36 weeks

And here is the 36 week picture. You are not lucky enough to see my face because believe me, you didn't want to see it. (I believe Ronnie had just said something and I was in the middle of a reply). I have also posted the 30 week and 27 week pictures below, just so you can have solid comparisons.

I'm still feeling really good, except for darn Mother Nature teaching me what no sleep is like. It really isn't too bad though and other than that, I could forget I am pregnant the majority of the time.

I have learned that pregnancies must seem as long to the people I work with as they do to the pregnant mother. I am asked several times a day when I am due--always followed by a "you look like you are ready to pop!" (note to others: this is never, ever, ever an acceptable comment. The pregnant woman knows exactly how she looks and does not appreciate getting confirmation of that fact.)

36 weeks

30 weeks

27 weeks

A Little Update and Lights

Just a month to go until this little one’s expected arrival—which seems crazy! I promise to post some 36 week photos this week since in Ronnie’s words “You are starting to look big!”

We had a great weekend with more free time than we should have. I’m sure Ronnie will *want to* regret it (even though he won’t be able to admit it since it was time together) as he works long hours to get everything done in school this week.

We went to Cheyenne on Saturday with our friends Steve, Lindsey and little Brinley. It was so nice to have one last getaway before the baby—even if it was just a 45 minute drive (I don’t think my pregnant self can go much farther than that these days). We got some last-minute items at Target, shopped at Kohls and Michaels (thank the crafting gods that I have SOMETHING relatively close) and then ate a delicious meal at Texas Roadhouse.

I know this post would be much better with some pictures, but I didn’t take the camera, so continue reading with that in mind.

Then we parted ways from our friends and went to Home Depot. You see, my dad is building two spec houses and we offered to get all of the lighting fixtures for the second house while we were in Cheyenne so he wouldn’t also have to make the trip.

I don’t know how many of you have picked out an entire house of lights in one trip, but it was (to say the least) a bit overwhelming. We wanted everything to be in stock (due to the distance from the store) and preferred to have the entire house in the same style and color.

This proved to be difficult.

We were able to move along fairly well until we got to the last four lights. They included the dining room and kitchen island (which needed to match) as well as the living room and front entry (which also needed to match). Home Depot had only one fixture of the four that I was completely satisfied with and NOTHING to coordinate!

Did you know that Brushed Nickel, Satin Nickel and Antique Pewter are different silver colors that match okay when in separate rooms, but look HORRIBLE right next to each other?

I finally gave up and bought three fixtures that I was okay with and one that I really didn’t like at all, and decided that if my mom and dad wanted to drive back over and change things they could, but I got things that would at least be tolerable.

So in conclusion, I learned that it is possible to pick out an entire house of lights in 2 hours, but probably not advisable.

P.S. Home Depot’s online selection also stinks, since I was going to post examples of the hideous light fixtures I was choosing from, but NONE of them exist online.
P.P.S. I was very pleased with all of the light fixtures until these last four, so Home Depot is not a total waste, just close.

Maternity Shots

My uber-talented friend Bethany and I had a photo shoot when I was in Utah! Oh, how I wish we lived closer to one another so she could document my entire life. Her photos are that amazing!

Below are a few select ones. The rest you can view on her photography blog.

Shameless plug: Her prices are reasonable and she is amazing. If you are in the Wasatch Front area--check her out!

How to make...

...a 35 week pregnant woman infinitely happy.

Book a massage at a place that has a special prenatal massage table so she can lay on her STOMACH for the first time in five months!

Seriously, it was heavenly!

Quilt Top #2 Complete!

While my house did not get the deep cleaning it usually does on Saturday, my weekend was productive nonetheless.

I finished the quilt top for the crib bedding! I've learned a lot through the process--like next time I will pick a less time consuming pattern if I have a limited amount of time, and I will try not to use fabric that is a *little* too busy for the pattern. (Ronnie complains of a headache if he looks at the quilt too long). I just figure it will stimulate our little one's brain!

Now to get it off to the machine quilter's house and hopefully REALLY finish it soon!

Tag 2--Embarrassing Moments

The rules: Each player lists 6 facts/habits/embarrassing moments about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people.

First Fact/Habit/Embarrassment: I was 15 (yes that really is 1-5 and not just 5) and peed my pants at work. I have already told this story here, so I won’t waste space with it on this post.

Second Fact/Habit/Embarrassment: Most of my extended family lives in Utah. While I was going to school at BYU, Ronnie and I were my immediate family’s “representation” at all family functions. We were attending a large family reunion on my dad’s side just after Thanksgiving. I had made my delicious spinach and strawberry salad at home and had taken off my sweater during the preparations so it would not get dirty. About two hours into the reunion, a distant relative (so distant that I had never seen her before) informed me that my sweater was on inside out. You may think that not that many people had noticed, but this sweater had a hood and pocket on the right side, so all of those seams were proudly displaying themselves all night.

Third Fact/Habit/Embarrassment: I cannot whistle. Luckily, most of the time, I am able to go on living a normal life despite this fact, but every once in a while I have to hang my head in shame (like when my brother who was 4 at the time learned how). And don’t think that you are the wisest, greatest teacher of whistling—cuz many a person has been sorely disappointed when they try to teach me.

Fourth Fact/Habit/Embarrassment: I have been involved (aka: driving) in five accidents since I began driving. Three of them were my fault, and those three occurred within 1 year of obtaining my license. (Obviously I had a rough start to the whole driving thing.) My parents did not know about the second one until I moved back to Laramie this summer. It didn’t do any damage to my car and I had a friend fix the dent on the guy’s truck.

