That's What I'd Call a Successful Weekend

So, AJ and I decided to take a little vacation this past weekend. We had been talking about making a trip down to Salt Lake area to check out some of the baby stores we don't have around here, as well as Ikea.

AJ called and made reservations at Hotel Mathers (his sister's house) and we left Friday around 3ish. We hit up Ikea on our way down. They had some really decent cribs for good prices, but they weren't my dream crib, so we held off. Besides, we wanted to see what some of the other stores had. We did splurge on a lingionberry juice and a cinnamon roll though. We had to stop at Chadder's for a burger and fries for dinner too. We spent Friday night with AJ's sister Jewelia and her family. The first thing we had to do when we got there was go see their chickens. And the new chicken coop they were building; which, by the way, is finished now and looks just fabulous. We eventually made our way to American Fork and our hotel reservation. We watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy with Tavia and then went to bed.

We got up Saturday morning and went to breakfast at Chris and Jewelia's... it was delicious! They continued working on their new chicken coop while I... napped on the couch. I thought about going out and helping, and was even about to, but I started feeling kinda icky and that then led me to my little nap on the couch. I really am soo ready to not be pregnant anymore. Less than 100 days left! =]

After they finished what they could on the chicken coop (a run to Home Depot halted the progress) AJ and I went and hit the stores we had wanted to. Baby Depot inside Burlington Coat Factory had a gorgeous crib/changing table combo... but was waay out of our price range. We did find a cool portable crib that we wrote down in our memo pad for future reference. It was kinda cool and would definitely have been a space saver. We decided that we could probably get a full sized crib from Ikea for about the same price and we'd rather do that. It was still pretty neat though. We had lunch reservations at Tucano's.... oh my... soo delicious. And you just have to get some of the grilled pineapple every time it comes around. After we ate our guts to the incredibly full level, AJ and I went and found Babies R Us and we went and cashed in a raincheck we had at Shopko. We also went to Wal-Mart... the funny story here: when we walked in the store it was drizzling a little, but when we came back out it was raining fairly hard. Harder than I realized. We walked out the doors on the opposite end of the parking lot. I hadn't zipped up my jacket, just pulled it around me. By the time we got to the car, I had a big wet spot... all across my baby belly. And that was it! Apparently it stuck out more than everything else. It was kinda funny.

We went back to Chris and Jewelia's and the rain had stopped just long enough for them to finish the chicken coop. It turned out great. They moved the chickens from their box in the garage out to their new house. We hung out with them for a while and made our way back to Seth and Tavia's for the night.

We got up the next morning, and ate some scrumptious waffles for breakfast... Thanks Seth! Then we headed to church. I'd woken up with a super stiff back and Sacrament Meeting was about all I could handle. AJ took me back to Tavia and Seth's and I spent the next two hours with a hot rice bag on my back... and napping yet again. Seems like I do that a lot... We ate when Seth and Tavia got home and then hung out for a little while. Seth had to take a nap... he works nights. Tavia, AJ and I went over to Chris and Jewelia's for dinner. It was also very delicious... we ate fantasically this weekend. We played a few rounds of Rummikub (AJ and I even won one) and a couple rounds of Yahtzee (I also won one of those... not that I kept track or anything =] ). Seth came over for a while before he had to head into work. We all eventually left, Seth for work and AJ, Tavia and I for her house. AJ and I started a movie, but called it quits before we both fell asleep.

We got up Monday, finished some shopping, and AJ found a couple of Wii remotes he wanted to look at. We did that and then left and made our way back to home, sweet home.

So, what made this weekend so successful? Well, we came back with a crib, a walker, a swing, a pack 'n play (our Shopko raincheck purchase) and two more Wii remotes and nunchucks. Three of them were hand-me-downs, and the others we didn't pay full price for. We'd sure call that success. However, we did fail at one thing: we didn't take a single picture while we were down there. Sad face. Maybe I'll have to take some pictures of our fabulous finds...

Happy Birthday...

