Ahhh, 4th of July...

...my absolute favorite holiday. And, thanks to my pyro-happy neighborhood, it's celebrated all week with the smell and sight of fireworks that blast in the sky. Don't get me wrong, I love ANY holiday associated with eating, drinking and gathering (and heck, who doesn't love a 3 day weekend?), but there's something about the 4th of July that I just love. To start the celebration, I made these little cupcakes to take to work.


Don't kid yourself. You know you're craving a cupcake.

It's a BOY!

We found out today that we are expecting a BOY! We couldn't be more excited. As soon as we saw the "money shot", Jon's face lit up with a huge grin, gave me a high-five, and was ready to get out of the doc's office and tell the world! For the record: he actually skipped out of the office. Baby is healthy, has a HUGE head (go figure, right?) and wasn't shy about showing his manhood. I actually got bumped from 18 weeks to 19 weeks, because he was measuring so big. (He's probably taking a liking to my diet of pizza and butterfinger bars.) Anyway, I'll try to post some U/S pics over the weekend so everyone can see our little one!

Quietness is bliss.

It's Saturday morning. As I sit here on the couch in my Calvin Klein undies drinking a cup of chocolate macadamia nut coffee, I'm realizing a few things. Other than hearing my husband's snoring in the distance and the quiet hum of the refridgerator, my house is blissfully peaceful. Coffee seems to taste better when you have a minute to enjoy it, rather than when I'm flying down the interstate pretending to be a driver in the INDY 500 so that I'm on time for work. The plants in my window seats are basking in the summer sun. What a life- to be able to soak up the sun's rays all day and not have to slap on SPF 4,000 and worry about skin cancer. I observe all of this because I think my "quiet" Saturday mornings are numbered. I may not have the time or patience soon to think about whether the ducks that come to my back deck every morning prefer white bread or whole wheat bread. Or if my landscaping is sufficient enough for them to hide their eggs from predators. Who knows? I'm sure I will discover a whole new meaning to the word "bliss," but today, this morning, it's quietness.

I've been a bad, bad housewife.

So lately there hasn't been a bone in my body that has been motivated to clean. I come home each day, and think about cleaning. I might even think about cleaning while I'm at work. And at the time, it actually sounds good. But when I step foot into the door, it's the last thing I want to do. I might go into the kitchen and put away few dishes. Most days, I'll wipe down the counters. But that's where my energy and stamina come an abrupt halt.
It's been over a week since I've vaccumed. But in my defense, I can let it go that long because we don't have pets. I'm not even sure when the last time was that I actually completed a load of laundry. I seem to like to start loads, and not finish them. My husband complained about not having any clean boxers to wear yesterday and I told him he had two options: 1) Turn your boxers inside out, and wear them again, or 2.) new concept-Do your own load of laundry. He picked the latter. Seems he didn't want to smell funky, and that's understandable.
I on the other hand would rather go buy new underwear before washing a load of them- that's how bad it is. It might be a little early, but I'm really hoping that this nesting/cleaning obsession phase in pregnant women I hear so much about will kick in soon. Because right now, it's a whole lot more fun (and a lot less work!) to look at a dirty pile of laundry than it is to actually do something about it. Hopefully my husband can bear with me a little while longer, because I've been a horrible housewife, but I think I'll pull through.

Cast your vote!

We are down to just a few short weeks until we find out the sex of the baby! I've put a baby poll (on the right) because I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks I'm having. For the record, I am highly leaning toward one way- based off what the doctor thinks, heart rates, and old wives tales. But hey, even I could be wrong (although it's rare when I am- just ask the husband). Anyway, we find out on June 27th- so go ahead, vote! It's far more fun than voting for president.

Chicago adventures!

So this last weekend, we went to Chicago to celebrate our anniversary, and also to attend a wedding (in Indiana). We arrived Thursday and headed straight for the Navy Pier, where we hung out and took and architectural boat tour. We ate at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse that evening (which was EXCELLENT, and pricey). Friday we were able to shop the Magnificent Mile and really take in "Chicago." Chicago is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't have the patience to live there and put up with all the traffic, cabs, honking, etc... Anyway, here are a few pictures of our adventure! (Ok, more than a few.)


Architectural Boat Tour















View from the Navy Pier Carousel



Getting fresh with Lego man.



A "experimental night shot of Chicago- I had the shutter open for 30 seconds!



The wedding we attended was at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. We had to hike to the ceremony- and it was SO beautiful- one of the coolest weddings I've attended. This is the happy couple (Jon's cousin was the groom)!



