The Final Trip

It has been four years and we never could have predicted what great people we would get to go to school with. Bryan's medical school friends and their wives/kids have been the best and we are so lucky to have met and been able to spend the last four years with them. We decided to make one last trip to Hocking Hills with a few of them to celebrate the end of a great four years.Conkle's Hollow the famous OHIO. We will forever be Buckeye fans that's for sure.
All of the kids. Julia was stuffing as many marshmallows in her face as would fit. I think she had about ten before I could get her to stop.
Julia by the camp fire. I don't think she has had more fun in her entire life. She ran and played so hard that she is still making up for it with sleep. She's lucky to have so many little friends that love to run and play with her.
The whole group. I can't believe we got such a great picture with a camera timer, but I'm so glad we did. I think Hocking Hills is the most beautiful place!

Julia and her dad on our Old Man's Cave hike. I will be honest, we didn't hike very far considering the nine month pregnancy condition of the mother, but Julia loved the waterfalls, bridges and especially the....
TUNNELS!
Roasting marshmallows. Who needs to roast marshmallows when they are obviously so delicious right out of the bag in mass amounts.
Julia's hands and face were completely black by the end of the night. I have never seen such a dirty little girl. I love that she played so hard and had such a great time!
Julia and sweet little "Sissa." They are such good little friends. She is going to just have to stay here and not move to Texas.

The Floor of Death

Bryan decided that since he had time off, he would undertake a home improvement venture. I do believe that he has since decided home improvements are just not for him. But, I am so thrilled with the results! He worked so hard and it looks so good. When I say "he" I mean the amazingly talented friends that came to help him (You know who you are!) We could not have done it without their help. We are so lucky to have such GREAT friends that would come and do that. We also borrowed saws and tools from various people. Thank you to all of those that helped my husband make our house look so nice. I only requested that the floors get done before the baby came and Bryan totally came through for me. I absolutely love it and I am so excited that we don't have to eat over carpet any more. Here is our house torn to shreds. It had to sit like this for a little while until Dave came back from vacation to help Bryan. Julia was very concerned as to what we were doing with the house. She is very glad to have things back to normal.
The ugly and nasty that was underneath the other tile.
The finished result! I am so happy about it. It feels like a brand new house. Thank you Bryan! This is the very best Mother's Day/Birthday present ever!

The Few Last Moments

Since Julia's days as an only child are numbered, we have tried to do some fun and special things. We spent a day at the zoo, and the weather was perfect. We then went and ate lunch and then got ice cream to top the day off. Julia got her own ice cream and they put little gummy eyes on it and gave her a star ring. Even a week later she is still talking about it. She even remembers what color the little eyes were. It has been so great spending a little special time with our girl.

If you look closely you can see the pink and green eyes. You can also see the pink star ring she was given. It is amazing how such small things bring so much joy.
Ah, the chocolate beard. Yummy.
Bryan got a little carried away with all of the ice cream. He couldn't get enough. The waffle cone was mine. I figure at this point I might as well splurge as much as I can.
These are just some cute pictures I took of Julia.

I had to take this picture because this is what our table looks like every single day. Such a girl! I think that the princesses were riding the ponies and they were all going to the store to buy groceries. I love it.

Shower Time!

Yesterday in celebration of our new little one on the way I had a get together with some of my friends. We ate at Panera, chatted and had a great time. I often think about how lucky I am to have such wonderful, supportive friends and I know I do not deserve such great ones. I want to thank all of you that came. You cannot begin to know how much it meant to me and how blessed I am to be surrounded by such wonderful and talented (you know who you are) people. I love you all so much and I am so glad I get to raise my little family with such great examples and friends all around me. You all are the reason I needed to stay in Ohio for four more years and couldn't bring myself to leave!
So many cute girls! Monica, Brooke, Jessica, Kristy, Sarah, Kandice, her mom Kathy and Sarah.
Donna, Melanie, Brittney, Sarah, Tracy, Cara, Kara, Candice and Emily.
My old Children's World Crew. I love that they came to see me, they were so much fun to work with. That was two and half years ago! I can't believe how time flies.
Emily and Ruth (who is having her baby this Thursday, Good luck!!). Thank you again and I had such a great time. I want to especially thank Cara for putting it all together for me! I felt so silly having another shower for another girl, but leave it to such great friends to make it special. Thanks again! You are the best.
I haven't taken but maybe two pictures since I've been pregnant, and I decided the puffy faced in pain picture that always gets taken on your way to the hospital was not the one I wanted to remember. So since I actually got my hair fixed today and peeled myself off my special spot on the couch that the majority of my day is spent, I had Bryan take a picture. I suppose this is my 37.5 week picture. My family has only seen me 18 weeks pregnant with this one, and I didn't want anyone to miss out on my full pregnancy glory. Such a delightfully uncomfortable time.
Julia is not used to pictures being taken of anyone but her, so she is making an appearance. She is carrying a bag from the shower (the one that said NO gifts, but once again too many wonderful friends!) Donna gave her a movie so she wouldn't feel left out and she has been carrying it around in her bag for two full days. It is "her prize". Julia told me that the baby could have all the clothes, very thoughtful of her.