... to AJ! Yesterday my dear husband celebrated his 25th year of life. He got up early and saw his parents off (they spent the night on their way back home to Northern Idaho), went running and came home and showered. By then, I was ready to rejoin the land of the living. We ate breakfast and then played us some Wii. He kicked my tushie at golf, but then I got a little payback when we played tennis. We both did the fitness score rating: AJ is a fitness level of a 39 year old... and I'm 59! AJ consoled me with the idea that it really meant a pregnant 39 year old. But it was more a test of coordination... and neither one of us are real strong in that area (even when I'm not pregnant I'm pretty clumsy). It was still fun though. We had been talking about grilling some hamburgers for a few days and all the talk just made me want them even more. So, we finally decided to do that for dinner. We invited some friends over and had dinner together. It was pretty delicious. We hung out with our friends for a while, but Russ works nights... they left around 8pm so he could get a little sleep before he had to go to work. AJ and I had another Wii tournament. We took our fair share of wins and losses. And then drowned ourselves in fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream and some amazing brownies. Thanks, Ashley, for the brownies! AJ didn't want me to make him a cake, he's trying to get his running time down and said we didn't need a whole cake sitting around... I had to agree there. We finally went to bed... and AJ said he had a great birthday.

AJ's "cake"... that I admittedly ate most of...

Sequence of AJ blowing out his candle...

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Baby Quilt

I finally finished the baby quilt I started last Friday night. The edges came out a little less than professional-looking, but it works and I'm ok with it. It doesn't look awful, but it's not as perfect as I might have hoped. In fact, AJ was going to rip the seam out until his dad talked him out of it. If it works, it's good enough. I need to wash it now, to make sure all the ties are in tight and to fluff the batting a little. It was quite the project (especially seeing as I had no idea what I was doing really, I just kinda made it up as I went), but I'm very happy with the way it turned out. Hopefully, the little bean will be too.

After I tied it, before I finished the edges.

All Done!

The Back.
We were a little worried that the back would be a weird color when
compared to the front, but it turned out alright.

We Did It...

It seems I've been slacking on keeping our blog updated. Usually our lives are so boring there isn't much to write about. Well, here goes:


So, we did it. We are now the proud, and somewhat sore, owners of a Nintendo Wii. AJ found one on Craigslist, complete with a few games, that was in our price range. So, for FHE on Monday we drove up to Idaho Falls and picked it up. We spent less in gas than we would've in a store on sales tax. The games weren't really ones we wanted, so we traded those in for store credit at at local game store. We've been playing the last few days and we both woke up a little sore today. But, it's been a lot of fun and we think it was worth it.

What a Weekend

Well, I guess our little story begins when Travis called and needed AJ's help to move a dishwasher. We went over there and did that. While AJ was in the midst of that, he got a phone call reminding him that he'd volunteered to help with security that night. The school district here has a night up at the university museum that kids 8-10(ish) can go and spend the night in the museum. This year they had a science theme. A physics professor did a demonstration of some cool science experiements and such. They then split into groups and went to different departments and learned about jobs and such. AJ was a little disappointed he got stuck in the Physician's Assistant group and not with the guys doing a laser presentation.

So, while AJ spent friday night at the museum guarding little kidlets, I was determined to get a good portion of my next project done: making a baby quilt. I found a quilt panel that I absolutely adore and some flannel to back it with. I ended up spending more on it than originally planned, but I am a lot happier with the way it's turning out than one that we found already prequilted at the store. I spent hours and hours bent over this quilt cutting the batting to fit, measuring out the ties and marking them and then actually tying it. All without quilting frames! Ahh. Needless to say, I was pretty sore the next day... and even more so the day after. So much I couldn't even get out of bed! Ah, but I convinced AJ he should rub my back to help with the soreness and stiffness. And it did. He's such a stud. There will be more to come on the quilt... but it's not finished yet.

So, it has finally started to warm up a little here (actually the last few days have been absolutely gorgeous, i'm just afraid to jinx it). We decided that the nice weather wasn't something we could pass up. We headed to the park, met some friends and played some disc golf. Well, they played and I walked the course with them. I'm awful at throwing a frisbee of any shape or size and with as sore as I was from being bent over that quilt the entire night before (it really was all night, I didn't go to bed til about 6am) I decided it would be better for all involved if I just observed. However, I was able to get some neat shots of AJ and his mad skills. =]

Here's to hoping the weather stays gorgeous!

Quick Update

So, yesterday we got 4 new fishies for our tank, an algae eater and 3 silver fish... i don't remember what they were called. They have black spots on them and these long, skinny "feeler" type things that come from their lower fins. The cool thing about these fish though, is that they breathe air. They have to surface every so often and suck in air. It's pretty wild.