Fifth Fact/Habit/Embarrassment: I sometimes wear the socks I have had on all day to bed at night. Well, actually I don’t do it anymore, because Ronnie FREAKS out about it and closely watches to make sure I change my socks. Some nights, he makes me put on a new pair of socks again, because he didn’t SEE me put on the first pair of clean ones. In my parents’ defense, we were talking about this the other day and they also FREAKED out, so obviously I was taught at some time in my life that it was gross, but it just doesn’t bother me.

Sixth Fact/Habit/Embarrassment: I have to eat my foods one at a time. I never take one bite of potatoes and then one bite of steak, then a bite of salad. I select my least favorite food on the plate and then eat it all. Then I move on to my second least favorite, and so on. I do not like the fork to be “contaminated” and food CAN. NOT. TOUCH. (not ever!)

And now I tag: Anne Marie(private blog, sorry), Amber, Ginny, Jess, Lindsey, and Lauren.

Tag 1

I’ve been tagged by both Jen and Anne Marie (who has a private blog) so for the next two days, I will finally be responding.

What is your favorite smell?
Fresh cut grass.

What is your favorite sight?
Hmmm, this one doesn’t come as quickly to my head, but I think something clean and visually pleasing, like this.

What is your favorite taste?
I’m pregnant, my cravings change daily. Last night it was Raisinets, the day before, chicken nuggets, and today? Who knows?

What is your favorite sound?
A well-played violin.

What is your favorite touch?
Ronnie’s backrubs.

I tag Bethany, Cheryl, Carissa, and Jill.

Evaluations

Disclaimer: There is one swear word in this entry. I am retelling a story—a story that would not be funny without it, so try not to judge me.

I work at a University. I also talk to professors (surprise, surprise).

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hearing the following story.

Professor A (PA) was new to the faculty. It was time for class evaluations. Each professor was assigned to proctor another professor’s evaluations and PA was assigned to proctor Professor B’s (PB) evaluations.

PA went into the department office to collect the evaluations sheets before heading up to do the evaluations. PB happened to be in the office at the same time.

PB: “Are you proctoring my evaluations?”
PA: “Yep.”
PB: “Let me tell you how I would like them administered.”
PA: “Great.” (PA was assuming at this time that every professor liked to have evaluations administered a certain way.)
PB: “After you pass out the evaluations, it usually helps if you go to the board and write the following words: marvelous, outstanding, and fantastic. Those words come up a lot on my evaluations and it gets annoying when you have 20-30 people ask how to spell them.”

It was then PA realized that he had been the butt of a joke. They laughed together and PA proceeded to the classroom to proctor the evaluations.

Later that same day PA and PB happened to be in the department office again.
PB: “So how did the evaluations go?”
PA: “Fine, the students just had one question.”
PB: “Really? What was it?”
PA: “They just wanted to know whether or not to add a hyphen to asshole.”

PA and PB have been great friends ever since.

Utah Trip

This weekend was a quick one! My mom, Erica, Sarah and I traveled down to Utah for a baby shower my aunts were throwing for me. It was a fabulous trip, but WAY too short.

The shower was great—but unfortunately, my camera never made it out of my bag, so I am relying on others to get me pictures to post. It was wonderful to see friends and family!

I had such a feeling of comfort as we drove into Happy Valley—something that I never thought I would have as I grew up. I had so many fantastic memories for six great years and am so grateful for the friends and family I was able to grow close to during that time!

Now I’m back to reality. Just six weeks until this little one emerges (hypothetically). Look for maternity pictures taken by Bethany in the next few days as well!

Crib Bedding...kind of

So after months of promises, I have pictures of some of the crib bedding. My wonderful dad came over last night and explained where the two mystery metal pieces went (the only part Ronnie and I were stumped over) and the crib is up!Here you can see the bed skirt which is made of the same material as the valance. I tied the front two panels of the bumper so you could get an idea of how it will look, but since I don't own a single crib sheet yet, the bumpers are obviously coming out soon.

And here is the inside of the bumper. You can see 5 of the 6 fabrics I used for this project here. The bumper was probably the easiest part of the entire thing. I bought padded panels made just for crib bumpers from the local quilt shop and they are perfect!

This is a close up of the 6th fabric and is the one on the outside of the bumpers. I LOVE the Moda fabric I was able to find for this project.

And here we see the 90 quilt squares ready to be assembled when I return from Utah. I probably should have picked a wee-bit easier pattern than the rail fence quilt I am attempting, but live and learn!

Now, I just have to get a shelf up and decorated and name this little one so I can order this wall decoration for over the crib.

Pregnancy Necessities

I’m sure many of you are laughing that I am trying to give YOU advice-especially since I have had arguably the easiest pregnancy ever. (if this describes you, feel free to skip this entry). Despite my apparent lack of expertise, I’m going to give you my opinion anyway, because I like to do just that.

1. Prenatal Vitamins. We all know that prenatal vitamins are highly recommended. I recommend taking them after you brush your teeth before you go to bed. It was as if I wasn’t taking anything once I switched from the morning to the evening.

2. The Pregnancy Belly Band. I got mine from Motherhood Maternity, although I know there are a lot of sources out there. It flattens out all of the lines that seem to accumulate with the 17 layers I am wearing, as well as provides some support for my ever expanding tummy. My only recommendation is to get two, since wash day is always uncomfortable for me.

