Updates

So, for those wondering...two months left of pregnancy and I'm feeling great! My biggest complaint would probably be heartburn. And maybe how big I am. I had one lady say to me, "you look ready!" and another lady say, "are you sure there's only one in there?" This kid still has at least another 3-4 pounds to gain! But in all honesty I have a lot to be grateful for. There are still mornings when I feel a little anemic even with taking an iron supplement but it's been so much better than last time. The little guy (no name yet...we'll let you know as soon as we decide) is very active. I started feeling him kick at 14 weeks and he hasn't stopped since. I feel him morning, noon, and night, even during the middle of the night. I feel him when I'm standing, walking, eating, he never stops. It makes me wonder if he ever sleeps...uh oh!

The other news is that we're headed up to Durham tonight for Jake's MBA interview tomorrow. We really feel like it would be good timing if he did this program this year, so wish us luck!!

I looked out the window...

what a crazy surprise!! Blossoms literally popped out over night! It's only on a certain tree, so we're not in full bloom, but it's really pretty. Last year we had a freeze over Easter and it killed my azalea bushes. I hope it doesn't happen again. This little video is a miracle. I've been trying to capture the Rache for months now!

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Uncle Dan and Amy come to visit

On Valentine's Day Uncle Dan and Amy came to visit us here in Charlotte. They left yesterday and are already sorely missed!! Rachel has asked for them at least a dozen times since we dropped them off at the airport. We traveled down to Charleston, South Carolina for the weekend and visited Fort Sumter (where the Civil War began) and admired the beautiful southern homes and had some delicious BBQ. We actually did a lot of eating out while they were here. Rachel especially enjoyed having "chicken nuggets, french fries and lots and lots of ketchup" We also did a tour of NASCAR's Lowes Motor Speedway, where they took us around the track at 80 mph, which was a blast. (They typically go around 180 mph...I can't imagine!) I'm not sure what I'm going to do now without them. I don't know if I can live up to their creativity in all the songs they sang her and how well they played her little game of "what does _______ say?" Naming anything and everything she can think of. Top quality Uncle and Aunt if you ask me!! Rachel's one lucky girl. We all enjoyed having them here.

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Braids and Elephants on Parade

It's been a pretty uneventful week this week. It started with Rachel and a cold and we're now all just getting over it. But last Sunday I did her hair in french braids and was so proud. She wouldn't really let me take a picture, as you can tell. We left early from church because she was sick and so nobody really got to see her either.
On Wednesday there was a circus parade uptown, if you could really call it that though. It ended up being only 2 minutes long with a row of elephants and a row of horses and ponies. Everyone was pretty disappointed. Some people showed up and waited an hour for it. We were all hoping to see tigers in cages and such, the whole Barnum Animal cracker style, you know. Rachel still enjoyed seeing the animals and taking the train though.

I NEVER do these...

But, I had a lot of fun reading everyone else's and I don't have anything else new and exciting to report for this week. Same ol' same ol'. Although, church was cancelled on Sunday, due to a potential snow storm/icy roads. We woke up to a dry sunny morning :) I thought it was just too funny. Especially considering what Utah's getting right now. Anyway, here's something for you to read...only if you want.

1.What is your occupation? Cook, maid, nurse, shopper, toy tester, librarian, play dough artist, singer, dancer, photographer, interior designer…

2. What color are your socks right now? White, I don’t think I own any other color. Is that weird?

3. What are you listening to right now? Silence. The sound of Rachel napping is better than any music to my ears.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Eggs and a Clementine, oh wait, I just snacked on some marshmallows (It’s about time to go shopping again)
5. Can you drive a stick shift? So well you wouldn’t even be able to tell

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Yellow

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My neighbor telling me her daughter wanted to cancel our visiting teaching appointment for tonight. Bummer, that was going to be my dinner. I’m going to have to get creative.

8. How old are you today? 25 years, 8 months and 20 days
9. Favorite drink? Sparkling Pomegranate Juice…has anyone else noticed the big pomegranate craze recently?
10. What is your favorite sport to watch? Probably football
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes once, but brown, real adventurous huh?

12. Favorite Pets? Fig (short for Figaro), my cat. Good thing he’s gone now because my dad would be sending him Fed Ex right now after reading that.
13. favorite food? Anything I don’t have to cook.
14. What was the last movie you watched? My Fair Lady. I had never seen it before and I LOVED IT. I don’t understand how I could have been deprived of it for so long

15. Favorite holiday of the year? Christmas
16. What do you do to vent anger? Call Jake. He’s a good listener but he has a gentle way of calling me to repentance.
17. Favorite childhood toy? That’s hard to pick. My Little Pony, Barbies, Bitsy Bears, Cabbage Patch. I’m so glad they’re all coming back now.
18. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Spring, but Fall is a close second J
19. Hugs or kisses? Depends on who is giving them
20. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries although I don’t eat them plain very often for fear of popping a sour one in my mouth. There’s nothing worse.

21. Who is most likely to respond via blog? ?

22. Living arrangements? A Ranch in south Charlotte on a half acre wooded lot

23. When was the last time you cried? Sunday, a little 5 year old sang “When I am baptized” at her sister’s baptism. I could blame it on pregnancy…but it was just too precious.

24. What is on the floor of your closet? All my maternity clothes. They’re all folded, I just don’t have any hangers left, I should buy some more.

25. Favorite smells? Cinnamon…nothing beats it! I like smells that you can taste too.
26. What did you do last night? Went to mutual and made purses out of placemats...despite the sewing machine troubles, I should go into business.

27. What inspires you? My husband

28. What are you afraid of? In all honesty…getting in a car accident, and Jake doesn’t help that fear either.

29. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheese. And, for all of those In-N-Out lovers, you need to come visit Charlotte and try Five Guys

30. Favorite dog breed? None. I know I may get lots of enemies for this, but they all bark and they all stink.
31. How many years at your current job? 2+
32. Favorite place you've ever been? That’s hard to decide. Italy maybe.
33. How many states have you lived in? 4. Utah, California, New York and North Carolina
34. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
35. Ever driven motorcycle or heavy machinery? Does Jake’s moped count? It’s heavy to me.
36. Who's your favorite NFL team? 49ers. Probably only because I lived in California and that’s who my brother liked growing up.
37. Do you have a house phone that is not cordless? No

SNOW

A "wintry mix" was forecasted for last night. We weren't sure what that meant but we woke up to snow on the ground! When we took Jake to the bus at 7:30 it was already raining and still is. But, the snow lasted long enough for it to get lighter outside and for Rachel to want to go out and play. Since the snow was so dry in Utah I thought I'd indulge her by making a "Frosty Snowman." Although quite wet and dirty, I still think it turned out pretty good. We used about half the snow in the front yard. When I finished Rachel looked at him and was a little distraught...this snowman may look a little different than normal, he's got ears. Rachel had a lot of fun throwing snowballs and admiring her real Frosty, but after a while her hands started to hurt from her gloves being too small. We're not quite equipped this year for this kind of weather.


An hour or so has maybe gone by and our pour man Frosty has already fallen over..."that's sad"

Christmas update

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We had a great 2 week vacation in Utah spending time with family and friends. I hope you enjoy the video. It's back to reality now...and 70 degree weather!