We also went down to Grace for FHE. My dad was in Logan yesterday for work and we all met in Grace for dinner and FHE. It was good to see everyone again. The highlight of the night, besides seeing family of course: my aunt is visiting from Arizona... and she brought her Wii. We all took turns playing bowling after the FHE lesson. I'm not good at all in real life, and so wasn't expecting much. I didn't disappoint, but it was more enjoyable than real bowling. I didn't have to wear icky, smelly shoes... and the 8 oz Wii remote didn't tweak my wrist like a 10lb bowling ball does. =] AJ and I have been thinking about one... and last night I think they sold him on the idea. We'll have to see if we have money for one, but it would definitely be a lot of fun. And might be how I can lose all this baby weight after the wiggle worm is born. Sadly, I'll only have about a month of semi-decent weather after delivery and recovery to lose the excess weight and I be much more likely to do something like this as opposed to running outside or going to a gym. I'm not a graceful exerciser and so the 'privacy of my own home' has some appeal. We don't have a final word yet, but we'll keep you posted... hehehe.

We went to the doctor today... everything seems to be going well. I finally gained a little weight... about 5 lbs in the last two months. Which beats the weight loss I had last time. Little baby is getting bigger, as is the ever-expanding belly. I can't wait to be able to roll over in bed again. And stop bumping into things.

Anyways, that's a quick update.

Random Ramblings of the Bored

Welcome to my ramblings. This post doesn't really have any pertinent information in it. Mostly, I'm just bored and randomly mumbling whatever comes to mind. You have been warned, so don't feel bad if you actually do read all of this and then wonder what the point was... there really isn't one.

So, very little has happened lately. Other than the normal complaints of pregnancy, which is getting a little old and boring on some days, there's not much to be unhappy about. AJ has decided on a color for his bike... but I'm not gonna spill the beans just yet. In case he changes his mind... or it doesn't turn out like he hopes.

In order to stave off the baby boredom, I've come up with a few projects to entertain myself with. The only hang-up now is convincing myself to actually do them. Some of them I actually have started and a few I've actually completed. The curtains I made for the living room need a little tweaking. AJ isn't really excited about them... he thinks it makes our house feel like a dungeon. I like them because they make me feel like I can open the blinds and not have the entire neighborhood staring at me all day and night long. And if I want to watch a movie and not have a glare from the window on the TV screen, I just shut the curtains. They do what I wanted them to and I think they keep our lower level warmer than it used to be. We've got such awful drafts around our window and the back door. So, fixing those are my project this weekend during conference while AJ's at Drill. That and adjusting all of my clothes that don't fit. Hemming up my pants, mostly. Story of my life.

I've gone through my clothes and pulled out the ones that don't fit anymore... now I just have to find somewhere to store them until I can wear them again (hopefully... someday, maybe). I've also washed all of the baby's clothes that we have accumulated so far. I have to find somewhere to store them too until we actually start setting up his little domain. I think we've decided to keep him in our room for the first little while. It's just so convenient to have a guest room when people come visit. We're not quite ready to give that up and AJ has too much Army and computer stuff for us to move all that out of our other spare room. We'd have no where to put it. So, unless we put our baby in the hallway... or the bathroom? or worse yet, the linen closet?... looks like our room is it. For now anyway.

So, there you have it. I'm finally caught up on laundry. Most of it is folded and put away. There are a few things in the dryer still and a basket of little baby boy clothes that need attention, but all in all, not too bad. I made potato salad from scratch today. Not really hard, but I'd never done it before. It didn't turn out too bad, if I may say so myself. AJ ate it, so I guess I'm still earning my keep around here. There is a delicious strawberry dessert chilling in the fridge (at least I'm assuming it will be delicious). I'd call it a full day. =] Especially when you consider I slept funny on my neck so it's sore... and my back is killing me.

Oh, and I've planned a sunny vacation we'll probably never take. Complete with gas mileage calculations, hotel accommodations, and attractions. Like I said, it probably will never happen, but hey, it gave me something to focus on rather than wallowing in these pregnancy blues. It doesn't hurt to dream... as long as you can differentiate and accept reality. The sunshine sure would be nice though...