3. Pickle Juice. Laugh if you want to, go ahead, I’ll wait…….I have had some serious leg cramps that last for what seems like hours in the middle of the night and this is the trick that gets rid of them almost instantly. The taste is nasty, true. I only drink about one cup and then immediately drink water and brush my teeth, but the rest of the night is spent in peaceful slumber. (A tip from my friend Clay—who was an athletic trainer for the BYU Football team—I figure if it is good enough for Luke Staley, it is good enough for me).

4. Extra Pillows. I sleep with a pillow on either side of me, wedged in tight to keep me on my side as well as one between my knees. I tried a few nights without the knee pillow and that was a big mistake. I looked online countless times for a “pregnancy” pillow so I wasn’t constantly adjusting, but never found one that I was willing to spend the money on.

5. Rocking Recliner. I’ll admit that we just got this a few days ago, but already I am wishing I had it from the beginning. I’m sure a glider is great for rocking those little ones, but putting my feet up is what I crave the most at the end of a long day. Since we got ours, I look for things I can do from the chair, just so I can spend more time in it—I even took my Sunday nap in it this week.

6. A Close Bathroom. The bathroom at my work is located on the exact opposite end of the building. While this is a great excuse to get a little exercise, I am finding that as I approach these last few weeks, when I have to go, I only have about 30 seconds before it becomes an emergency. My work bathroom is JUST inside those boundaries.

7. A Leaning Device. The little things become more difficult. One that I have especially had trouble training myself on, is putting on my pants. I now have to lean on the bed, or have one hand on a wall, etc if I am going to pull off this feat without falling. I just want you to be aware.

8. Favorite Pants. Oh, how I wish that I didn’t have to work, so I could wear my pajamas and casual clothes all day long, but since that is not the case, I have found a VERY close second. The bi-stretch pant also from Motherhood Maternity (it is the only close maternity store). Seriously. Buy these pants. I have all three colors and they are so comfortable that most days I leave them on even after I am home for the evening!

9. Lotion. I haven’t figured out if my skin is extremely dry due to the pregnancy or due to the fact that we just moved to Laramie (elevation 7200 feet), but either way, without a good lathering each morning, I would die.

10. The Best Husband in the World. Since the BEST is already living with me, you will have to settle for the second-best. Ronnie has been SO wonderful throughout this pregnancy with the little things, like foot rubs when my ankles were swelling, glasses of ICE COLD water whenever I ask, and bowls of ice cream whenever I want (pretty much every night). I don’t know what I would do without his support.

It's the little things

I have recently been self-examining my shopping habits.

We shop a lot at Wal-Mart and while many consider this unacceptable, in my defense--it is all I have access to, plus I actually like Wal-Mart, so hah!

Anyway, Wal-Mart has recently had survey invitations that print out on your receipt. Not everyone gets one and the average person does not get an invitation every time they shop--but I am not that average person.

You see--my last name is such that would generally designate a certain ethnicity.

It is my belief that Wal-Mart is targeting this particular group of customers, without wanting to appear to do so. Every time I have used my debit card to pay for my purchase, I have received a survey invitation. There have only been two times in the last two months that I have not received a survey invitation--and those two times I paid with cash.

My suspicions are heightened due to a few of the questions on the survey.

I am not offended by this, but enjoying filling out the survey online (and entering to win $1000) and get even more satisfaction by checking the ethnicity box they do NOT want me to check.

Along with demographic information, the survey asks for the reasons you shop at certain stores and has many phrases that you then rank in relevance to your own shopping habits. These phrases include things like: I am a one-stop shopper and will pay more for items if it means I don't have to go anywhere else, or I am the ultimate bargain shopper and will visit many stores to get the most for my money.

Since I have taken this survey at least ten times, I have discovered a few things that surprised me about my shopping preferences. I prefer to shop in a clean and aesthetically pleasing store. It is the little things that bring me joy in stores--like the displays that catch my eye, or an easy-to-push and noise-free cart. In fact, I love shopping at our local Safeway. Not because they are cheap (without sales and coupons, they definitely are not!), but because they have little mini carts that I LOVE! These carts have an upper and lower basket and only stick out in front of me two feet. (kind of like the one pictured, only with actually sides on both baskets and they are both the same size) Plus, their wheels glide like butter!
While my average Wal-Mart shopping trip purchases would not fit in one of these magical carts, I still request them on every survey I take.

Maybe little by little I can make a difference!

Birthdays

A year ago when this blog was started, I decided to do a birthday shout-out to all of my close relatives. Since a year has passed and I have been able to wish them all a Blog-tacular birthday I have decided to move on to other things on the blog.

I still love you all, but you can look for a card in the mail instead of a blog post!

If you are interested in reading about all of the birthdays, you can scroll down on the right-hand side of the blog and select the "birthday" label.

A Reason for my Absence

I apologize that I have been MIA this week. I was in charge of a work meeting with many, many important contacts from around the state of Wyoming and it took up more of my time than I care to think about.

At least one good thing came of all of my stress. Seeing as I was the coordinator of all of the events over the weekend, a few of the people who came were introduced to Ronnie and proceeded to call him Mr. KaLee (which I quite enjoyed). :)

But Ronnie's answer to Mr. KaLee was my favorite part.

Important Person: Ronnie, nice to meet you. So you belong to KaLee?

Ronnie: Well, when people ask me who wears the pants in the family--I always let them know that I wear the pants, but she tells me which ones to put on.

And that, my friends, is why my husband is the absolute best!