We Did It!!!

Friday was officially Bryan's last day of medical school! I can't believe how fast four years has flown by. I just have to take a little minute and let him know how proud I am. After working graveyard shifts as a CNA all through undergrad, taking that nasty MCAT, applying and anxiously awaiting acceptance letters, getting through independent study and taking so many tests, getting through third year rotations and taking those awful Board exams we made it. I don't think I ever realized how much work it would be, but I also don't think I could have ever realized how much he would learn and grow as a person. It has been such a great journey and I couldn't be more proud. I just can't believe we are finished! Future doctor in the making?
You can tell he's got great skills. I especially love the glasses.

Spring Has Sprung!

It finally came! We have been enjoying every minute of this beauitful spring and are so happy that it's here. I honestly think there are few places as beautiful in the spring as Ohio. The blossom trees and the eighty degree weather have certainly put a smile on my face and spring in my heavy step. We have been spending as much time as possible outside. Bryan planted flowers and we got Julia a turtle watering can to help out with the watering responsibilities. I don't think she could possibly be more pleased. She begs and pleads. Looks like the flowers will be well hydrated this year. We have enjoyed eating our lunch on the deck. I love how excited Julia gets over little things, and eating on the deck for lunch is one of them. She thinks is such a treat and it's something that I enjoy doing with her.
We have been on LOTS of walks. I can't get enough. On the streets where we live they are lined with blossom trees of all colors. I just love the smell when they are all in bloom, how pretty they look lined up along the street and that when the wind blows the little blossom petals breeze through the air. Last year there was an early freeze which killed many of the blossoms. I am so glad that it was not the case this year. Julia outside of her house and me desperately trying to get her to pose for one more picture.

Piano and Princesses

I had my piano recital this week and it turned out so great! I have the best little students and I am just so proud of how well they performed. It always amazes me to see how much they progress from recital to recital. I love these little performers and I have enjoyed teaching them. I have four moving this next week and it makes me so sad to see them go, but I am grateful to have been their teacher and I hope that they keep up the good work and keep in touch! I also really hate pregnancy photos, but we only have 3 1/2 weeks left so ready or not here it comes.
I see you may notice that little Hannah makes an appearance on our blog frequently, but she and Julia have been best little buddies since they were tiny. This is a picture of when I first watched Hannah when she was like 5 months old. They are best of friends and Melanie and I often talk about how much we have loved watching them grow and play together. They are moving here in a few months and I am SO sad to see it happen. I don't know what Julia is going to do without Hannah. We love her so much and have been so lucky to have such good friends. I also don't know what I'm going to do without Melanie! I feel so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life. Melanie and I talk way too long on the phone and she is always willing to listen to me gripe about the terrible twos and the pains of pregnancy and it's so wonderful because she is going through the exact same thing. I wish Arizona wasn't so far away!
Here are the partners in crime playing princesses. They just giggle, dance, sing and act so silly. We went from pretending to be pirates to princesses in a matter of ten minutes. They traded crowns and dresses and have so much fun. Thank you for playing with us Hannah!

I had to post this picture because Julia thought she looked so beautiful on Sunday. I got this dress a while back and she has been begging me to wear it. I don't know why she loves it so much but every time she sees it she hugs it and begs me to let her wear the princess dress. She wanted to put a crown on but we told her that might not work at church. She settled on her new Jasmine glass slippers (her white sandals) and I must agree, she is a pretty princess.

My Week

The most exciting thing this week was getting this...

Hooray! A cell phone finally. We have gone three years without one and since Bryan is going to join the world of employment soon, and after a mix up of picking Bryan up at basketball and going to the wrong place and having no way of getting a hold of one another, we finally got cell phones. I love the pink, even though Bryan thinks it's lame, and it has opened up a whole new world to me. I can get a hold of ANYONE now! It has been great and I think we have appreciated them even more since it has been so long since we've had one.