AJ's Newest Project

So, there hasn't been much excitement around here lately. I guess the big news lately is that AJ has undertaken the task of repainting his motorcycle. It's a far more complicated process than I would've imagined and a bigger project than I probably would've undertaken... especially, since he's done it before. He knew how much work it was going to be. Crazy man! But, as he pointed out, he does have more time than money right now. And I think he was getting bored and needed a project.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous last weekend. And so the bikes were out and about. No way AJ was going to miss out on the opportune moment. During one ride, AJ noticed a weird noise while stopped at a stoplight. He noticed some anti-freeze on the garage floor once at home and decided to check that out. He discovered that the cooling fan that kicks on at a specific temperature, (I don't know what it is, but it's pretty warm... well, maybe not for a running engine... anyways), the fan had kicked on and had chewed into the radiator on that side. Sad day. He checked into replacing it ($350... ouch!) and repairing it ($55-$100... still ouch, but bearable). His parents are coming through on their way to Vegas sometime next month so maybe his dad can help him repair it for a fraction of the $55. The bad news: He can't ride until that gets fixed. The good news: it snowed again on Sunday. And it hasn't been real warm since. Not exactly motorcycle riding weather.

The "Before" Shots. There aren't any pictures of it, but the left side has several areas where the paint peeled and the gray primer is showing through. There are also some stickers on the gas tank that he's not so crazy about.

He's begun sanding all the old paint off and almost has that all done. He's found that when the previous owner wrecked it, it was a worse wreck than he'd realized and not really put back together as good as it could, or should, have been. So, he's been doing so light maintenance and repair on that.

AJ leaving on his motorcycle for a week in Boise.

No word on what color this new project will result in yet. He hasn't decided, although he's got a few ideas and possibilities. It's been a good project for him. It's something he cares enough about that he's doing a good, thorough job and will stick with it until it's done to his standards. The only downside: he spends time in the garage, sanding instead of on the couch with me, cuddling. Hahaha. To entertain myself, I've finished my curtain project. We now have curtains hanging in our bedroom, over our backdoor, and ones that are finished and ready to hang in our family room.

On to the next project... hemming all my maternity pants... [sigh]. You can only wear the same two pairs of pants so many times a week and none of the others fit anymore. Oh, and decorating the nursery. Or at least deciding how to...

One of those beautiful Idaho sunsets. Kodak moment.
Maybe AJ should be a freelance photographer... =]

Elder Andrew's Address

Just really fast... I have Andrew's new address in Texas. He is in the Austin, TX zone and more specifically Ceder Park, TX. If anyone is interested in writing him, let me know and I will pass the address on. He sent quite a detailed email to Mom and Dad, and they passed it on. He seems to be doing well, and has had quite the eventful past five days. He is learning lots and enjoying this new adventure. He has already realized that Southern food is delicious and will easily add pounds to a waistline. =] I'm sure he would appreciate any letters you may be inclined to write...







{hint, hint}

;-]

Texas Missionary

So it's official, Elder Andrew McCurdy is in Texas and in his first area. Living the life of a missionary. He left Provo on Wednesday and flew into San Antonio. He was able to call and talk to Mom and Dad for about 40 mins before he got on his plane. I know all enjoyed that opportunity. His Mission President sent a quick email and a photo, to let Mom and Dad know he was there and safe and settling in. Good luck, Andrew! We love you and are proud of you!

Elder McCurdy at President and Sister Cutler's home, his Mission President, on the day he arrived in Texas.

Spring Time!

Spring time is officially here! Yay! Now if we could just convince the weather that spring time means no more snow. We have had three days of absolutely gorgeous weather... unfortunately, there's snow in the forecast next week. Guess I'll enjoy it and get the most out of it while it lasts. Hope you're all having a fabulous first day of spring!

Half Way There!

I now have a banana growing in my belly... well, he's still a baby, but he's the size of a banana. About 10 inches from head to heel and weighs almost 3/4 a pound. I figured today deserved a little bit of a shout out, being as we are officially halfway done with this pregnancy. YAHOO! In some ways, it feels like it's been forever since those two little pink lines showed up... and yet it seems like only a few days ago. Usually, it's the forever scenario though. And it's only going to get hotter and bigger and heavier from here on out. My biggest sadness: our baby won't be born until the end of summer. We're gonna miss out on all the camping, family reunions, roller coasters, hiking (I can barely walk, it's more of a waddle, let alone hike), and just the general laziness of summer days in the sun. We didn't plan our timing very well... lol. Then again, we didn't really plan it at all. At least not as fast as it happened. Oh, well, what's one summer for a bouncing baby boy, right???