Our House

in the middle of our street. (I can't seem to say "our house" without mentally finishing it off).

I know you have all been dying to see the new place here in Laramie and so a mere three months later, here is your personal tour. (Don't think that just because you have seen pictures of our house, it will replace an actual, real-life visit. Laramie offers things you CAN NOT get anywhere else--like us). This is the outside of our 4-plex. We have the bottom, right apartment. It's not much to look at but it has a one-car garage-yea!

Another view of the outside.

This is what you see looking in our front door. I'm not in love with the fact that you enter into a dark hallway, but the fact that we are renting, and not owning makes it all okay.

This is the office/craft room. It is just to the left of the front door and is away from the rest of the house, making it perfect for Ronnie to study. He spends many hours at that desk.

A view of my craft area--I LOVE having a dedicated space. Don't think this is everything I have--that closet is jampacked!

Just as the hallway turns to the right, the bathroom is on your left. This is the first time that Ronnie and I have had double sinks-my reaction? Not really necessary.

Another view of the bathroom (I think two pictures may be overkill, but here they are nonetheless). That wooden thing cutting off the right side of the picture is a linen closet--my favorite feature in the bathroom! Do you see that brown metal thing by the floor next to the toilet? It is our electric heating unit. The entire house is heated with electricity and every room as one of these little things. Does anyone have experience with this kind of heat? I love that each room has a seperate controller, but am not so sure I love the idea of a $200 heating bill each month (that really was the high in this apartment last year).

This picture is standing in the bathroom doorway looking at the living room. Our bedroom is that doorframe to the right.

The view of our bedroom from the doorway. We love having three bedrooms, but they are not very spacious. This is the ONLY way our king-sized bed will fit (just ask my dad, Jordan or Ronnie--they tried everything!)

Another view of the bedroom, this time from the opposite side.

And this is the view of the living room standing at the end of the hall. Seeing as how this complex was built in the 1980's, it does not have any overhead lighting in the living room--I HATE it! Why, oh why was that ever a trend?

Another view of the living room, this time I'm standing by the DVD player in the previous picture. You can see our back door to the left of the lamp.
An another view of the living room, this time standing by the back door. What time was I doing this little tour? Why 6:05pm of course. That last door you can see is the guest room/baby's room.

This is the view of the guest/baby's room from the doorway. It looks pretty cozy, you should probably come try it out!
The view of the guest/baby's room from the foot of the bed. That mattress leaning up against the wall is right where the crib will go (when we finally figure out how to put it together--Dad, are you reading this? Come help us!)
And now out into the main area again. This is the kitchen. As you can see, I have taken over 1/2 of the kitchen table for my sewing projects. The other 1/2 is still dedicated to eating. That closed door you see leads to the laundry room (a must-have on my apartment list).
Another view of the kitchen. I really like the open feel of it, but would love more cupboard space (Do you know any woman who is truly satisfied with her amount of cupboard space?)

This is our little patio off the back door and our VERY dirty grill.
And finally, this is the grass area we call our own--it's looking a little sad right now, but at least it doesn't have any snow on it (that is saying a lot for October in Laramie).

Hope you enjoyed your little tour! Now you need to come see it in person!

Blog-iversary Winner!

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments. The winner is Jennifer S. who said, "Happy Blog-iversary! Is this the kind of thing you get to register for? If not, I think that you should start a new internet trend. It's fun to keep up with your adventures. Thanks for sharing. Jenn."

Jenn, I know you just moved so email me your new address and I'll get the cards right out to you!

Giveaways are a lot of fun, I think I'll do a few more in the future to keep you all coming back!

30 weeks

This week I am 30 weeks pregnant! It is crazy to think that in 10 short weeks we will get to see this little one. I’m feeling great aside from the occasional heartburn and my feet have even stopped swelling since the weather has cooled down. (yahoo!)

I don’t feel like I am prepared for his arrival at all, considering I don’t have any of the gadgets and not even a single diaper, but starting this week, I’m scouting the sales so I can have at least a few diapers on hand.

In reviewing our pictures, I realized that we have not done a very good job documenting my growing belly, so there are no progression pictures, just a few from this week.

Everyone wants to know names. We have narrowed it down to four, and I really don’t think we will narrow the field much further. Our finalists are Nathan, Andrew (Drew), Easton and Cade. We both want to see him before we decide for sure.

I’ll try to be better with updates from now on.

And yes, I know the outfit is a little weird, but I had to pull back the cardigan so you could see. I do know how to dress myself.

Happy Blog-iversary!

Today marks my Blog-iversary! One whole year! Who knew I would stick with it?

Instead of actual presents (I wouldn't want you to spend all of that money on postage), you can just leave me a comment--even you lurkers! I have even turned off the no-anonymous-posts for the next little while to make it easier--but be sure to sign your name!

As an incentive, I'll randomly draw a number out of a hat, and that comment will receive these:

Five handmade cards. Two baby cards, a wedding card and two with no specific situation in mind so you can have them when you need them!

Now go on, leave a comment!

ETA: You have until Midnight, Mountain Time on 9/27 to comment and I will draw a winner early Friday morning.

Wherein I fulfill promises

All of my talk about the elusive sewing projects is probably getting old, so it is finally time for some pictures. We were given a crib by my parent's neighbors--so naturally it did not come with instructions. We thought about putting it together a few nights ago, but after looking at all of the parts, decided we needed a little more time to work with. Ronnie's to-do list includes this chore this week. :)

So, in lieu of the crib bedding, I will share a few other projects:

This is the valence that matches all of the crib bedding. It has a pleat in the middle that is difficult to see in pictures (believe me, I took a million) and is made of blue bandanna fabric.