In honor of spring and the popcorn trees that are showing up with the warm weather we made popcorn trees for playgroup. You can see the kids are doing their popcorn hands. They loved eating the popcorn more than gluing it and I'm pretty sure that a few of them ate popcorn with glue on it, but they had a great time anyways. I am not teaching preschool this year and these poor young kids have to put up with my silly ideas.
We went to the park twice this week. The weather is perfect and I can't help but take advantage. Julia is a miniature Bryan and has no fear of anything. I can't believe all the thing she's willing to try. I was not nearly as brave as a child. So here she is on the fire truck with two of her buddies Hannah and Alyssa.
Other than that, my brother and sister in law had their baby. They named her Jenna Ann, and I am very excited to see her. Congratulations! Bryan's brother and his wife also had a baby this last little bit and they named her Brynlynne. We are so excited for all the new cousins!

Long Long Hair

On Saturday I had some extra time on my hands and I wanted to see how long Julia's hair is, so I straightened it. It was quite the ordeal. She is deathly afraid of the blow dryer so she screamed the entire time I dried her hair. She is also afraid of the flat iron. Luckily she doesn't have tons of hair to work with. I couldn't believe how long it is! She looked so much older to me and after I did it I was afraid I had jinxed myself and her hair would no longer be curly. But, after her nap the curl was back. I couldn't even keep her hair straight for a full day, which I'm totally okay with. I LOVE her curls.


Back view. Can you believe how long it is!? I haven't ever cut it and I wonder if I should. I have this fear that I will cut the curl off. So until then it's going to keep growing and growing.

Shocking I Know

Well it's a miracle. I actually decided I wanted to make something and it turned out pretty good! As many of you know, I am not a crafty person. I just struggle with being patient and I don't have the patience to make things look nice. But every once in a while I'll see something that I think I might be able to pull off and every once in a while I do. So anyways my very great friend from good ol' Evanston is one of the most creative and crafty people I know-you should check out her blog. She just recently posted instructions to make baby leg warmers. I have seen these little leg warmers and I think they are the cutest and I didn't want to spend very much on them. Well, I don't own a sewing machine, but I decided I would do it anyways. So I ran to Target and got the knee high socks for little girls and snip snip sew sew-it actually worked for me. I was later glad that I hand sewed the little leg-warmers because if you sew it too tight they won't fit over the little one's feet. Anyways, it was the perfect no piano lesson Friday activity and I was able to make two pairs for Julia and the next little baby. So maybe I am on my way to being domestic after all!
Julia was shocked at my achievement as well. I wanted her to model them for me yesterday but she wasn't up to it. But in the morning when she has "lion hair" as we call it and her too small pj's on she is more than willing. We are modeling one of each of the little leg warmers and I must say I am excited to put some on my chubby little new baby's legs. So here's our homage to the eighties and the come-back of leg warmers. Now we're off to watch Conference...

Happy Birthday Bryan

Bryan turned the big 28 yesterday and we did some major celebrating. Actually, we just had presents, a mediocre cake and went out to dinner-but in my book that's pretty major. I did take the time to blow up balloons which Julia thought was big times. She was more excited about everything than Bryan was. She couldn't wait to help him open his presents, until she discovered they were just clothes and an Oral-B toothbrush head replacement. Those don't provide great excitement for a two year old.
"Oh, it's just clothes daddy." That's about all we heard when Bryan opened his presents. I need to really try to get more creative in my gifts. I don't know about other husbands out there, but Bryan is sooooo hard to buy for.
Here is the cake. I never get very creative in my cake making and I figure we will only eat a third of it anyways and throw the rest away, so this is what you get. Bryan loves chocolate cake with the coconut frosting. Julia was stoked about the cake but really mad at me when I put "that stuff" on top. We had daddy blow out the candles and then had to light a couple for Julia to blow out as well. We are so lucky to have you Bryan! You deserve all the birthday wishes in the world.
We went to dinner with some friends and Julia and Zach played with the car. Could they be any cuter? Thanks Dave and Kristi for such a fun night! Having so many friends move away soon makes me very sad.

So in my celebration of Bryan's birthday I was trying to find some awkward picture of Bryan in his younger years, and his mom has most of his pictures so I couldn't find any (he says that is because there aren't any, but lets get real, we all have awkward phase pictures) but I didn't have any trouble finding MANY pictures like this one...
I have often wondered what poor Bryan would say if he had to travel back in time to when this poor girl was in fourth grade and was told this was the girl he was going to marry. As you can see, the boys were all about me. I must say the pink high tops, tight flower print leggings, over sized purple coat with the awesome blue scarf, extra large red glasses and super frizzy bangs would win anyone over. My mom always tells me, "That was the style back then, you were so cute." But I have years of laughing and teasing from three older brothers that tell me otherwise. The truly unfortunate thing, is this is actually not the worst. My hair was soon to be chopped and braces were soon to be placed upon those uncommonly large teeth. So happy birthday Bryan. Your true birthday present is that my really awkward phase only lasted until the end of middle school, early high school. Oooh, our poor girls are doomed.