Some times I wish I could evict my little tenant, but the we'd have to buy Barbie clothes to dress him in at this point... and I drop things a lot. Better to keep him where he is, for now at least.

The Newest Addition to Our Home

Our newest adventure within the last few days has been to acquire, set up and care for... an aquarium! Ok it's really more of just a fish tank than an aquarium. Aquarium kinda carries a not of glamor and it's not real glamorous. It's not really that big of a deal, I mean it's not like we got a dog we actually have to potty-train and play with and take for walks, but we're low-maintenance kind of people and this is our kind of pet. =] Not only that, they don't shed and poop all over the place. That means I don't have to clean it up. Yay!


We had actually been thinking about getting fish since last summer, but we knew we were going to be gone for several weeks and decided that it probably wasn't the best time to try and keep pets alive. So, we decided that maybe after we got back we'd look into it again. Well, we didn't. AJ had brought it up and that got me thinking that maybe I could do that for his birthday next month. When he brought it up I told him my thoughts for a birthday present. We decided to look around and see what we could find. (I got my birthday present last year a month early, so it's fair game to call it a birthday present.) Since I'll be in my third trimester of pregnancy this summer we won't be going very far from home, so we decided that maybe we'd check it out. We got to looking around and found a tank, stand, and a few other accessories for $20. We thought this was quite the steal after we did some research and found out how much a new aquarium costs!


Well, we bought the tank and then went to the Dollar Tree to find little ornaments for the fishies to play with. We got two buildings and a hammerhead shark figurine. It was fun trying to come up with ideas and ways to make things work. AJ commented more than once on what dorks we are. And it's true, but at least we can be dorks together.


We got everything home and AJ started tinkering with it all. He figured it out... but also figured out there were a few "accessories" that weren't in great shape. One of the outlets was plugged on the air filter, the diffuser bulbs were gross and didn't work real well, some of the tubing was faulty, things like that. He figured out what we needed and we headed off to our local Petco. We decided that maybe Wal-Mart would be cheaper... it was. We got the replacement accessories we needed there, as well as some fish food and plants. The fish, however, were cheaper and Petco... so back we went. We got 18 little feeder goldfish (figured we better start with something cheap, in case we killed them all) and went back home.

AJ spent hours cleaning gravel, washing up the tank, getting all the filters and tubes and hoses connected like they should be, and setting up the tank the way he wanted it. We ended up making a quick run back to Wal-Mart at 11:00pm so we weren't breaking the Sabbath and got a few things AJ found we still needed.


By the time 1:00am rolled around we finally had a fishtank full of water! And there were even fish in it! We fed them, watched them eat and then decided to call it a night and went to bed. We got up the next morning and all 18 fish were still alive. Yay! We have only had 2 casualties thus far, but it's about what we expected (if not better than expected) with feeder fish. We even named a few of them... the ones that looked different enough we can tell them apart from all the other fish. And, happily, none of our named fishies have died.

It's been a lot of fun watching our little fishies swimming in ther new home. And when they do die, its ok. We just flush them down the toilet. And as a wise fish once said, "all drains lead to the ocean." (-Finding Nemo) Every fish's dream right? Whether dead or alive.

"The Money Shot"

So, for clarification, just thought we'd let everyone know...

Don't feel bad if you can't tell from the ultrasound pictures that we're having a boy. I didn't post the "money shot," as AJ calls it. The thought of it felt a little dirty and I'm sure in 15 years our son will be thankful that the entire Internet community didn't have access to such a personal photo, regardless that it was in utero. But, I promise... it is a boy!

Drum Roll, Please!

We had our ultrasound today. The paper told me to come with a full bladder, so I did my part and drank extra. Well, I'm on the table and the tech squirts goo all over my tummy and starts looking around. She commented, "Wow, you're bladder is really full." I was like, "Yeah, I know." I had to go to the bathroom soo bad! She let me go a little so I didn't wet my pants while she was measuring the baby and everything else. Thank goodness!


Things are going well. We have a healthy baby. Two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, eyes, nose, lips, ears and a head are all accounted for.

We even got to see the different chambers in the brain and the four different chambers in the heart and watch it beat. There are two kidneys and a stomach, just like we'd hoped. =] She even showed us the umbilical cord and the blood flow through it. That was kinda neat.