I am also proud to announce that I finished my first quilt top! This was made out of a kit I bought here and was my trial before I cut into my precious crib bedding fabric. I'm really pleased with the results and will have both this quilt and the crib quilt quilted at the same time--so this won't be done for a while.

I have also had requests to see my pregnant belly and promise those will be up by the end of the week--although I can't promise any spectacular photography work.

Games

I grew up in a game-playing family.

I should probably be more specific and say that my mom was all about the games and my dad is a good sport and played because we wanted to. (Except for Pit—he regards that game as the devil).

We are also a VERY competitive family. Winning is what it is all about. We all had our specialties and would rotate through those specific games so everyone could feel dominate.

But then my parents inflicted a rule.

A rule for the winner.

The winner had to clean up. No matter the game, or by how closely he or she won, the winner had to box the game up appropriately and return it to the shelf.

As the losers, the rest of us loved the rule. The game would end, the winner would give a shout of triumph and the rest of us would throw down the cards, pieces, or dice we were holding and run out of the room to do something else…while the winner sat alone and cleaned up.

It was an effective rule to say the least and I now see the wisdom behind it.

Since Ronnie also came from a game-playing family, we enjoy playing each other. Most of the time we are pretty fairly matched (but I ALWAYS win at Boggle, and I can’t for the life of me seem to win at Monopoly). And so that our competitive natures are kept in check, I have also started to enforce the winner’s rule, (Monopoly is a lot harder to clean up than Boggle) and our marriage continues on with little conflict over games*.

*Unless I haven’t won all night, in which case, I am forced to pull out Boggle for my own piece of mind—and may throw a tiny fit in the process.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

On Friday, Ronnie's grandpa turned 90! Yes, that really is the big 9-0! I am a bad granddaughter-in-law and haven't gotten around to posting my birthday shout out 'til now.

We were unable to make it down for the shin-dig, but Ronnie wrote up his memories of Grandpa to be included in a book his children put together for him and since Ronnie obviously has a lot more to say than I do, the following is his memory.

"My memories of Grandpa go back as far as I can remember. There are many to choose from and I don’t know where to start. The motor home trips we went on, the time spent at their house, and the life lessons learned along the way. I have always enjoyed spending time with Grandpa no matter the situation.

No matter what when I think of Grandpa I think of golf, and the game that many people in this family have come to enjoy because of his influence. I remember several instances of golfing with Grandpa, and I don’t think there was ever a time I didn’t learn something (which club to use in a given situation, a new four letter word, etc.) But most important of all I learned an appreciation of spending time with him, and an enjoyment of being around family.

I remember fishing with Grandpa in Idaho, golfing with him in St. George, spending time with him in Silent Valley, and at Lake Perris. I can remember learning from him the value of a penny at Lake Perris, in the motor home park so frequently stayed at. I remember swimming in the Pool with Aubrey and Grandpa throwing pennies in for us to swim to the bottom and retrieve; well we couldn’t find one of the pennies and didn’t think much of it. It came time that we gave them back when we were done looking for them, and he said “Well your one short” and I responded “its only a penny” and he said “yeah, I need a hundred pennies to make a dollar and now I might be short.” And Grandma chimed in with her patented “Oh, Jay…” I learned it’s not the value of that one penny that is so important, but built upon and added to others, they can make a difference.

The enjoyment of visiting and spending time with Grandpa is what has carried over into my adult life, now married, there isn’t a time that KaLee and I don’t go to see Grandpa and Grandma when we are in California, and we both enjoy those moments greatly. I love Grandpa for all he has done; the impact he has made on who I have become is far greater than he will ever know. From the trips, to the time spent in his home, to the many conversations when I was younger prodding me to get my Eagle Scout Award, I love him for all of it. -Ronnie"

I'm showing you craftiness

And I'll admit it may be a little bit because I like to show people my work and also because I am always pleased when people approve of something I work hard on.

I've mentioned before that I make cards as a stress reliever, and with Ronnie constantly commandeering the office/craft room to study, my card-making has slowed.

I recently was able to design four cards to use in a birthday-themed-card-making party I held in my home. It was last night and while I always feel a little frazzled, I think it went great.

Below are the four cards we made. (images copyright Stampin' Up! 2007)

Now that THAT is off my mind, I can start on some other fun stuff--like finally finishing those sewing projects I have been promising for ages.

Fall is in the Air

It seems as though the instant that we are into September you can feel it. The air is a little crisper, the nights a little cooler and the sun a little less intense.

I love fall. I love the colors, the smells and the foods (doesn’t it seem like there are certain foods you make just during this time of year?)

I do not love the fact that in anywhere from one week to one month, Laramie will be hit with that dreadfully long season we call winter. There will be no warning, and it will not let up until well into May (if trends continue).

I’m trying to prepare myself mentally, but I find it incredibly hard. I had to put on socks to warm up before bed two nights ago and it was almost as if I was admitting defeat.

In family news, Ronnie continues to work very hard every day! I am so proud of his continued dedication. Now if we can just get our laptop back in our hands (three attempts at shipping and none have been successful—which begs the question…ShippERs fault or USPS fault?) we will be truly up and running.

As always, I am busy with my sewing projects (which will be posted soon I promise—I’ve completed the bed skirt, valance and bumper, we just need to actually set up the crib), stamping like a mad woman, and squeezing in episodes of The Office and Alias whenever possible (how did I ever miss those two shows?).