Along the way, we were posing for a bunch of pics and taking our sweet time- only to realize upon arriving to the ceremony site that the wedding had already started. We thought we were early but didn't realize Indiana is EASTERN time zone. Oops. Thankfully, we caught most of the ceremony.



The park was so beautiful!

Holy Crap. I am tired.

We just touched down from Chicago a few hours ago and I am so exhausted. The plane ride into Wichita was sweltering hot-- it had to be at least 90 degrees in the plane. Needless to say, I was cranky, and had it not been for the $2.69 lukewarm bottle of water I bought at the airport, I probably would have passed out at 3500 feet.
Anyway, we had a great time and I'll post pictures of our adventures when I dig my camera out of my suitcase. P.S- Tomorrow is our 1 year anniversary- woohoo!

Look what we found!

A couple of weeks ago, our neighborhood had a community wide garage sale. Afterwards, 3 large dumpsters were dropped off for people to throw away their junk that didn't sell, or for people just to clean house and get rid of stuff. Anyway, Jon was helping our neighbor dump some of his stuff and in the process, discovered a dirt bike laying in the dumpster. They employed the help of a few more neighbors and dug it out. They were unsure if it even worked or why it was tossed, but after a little work, and air in the tires, they got it running! They had quite the weekend riding around on it- although the bike wasn't new, it only had 3 miles on it. I'm sure they will have many adventures on it- not bad for a bike pulled out of the dumpster, huh?

Ode to my dear sweet Olympus 600.

Preface: my new camera arrived today!

My dear old camera
you've captured many wonderful years;
but the news I'm about to tell you
indeed might bring you to tears.

On my concrete porch today
was a brown package that FedEx dropped;
inside was a shiny new camera
and all its handy props.

That's right-- I've upgraded
to a camera that offers more;
more lenses, more options,
cool functions I can't ignore.

But please, don't panic!
I'll dust you off from time to time;
for an intimate date or a night on the town
you're perfect in that tiny purse of mine.

My dear sweet Olympus
Never have you let me down.
You've served your time, and served it well
so I've chosen to keep you around.

My dear sweet Olympus
this new camera put me into debt!
a thing you must remember, though
is that YOU I will never forget.

Things I'm excited about!

1. So I ordered a spankin' new camera today! Months ago, I blogged about wanting a new SLR camera, and the time has come. I got a Nikon D40 and I'm so excited about it! I hope to get really great at by the time the baby arrives (yikes- in just 6 months!).

2. We booked our trip to Chicago! Jon's cousin is getting married there at the end of the month and we'll also spend a few days exploring what Chi-town has to offer. Originally we were going to make it a road trip, but after our Colorado excursion, I nixed the idea. I could never seem to coordinate my need to go to the bathroom with gas stops, so we were stopping every. single. hour. This way we'll be there in just under two hours, and no airport layovers. If you know of any restaurant recommendations or must-see sites, let me know!

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom is so beautiful and I am so grateful for her! I wouldn't be where I am without her help and constant support. She sacrificed alot putting me through 4 years of college and recently helping me with a beautiful wedding. Here's a picture (the most recent I have) of my mom and beautiful family.



Happy Mothers Day to my little sister as well- she has a little girl and is also pregnant, due just a few months before me!

Weekend fun in Durango, Colorado!

This last weekend we made the 12-hour journey west to Durango, Colorado. It was spur of the moment- which is always fun! We only had one full day in Durango, so Saturday, we decided to take the train 50 miles north to a town called Silverton. The train ride gave us stunning views of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado backcountry, and great wildlife in their environment. It was truly one of the best experiences- and though the ride was FREEZING (we sat in an open-air gondola and it was about 35 degrees at 9,000 feet) we were so glad we chose to do it. We also got to eat at several great restaurants downtown. Here are some pictures from the train ride and our trip:

Original 1881 steam train!

My crazy husband!

At some points, you look down to a 90 degree drop-off and pray that a rock slide doesn't occur.

Silverton is a town that is truly a step back in time; no paved roads, old saloons, and historic hotels. From May-October, the town is bustling with tourists coming in on the train. November- April, Silverton is a complete ghost-town. The winters are very harsh there, and it's nearly impossible to get in or out of the town.

Enjoying hot cider at Grumpy's Saloon in Silverton.


Going back home to Kansas- did I mention we rode in a Penske truck? My husband owns a moving business and I often get to go with him on his trips. No relaxation for me though, he puts me to work!! "No free ride", he says. Anyway, he returned the truck back to the rental place, and they told him we had blown a back tire- and we didn't even know it. Trucks have 4 tires in the back(2 on each side)- and we have NO idea where we blew it at. It could have been in the mountains- and had it been a front tire, we would have lost control. God is good and we are thankful He protected us and gave us a safe journey!