She took measurements and our little bean is right on schedule. She didn't do a length measurement, but AJ had a dream a few weeks ago that it was born 22" long! I'll have those two little feet poking out my throat before it's born! She did get a weight: 8 oz. Which is normal for this far along (18 weeks, by the way).


At the beginning of our appointment the tech was panning back and forth, looking at the baby's position. She'd already asked if we wanted to know gender, to which we had answered, "yes, please." Before the tech could even explain what we were looking at AJ nearly shouted (in excitement, I'm sure), "Hey, it's a boy!" So, Daddy gets a new little buddy and all the subsequent little beans we may have get a big brother. I was slightly disappointed at first that I don't get to buy frilly outfits and play dress up. But, I'm adjusting to the idea that my Mother's Intuition doesn't work... and I'm excited for my little boy.




(If you click on the pictures, it'll make them bigger and you can actually see what everything is. And the labels on the pictures will help...)

Anticipation....

Well, we're finally on the downhill end of these past few weeks apart. It's been great being able to spend time with my family and I definitely appreciate the generosity and hospitality (and plane ticket...). These past few weeks have made me remember why I hated long-distance dating so much. Sometimes you just need a hand hold, or a kiss on the forehead, or to actually see their face and hear their voice. Phone calls just don't cut it. And around a bunch of other Army guys they aren't always conducive to the environment. There have been a few tough days and we always seem to fight more the longer we are apart. [[Our solution to that: we just never need to be apart for days and days at a time. And we shouldn't be allowed to fight in text messages either.]] But, not to worry, my loyal readers. Despite any previous conversations or other interactions of the past few weeks, we are still madly in love and still going strong. At least I am, but I'm pretty positively sure AJ feels the same way.

The highlight of this week, besides getting to see each other and finally go home together, is Thursday. We have our ultrasound. We're hoping to find out whether it's a boy or a girl. And, of course, that everything else is going well too. I still haven't felt the baby (or at least haven't recognized it as being the baby... there was one time I wasn't sure, but I think it was just tummy bubbles). It's making me a little nervous, but I still have about 4 weeks before I need to really freak out. I'm sure that'll make it a little more real that there's a baby in there, not that I'm just having "fat days" everyday of my life.



Soo, all I really want is a healthy, happy child and whatever gender it turns out to be will be welcomed and anticipated, but... I see definite pro's and con's to both. I mean somethings will be the same, like AJ's gonna wrestle and play with our bean regardless of gender. And it'll be loved and nurtured and taught regardless. I feel so neglectful calling my baby "it". But, are we gonna play dollies or legos? Dress up or cars? Hot Chocolate Parties (because we don't drink tea) or with building blocks in the dirt? It's hard for me to get real excited because I don't have this 'fantasy picture' in my head of what life with our bean will be like. (I know: late night feedings, utter exhaustion, no more sponenaiety, toys and poop and barf everywhere, ect...)

I always kinda wanted my oldest to be a boy, so my other kiddos would have a big brother, but a little girl would be a lot of fun too. I've kinda felt all along that it's a girl... but I'm not sure if that's mother's instinct or my secret wishful thinking. I know AJ would love a son to teach all the 'boy' things to... tools and cars and motorcycles and roughhousing and camping and building cities out of legos, but I also know that if it's a girl, she'll be Daddy's Little Princess (and he thinks it's hard to say 'no' to me...). Either way, it'll be amazing. I'm so glad we were able to schedule the ultrasound for when AJ can go too. Now, if we could just get him out of Annual Training the three weeks before our baby is due...

rendezvous in reno

That's a really weird word, rendezvous. I always had a hard time with French because it's not a language you can sound out very well. And I'll admit I had to look up the correct spelling... not only that I had to look up the definition too. Just to make sure it really was rendezvous.

Anyways, here's an update of the past whirlwind week. AJ left home for Boise last Tuesday. Thank you Army for once again taking my dear husband away. AJ rode over with another guy in the Guard and was then stranded on post all week. I spent Wednesday and Thursday cleaning up our house a little bit. As much as I could handle with the bean on board, anyway. Smells are still an ever constant battle. I did get our bathrooms cleaned (they needed it so badly) and all the dishes done. Which was quite the feat, had you seen our mountains piled in/around the sink. I also got the counters in the kitchen cleared off and scrubbed down. Also quite the feat. I'm pretty proud. P.S. that photo isn't of our kitchen. We don't actually own that many dishes. But all the ones we do own... they were all pretty much dirty...