Hopefully something exciting, but not TOO exciting will happen soon so this blog can get back to being a little more entertaining.

The first sign

...of clumsiness.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not the picture of grace, but usually I can stay on my feet.

This is not the case anymore.

They tell you about it in all of the books and warn you about it in every weekly email.

When you are pregnant, your center of balance is off....really off.

I have noticed a small difference when doing little things like climbing stairs, and putting on pants, but have always been able to recover.

Yesterday, on my way out of church I tripped.

I tripped, rolled my ankle and fell in the parking lot.

I'd like to believe that it was as graceful as possible, but my sore ankle and skinned knee attest to the opposite.

Did I mention we are in a new ward? And that this was our first full-block church meeting? And that it was a chance for me to make a good impression?

I certainly know how to pick my timing.

Don't tell me I'm alone on this

I like to think that I am considerate.

I have been taught how to address adults, the proper manner of responding to requests, and to write a thank-you note whenever necessary.

Because that is what nice, considerate people do.

I fear that our youth are not getting that education.

This morning I received the following text message:

“Hey coach. I’m not sure if you got my text yesterday but i verbally committed to boston college yesterday”

Obviously this text was not meant for me. I can only assume that it was meant for a sports coach at the University of Wyoming and that the person who sent it was being recruited and has since decided to go elsewhere.

Since when is a text message an appropriate way to decline an offer? Especially a text message that is poorly written?

I can only hope that the first text message (the one sent yesterday) was sent to the correct number so that Wyoming does not continue recruiting this person and that as a result of the stupidity shown they have now ruled out anyone who was educated in the same household and/or school.

I could continue this post by giving you my opinion on text messaging in general, cutting in lines, phone call etiquette and many other topics, but I think you all get the gist.

We are Washington Parkites

Laramie recently had a change. We got a new ward. They took three wards and made four and we are part of the new-ness.

Previously we were in the same ward as:
My mom
My dad
My sister
My brother-in-law
My other sister
and
My brother

There were a lot of Wyos or Wyo-in-laws roaming the halls each week and I loved it! Despite what you may think, I didn’t really hang out with them though—Erica is in primary and my mom is constantly visiting another wards (for her calling, she is not a ward-hopper).

Anyhow, Sunday was the first ever meeting of the Washington Park Ward. We meet in the older building in town—the one that I went to until I was 16 and we moved. Did you know that there are still church buildings with no padding on the back portion of the pews? There are, and we got ‘em.

The ward seems very friendly with your usual mix of people in a college town, a few elderly, a few established families and a heck-of-a-lot of married students. Seriously, a lot!

And what do you suppose was the best part of this new ward forming?

The stake only called the Bishop, and his counselors—no other callings are filled yet.

So we only had Sacrament Meeting.

(you soooo wish you were me).

Post Script-for those of you unfamiliar with Mormon terms: stake=city leadership over all of the wards, Ward=congregation, Bishop=leader of congregation, counselors=other men who help with congregation organization, etc, callings=tasks that congregation members are asked to help with to have the church run smoothly, Sacrament meeting=one hour of our three hour church service (the other two hours are spent in Sunday School and a meeting with either all men or all women).

One-Shot KaLee

Disclaimer: This is one LOOONG story.

Many, many, MANY months ago, I promised the story of One-Shot KaLee.

And now without further ado.

In Wyoming you can hunt big game at the age of 12.

I want you all to pause for a moment and think of a 12 year old you know. Now think of a 12 year old boy. Would you want them in possession of a high powered rifle? I didn’t think so.

Nevertheless, that is the law, so every year men take their young sons out to get their first big animal.

I was not 12 on my first big hunt, I was 14—but I essentially had the arm-strength of a 12 year old.

I had decided before hand that I wanted to hunt antelope. I chose antelope not because they are edible (in fact jerky is the ONLY thing you really want to do with antelope meat and even then it is not very good), I chose antelope because there are LOTS of them on the plains of Wyoming and I figured I could get one with relatively little effort.

Towards the end of the antelope season, my dad, my brother Adam and I loaded up in the truck to get me an animal. We drove about 30 miles outside of town to a ranch that belonged to some friends. We pulled off of the dirt road and there they were.

Three large antelope.

My dad hurriedly handed me my .243 youth stock rifle and told me to use the bumper of the truck to steady the gun and then take a shot. I crouched down next to the truck and got the antelope in my sights, but then a strange thing happened...

The antelope started walking TOWARDS me. I was not prepared mentally for this. Antelope runs away? Totally prepared. Antelope wants you to pet it? Not prepared.

The animal had only started at about 75 yards away to begin with, but as he walked and I stared in unbelief he was closer to 50 yards away.

I said shakily “Uh, Dad? He’s coming towards me!” He answered, “Shoot, Shoot!”

Again, I took careful aim and then finally pulled the trigger.

Due to the recoil of the gun, I didn’t see if I hit him, and the antelope ran about 30 yards over a small rise on the plain.

“KaLee!” my dad yelled, “You just injured him! Now we are going to have to chase him across the plain for who knows how long!”

We walked briskly over the rise and to our surprise—there he was. My shot was perfect. He only ran those 30 short yards then collapsed.

My dad’s tone completely changed, “Great shot! I didn’t think you got him this good!”

Now came the hard part.

While the antelope WAS mortally wounded, he would not die naturally for several hours, so my dad explained that I would need to shoot him again, right now.

