, even. But then I'm reminded that every choice I made brought me here. How could I want to change them?!

Thinking about changing my hair up - just not sure what I want to do. I'm too chicken to go short. I wouldn't bother with extensions. I guess color is about all that's left.....and I don't want anything with crazy upkeep. Maybe I'll just stay the same. Haha. I should at least paint my nails or something - girl it up a bit. My poor husband. I'm hardly as cute as I used to be. He would never agree to that statement. And that's why he's so wonderful. :)

Peed On

Today I've been peed on. Our AC broke the week we left for Redding and we haven't had it looked at yet, since summer weather is coming to a close. But, the house has been warm enough that I let Ellinor run around in just a diaper for a couple hours each day to stay cooler. Well, her diapers have this wonderful habit of moving - A LOT! I don't know if it's Ellinor's particular style of gymnastics or the diapers themselves, but the situation leads to some 'gappage.' Last week she was sitting on my lap about to Skype my parents when I felt the wetness trickle on my toes. I was shocked at first because it's been months since I've been peed on, but I couldn't deny that it had just happened. OK - no big deal. One rare occasion isn't something to think too much about. Then this morning I was trying to get mud out of Bryan's white shorts (a totally different meaning of being 'peed' on when everything you try doesn't seem to be working) and Ellinor shoved her cute little hands into the detergent/bleach water. OY. So we went to the kitchen to wash her up and as I lifted her small self to the sink out came the pee. I am totally over it now. Why so much pee action these days? Is she too big for her diapers? Or can she really not be left in just that - perhaps the pants are absolutely needed to keep the guard in place. LOL - anyhoooo, just another joy of motherhood. :)

Trying to think of something creative and fun for the two of us to do this afternoon. My brain is coming up short - perhaps I need a Diet Dr. Pepper to help things along. It may be one of those days. ;)

"What More Can I do That is Right?"

We had Regional Conference today for church - all 146 stakes in Utah County tuned into the same broadcast. Bry wasn't feeling well today so he stayed home with Ellinor and I headed out to the stake center - 25 seconds from our house. I was exhausted this morning so the prospect of a 2 hour meeting wasn't all that appealing, but I am so incredibly grateful that I attended.

We heard from some great speakers with truly wonderful messages. They included the importance of temple attendance, living the true spirit of our religion, teaching our children in the home and focusing on family prayer and study, remembering that we are children of Heavenly Father and acting accordingly, and so on. All good stuff that we really never can get enough of. :)

Elder Dallin H. Oaks was our concluding speaker. While the meeting was being broadcast from the Marriott Center at BYU, it felt as though Oaks was right there in the stake center with us. The spirit that an Apostle of the Lord brings to any meeting is irrefutable. He spoke about the importance of choosing the Lord's way over the world's way, and not being afraid of the world's reaction to us when we do. In our busy lives, with influences screaming at us from every turn, we should not lose focus on the things of Eternity. Choosing to live the Lord's way will indeed be easier for us than living of the world. At the end he stated, "Do your best then Trust in the Lord." I've heard this quote before and it will always be one of my most favorites.

Sometimes I think we need a reminder of how important our decisions in this life are. I need to do better at putting my relationship with Heavenly Father and the Savior first. I know that as I do so everything else will naturally fall into place. The balancing act that is life will not be so daunting. Elder Oaks' wife said the above quote, "What More Can I Do That is Right," as a question we should consistently ask ourselves and ask our Heavenly Father in prayer. If that becomes what we strive to do each day we can do no wrong.

I'm grateful for the Gospel in my life. I'm grateful for the teachings of faith, love, patience, service and endurance. During this time of political strife and other upheavals that seem to divide us in this country and world, it is important to remember that brotherly/sisterly love transcends all boundaries. Heavenly Father looks at us all as children - if only we were better at doing the same.

My goal for this week - ask this in prayer each day.

Unpacked

Well, we made it home from Redding safe and sound. The drive felt twelve times as long coming home than it did making our way out of town, but I'm sure that's the norm for most of us. Ellinor was a super baby during the drive - I swear, easiest kid ever. Those last few hours were met with some spare tears and a few whines but that was easily remedied. The final 45 minutes of the drive she resorted to licking her feet and crazy alien talk, but so did I in my own way. ;)

Redding was enjoyable! It was wonderful to get out of UT for awhile. It was nice and hot, sunny every day and just what you hope for when in CA (minus the beach). My in-laws are amazing hosts - our every need and whim was taken care of. They really are great to stay with. The grandparent/granddaughter bonding was in full swing and I'm grateful that Ellinor gets to have such a relationship with her grandparents on both sides. It's an amazing feeling to know that your child is loved so incredibly.

The Fosters have a pool at their current home and we frequented it about every day. Bry loves to swim, especially when it's just so HOT outside, and we guessed that Ellinor would love it also. We were not wrong. That girl is a FISH! All we had to do was say the word 'swim' and she was instantly excited. Running to the door that led to the backyard, ready to go. Her favorite thing to do in the pool was have Bry push her around while she was on her stomach - she literally made motor boat noises the entire time they were moving. Not sure where she picked that tid bit up, but it was adorable! I went in the pool a couple of times, but resorted to sitting on the edge with my feet in most of the days. It was a tad chilly in the water - and I'm not a fish at all. Water and I have a love/hate relationship, so we keep it superficial. Haha.

It was nice to hang out with Lexi for a few days before her big MTC report date. Lexi was absolutely ready to hit the road running and we couldn't be more excited for this adventure she is on. I know she will do a lot of good and meet plenty of great people. We are excited to send her packages and keep her in the loop of our little family.

It has been nice to come home and get all unpacked. There is something about having everything back in order that just calms my soul. Some may classify my habits as OCD-related, but my physical well-being is definitely linked to the state of my home and life. I have spent these last two days unpacking, cleaning and organizing. Bry laughs because the house was in great shape already when we got home (I made sure to clean before leaving town), but I notice the difference 100%. Having a week off from the work was wonderful, but it's part of me to clean and organize. It's true - maybe I'm a bit crazy.

Tonight Bry and I decided to move the TV out of our bedroom. The main reason being that we wanted a bigger TV for the upstairs living room and have no desire to spend the money on another one. So, now we are semi unplugged in our room. It's for the best. We don't need to be dependent on TVs all through the house - it's not the best thing for us to watch as much as we do anyhow. I'm predicting that we will sleep better without the distraction. Now I have to figure out another way to fill the empty wall in our room. Thinking some shelving and a large art piece of some sort.

Today felt a little like fall as it cooled down pretty quickly this evening. I'm so excited for fall and the holiday season this year. Not sure if it's because Ellinor is older and will be able to enjoy the experience more fully, or if I am extra festive this time around. Either way - bring on the festivities!

Macaroni and Cheese

Can I just say that sometimes all I want is a giant bowl of Mac & Cheese??! I LOVE it - not every day of course, but more frequent than I like to admit. I've decided that if I'm working out regularly why not let myself enjoy a little bit of cheesy goodness here and there?

Bry's birthday is tomorrow - the big 27! The both of us can't get over how old we are feeling. Hahaha. It's just that we've been married 5 years this Dec, have a beautiful little girl and feel very much adult these days. Time has sure flown. We are driving home tomorrow, so Bry gets to spend his special day on a road trip. What a lucky guy. ;)

I will be posting a more substantial post about our vacation once we are settled back home and I have a spare few minutes. Even blogging takes energy that I can't seem to muster much of these days. Fingers crossed for a safe drive home!