Friday, however, was my 'break day'. I did a few little things, but mostly decided to just chill. I showered (which probably also needed to be done pretty badly...) and then went out for a little socializing. AKA: shopping. I was running out of fresh fruit and that's one of the things I can almost always keep in my stomach. So, I went and got some more. I also got supplies to make curtains for a few windows in our house. Namely, the family room, the back doors, and our bedroom. We have a projector in our bedroom that we watch movies on sometimes. Occasionally, even at noon... but it's hard to see the picture since the room is flooded with sunlight. Enter red curtains. They block out the sunlight enough to see the movies... and isn't red an aphrodisiac?? P.S. these aren't our curtains. And ours look nothing like this, other than the fact that they are red. And hanging in front of a window. But, pictures make a blog, right?



I then decided to stop at the dollar store and get some picture frames to change things up on our walls. My theory: it's the pictures that are the important things so I can deal with cheap frames. Well, on my way back home my mom called, just to check up on things. We talked for a while and I told her how I'd even showered and gotten dressed and made an appearance in public. Out of nowhere she asked if I wanted to come to Reno. I was a little taken aback, in fact my exact response was: "Uhm, like now?" I told her she could check on airfare if she wanted to, but that I really was doing ok by myself. Although it was harder to go from being with AJ almost 24/7 for the past month and a half to being all alone 24/7 than other times when he's been gone before. But I had a whole list of things to do to keep me busy.

Well, my mom got excited and found a plane ticket that would work. I was able to get things arranged with AJ so that I could leave the car with him and fly out of Boise. He jumped at the idea for two reasons: 1. he felt better that I wouldn't be all alone for the next week and a half and 2. he really like the idea of being able to leave post every once in a while. So, in about three hours my plans for the next week and a half went from making curtains and punching even more holes in our walls to flying to Reno. By the way, I still made and hung two sets of curtains before I left...




On Sunday I drove to Boise (on the most boring road ever, I might add) and met up with AJ. We were able to spend a few hours together before he dropped me off at the airport. He went back to playing soldier and I took our little bean for it's first airplane ride. See the previous post for details on that... My parent's picked me up at the airport in Reno and we've just been hanging out the past few days.

Monday was Kimme's Birthday. Happy Sweet 16th! She's pretty anxious to grow up, and although dating isn't at the bottom of her list it is at least sitting behind getting her driver's license. However, she still has another 20 hours to log on her permit... and she's gotta convince Mom (I think she may slowly be winning that battle though). We ate In-N-Out for dinner, per Kim's choice. My parents got her a keyboard for Christmas and they got a sustain pedal for it for her birthday. They also got her a software program that lets you compose your own songs. I'm secretly hoping it'll get here before I leave so I can check it out. =]



Tuesday, Kim had a late start for school and got out early. So, she, my mom and I went and took advantage of the free pancakes IHOP was giving a way in honor of National Pancake Day. Less then $10 for the 3 of us to stuff ourselves, we thought we did pretty good. Kim had a bowling competition that afternoon. Her team won and they are competing next week for 1st place against Carson City High School. Kimme bowled her highest score ever, a 199. Congratulations to her on that. She bowled a 140 and 143 in the other two games, making her average that competition 160... which is way more than I could probably bowl out of three games combined.




Today, Kaiti got to have a play date with her friend Brennin. The rest of us girls watched a couple episodes of NCIS. Kim fell asleep on the couch and before too terribly long I joined her in dreamland. I didn't sleep long, but long enough to feel slightly more energy when I woke up. Kim and Kaiti both had activities for church tonight. My mom and I dropped them off and then she took me to tour the new Target. There was a few things I couldn't get into my bags, so I had get them here. I hadn't thought about making a trip to the store and left my wallet at home. Promising to pay her back, I let my mom pay for everything. But, being the fabulous mom she is, she wouldn't let me. I did get a couple of BellaBands for my prego belly.


I'm pretty excited about those. Especially since I didn't have to fork out the cash for them. THANKS MOM! And the bean says, thanks too, grandma. Funny how an elasticized piece of material can make one so giddy, but I can feel the stretching on my tummy and a little extra support will be soo nice. They say you appreciate things more if you have to work and earn the money to pay for them. I have to disagree. You are still pretty appreciative of things you wish you could afford, but realize you can't, when someone else is kind enough to get them for you. She also got me some toothpaste, but that may have been for other, more selfish reasons. =]