I looked down into the large black eyes and heaving chest just 3 feet from me and couldn’t do it. Luckily Dad was kind and did it for me.

Now that the antelope was good and dead, we had to clean him. I’ve never been really queasy, but I’ve also never seen blood in that quantity. Dad kindly explained that he would help me clean my animal this first time, but that from now on, I would need to clean my kills myself. As we proceeded to gut the animal, I felt more and more strongly that I would NOT be able to do this by myself the next time. I expressed that feeling and little Adam, who was no more than 8 years old, piped up and exclaimed, “I’ll clean it for you next time, KaLee!” I looked down at him and said, “Sounds great to me!”

We loaded the animal into the back of the truck and drove home triumphant. Dad was bursting at the seams to show everyone the size of the animal that his daughter had taken down with ONE SHOT.

I was not out to get a trophy animal. I was just out to have my first hunting experience, but when we got the antelope home and measured the horns, we found that I had shot a 15 ½ inch antelope. I proudly mounted the horns and they currently hang in my parents’ garage.

To this very day, no one in my family, immediate or extended, has killed a larger antelope.

And I have never had to clean another kill.

Because I have never been successful again.

And the fun begins...

Ronnie completed his first week of law school. They definitely threw him right into the thick of things. I am so proud of his dedication as he has studied each day (and most nights) to make sure he is prepared for class.

This is a real change from his undergraduate degree.

We have gotten to know quite a few other LDS first-year couples. Ronnie is pretty sure there are 12 of them in his class of 77—not too bad of a percentage. They are all so nice and I can't wait to get to know them a lot better as the year progresses.

We were surprised to find out that Ronnie is the only BYU grad at Wyoming this year but he is surrounded by at least three Utah grads—they like to give him crap.

I am adjusting to my new schedule of most evenings to myself—at first it was quite liberating; I could watch whatever I wanted on television; read for unlimited amounts of time; and do other girly past times like paint my nails, etc.

After only one week, the novelty is wearing off.

There is nothing on television (until the fall season begins), I finished all of the books in my “to read” pile and my nails haven’t begun to chip.

So, I started a hobby that I have wanted to pick up since the purchase of my beloved Bernina.

I am quilting.

Yep. Quilting. I have to say that I love it so far. Now I only wish that I had a dedicated sewing area so my kitchen table wasn’t such a mess.

I finished the binding on a blanket that had been sitting in my closet for 8 years and am now sewing the bedding for this new little one. (I’ll post pictures as soon as I have anything to show for my work. I am still in the cutting stage (the worst stage of the whole process) but hope to have completed projects soon.

And since my back and eyes won’t allow me to quilt for unlimited amounts of time please let me know if you have any good book recommendations—I’m open to just about anything!

Cash Jeremy Goff

Little Cash Jeremy Goff was with us on this earth for six days. Heavenly Father needed him home and he left this life yesterday afternoon. We are so grateful for eternal families. Please remember Natalie and Jeremy in your prayers.

Prayers

My newest little cousin was born August 17th at 2:02a.m. Cash Jeremy Goff was at 24 weeks gestational age and weighed 1 lb. 14 oz. He was born alive, crying and moving around (they say he is quite the little fighter).

As with any 3 ½ month early baby, he has some developing to do before he can be released from the hospital. Please keep him and his parents in your prayers.

Edited to Add: My aunt has started a blog to keep all of us updated on his progress. You can find it on my sidebar, or here.

All Grown Up

I’m officially a big kid now.

Last night I had an extremely long and detailed dream about being in a musical production. After the performance I was running around getting things ready for the post-production party and all of the sudden…

I peed my pants (in the dream that is.)

I awoke frantically, sure that I would have a mess to clean up (cuz let’s face it, when you have vivid dreams about using the bathroom, they are usually a bit more vivid than you would like).

To my surprise—it was just a dream.

I think that proves it.

I am a grown up and may even be ready for this whole motherhood thing.

Sweet!!!!!

I figured out how to put a post on this thing. (KaLee is so going to be mad at me when she sees this at work tomorrow)

So in case you haven't yet determined this is the Little bit of Ronnie referred to in the title of the blog.

I figured since KaLee has been slacking on her blog duties I should fill in, (note there are only 6 so far this month, this being the 7th posting. As I know in months past there have been a few more than this month.)

I should start by telling everyone that despite the complaining about swollen feet and the occasional back rub, I have really enjoyed KaLee being pregnant.

I mean I have been able to eat a little bit more cause she is and I don't even feel bad about it.
The other thing I like is KaLee's belly, its exciting yet crazy that there is something alive and growing inside her and I'm sorry that I am going to admit this but yes I do think its fun to talk to her stomach. (I'm not really talking to her stomach, I'm talking to the baby.)

Other notes for those who are wondering I am enjoying Laramie, I think its refreshing to have this slower paced life at least for a little while. I also have been enjoying spending time with KaLee's family they are good people and I think the world of them.

I also would like to thank everyone who has supported me thus far in my life (by the way I'm feeling a little bit sentimental) I wouldn't be half the person I am today without the influence of my parents and siblings. (Yes that includes the in-law parents and siblings as well.) You've all had a very profound impact on my life and I am grateful.

Next item of business, I have just been caught by KaLee and have been threatened that I must spellcheck and let her proofread this before I post it.

My Feet

This post is about pregnancy—if you have no desire to read it move along.

I have been blessed with a very easy pregnancy (no morning sickness, no headaches).

However, in the last two weeks a new nemesis has appeared.

Swollen Elephant Feet.

Yes, at the end of the day, or if I walk for any amount of time my feet look like this:

(Notice how there is no separation between shin and foot.)

Other than the appearance, they haven’t bothered me, except a bruise-like soreness when I touch the area around my lateral malleolus (that bump on everyone’s ankle). I paid attention in Anatomy.

So, being the internet searcher that I am, I wanted to see what I could do.

Through various sites I determined that I should not sit with my feet flat on the ground or my ankles will swell (Hello—that is what I do for 8 hours a day!).

The internet’s solution to this problem is that I put my feet above my heart for 15 minutes every hour in order to minimize the effects. (I’m sure my boss will LOOOVE that one).

My solution was to borrow a small footstool from my parents and put my feet up throughout the day (but only about a foot and a half up, instead of above my heart.

It seems to be working a bit, but after viewing a few pictures of my mom’s feet when she was pregnant with me—I feel I am fighting a losing battle.

Trip to Denver

Laramie is a mere 2.5 hours from Denver and since Ronnie’s life will soon be a quite busy one, we decided to make a trip to the Denver Temple before classes started.

We were able to meet our good friends Jared and Ashley and do a session. It was great to see them and great to be at the temple. (Did you know they give pregnant people special treatment if you look uncomfortable enough?)

We neglected to take a picture at the temple, but here we all are enjoying our Texas Roadhouse steaks. (Yes, Karen and Ray, we went again—just a week after we went with you!)

We are happy to be close to the Jared and Ashley and hope to be able to get together more often!

My Influence

I think I may be rubbing off on Ronnie.

He finished reading a book yesterday.

A book he read PURELY for entertainment.

Since I have known him, this has never happened.

I like to think it was all because of me.

Memories or How My Old Room Was Full of Crap

I am not a pack rat.

Not even close to one. I despise all forms of piles, whether they be necessary or not and have no problem donating (ahem, trashing) my items. With two moves in the last 7 months, I can say that I have successfully sorted and cleaned every drawer, closet, box and cubby that we own.

Except for three large Sterilite tubs.

They are not mine and I do not have permission to go through them. (If any of you want to remind Ronnie that they are sitting in the garage, please do so).

Unfortunately, since I permanently moved out of my parents’ house in 2002, I had not gone through the closet of my old room.

Last night I took on that task.

I determined that I was a little bit more of a pack rat then, than I am now.

I threw away no less than three large, black garbage bags full of things like:

All of the letters I had ever received from a missionary (note: I did not send off any missionaries, so these were all just friends.)

A binder full of love letters from my 9th grade boyfriend.

No less than 100 empty CD cases (why I saved these I’ll never know).

Various trinkets that were given by old friends but had been melted or completely faded by the sun.

Three empty boxes (again, what?)

Not just one, but FIVE fuzzy notebooks (you know, the kind that are popular with the preteens).

And many, MANY more insignificant items. I don’t want you to think that I am heartless and don’t care about anything—I did keep many memory filled items as well.

Now all I have to do is sort through the large basket of old birthday cards and my cleaning will be complete. (Let’s all pray that I find some long-lost money in there!)

A New Look and New Due Date

I was getting tired of the other layout, so I decided to switch things up a bit—let me know if there are any major problems.

We also had another doctor appointment yesterday and confirmed that indeed, we are having a little boy! (I wanted to be sure before I let myself go shopping, since my last ultrasound was a little early.)

But the even better news is that the doctor decided to move up my due date to December 5th. I know it is just one week, but it’s all in my head and I feel better, so I guess that is all that matters. Ultimately, I know that I have no say as to when this baby comes and the due date means nothing whatsoever, but at least now I am in the first week of December.

I HAVE BABY!

First of all, I just wanted to publicly announce that I finished Harry Potter on Sunday, so those of you who have been waiting for the go-ahead before you posted your spoiler-full posts have free reign of the internet.

Now, on to a story from California.

The day before the wedding, Ronnie’s sisters and I decided to get manicures and pedicures. Due to my nail-biting habit (gross, I know) a manicure was pointless for me, but I was in love with the idea of a pedicure (never mind that I was actually wearing closed-toed shoes to the wedding.)

We went over to the nail place and three of us settled right in for our pedicures. I saw the lady turn on my sister-in-law’s (Aubrey) massager and Ronnie’s cousin’s (Maggie) massager, but she didn’t turn on mine. I figured she forgot.

So, Maggie kindly found the control on the side and pushed start. The machine had not been running for more than 10 seconds when the nail lady (NL1) runs from the other side of the store yelling, “No, No, NO! YOU HAVE BABY, YOU HAVE BABY!”

I had totally forgotten that I can’t have a massage unless it is a specific pregnancy massage. I apologized and continued to enjoy the massage that my feet were getting in the water.

A few minutes later a different nail lady (NL2) came to actually treat my feet. She noticed my massager was not on and turned it on. Instead of explaining everything to her and having another awkward conversation in broken English, I just turned it off.

She looked at me quizzically and asked, “You not like?”

Meanwhile NL1 had seen the whole thing from across the store and ran over again.

She was, of course, yelling. “SHE HAVE BABY, SHE HAVE BABY!” She then proceeded to give a stern lecture to NL2 in a language I am not privileged to know.

By this time, the entire store knew that I was pregnant and probably assumed that I was a complete idiot for turning on my massager twice.

And for the rest of the weekend, whenever one of Ronnie’s sisters would see me standing too long, etc they would yell. “YOU HAVE BABY, YOU HAVE BABY!”