A Fall Weekend Update

Hey!  I finally have a post that includes something other than pregnancy updates!  This past weekend I was able to go to a football game with Michael for his work.  He had a sales contest for his distributors and the winners got to tailgate and attend a Utah Utes game.  Normally I wouldn't get to go, but he had some guys back out last minute, so there was an open ticket for me. 

We got to the University of Utah around 9am to set up for tailgating for the 2pm game.  It was a perfect tailgating spot.  We grilled burgers and even used my little crock-pot with an inverter to make some rotel cheese dip, which for some reason was ah-mazing.  That must be due to pregnancy.  :-)  

It was a little bit of a walk to the game, but it was such a gorgeous day, that we didn't mind.  It was definitely tough walking back to the truck though!  It was all uphill and this pregnant lady is really starting to feel it. 

Unfortunately the Utes lost, but we had fun.  It was pretty hard for me to sit on bleachers for several hours.  We had to leave at the beginning of the fourth quarter because my lower back was not enjoying those bleachers. 

38 Weeks, Utah Utes Game

They let balloons go at half time, can you see the big mass of balloons above the flag?

On the way home, we saw a beautiful sunset!  It was a pretty great Saturday.  

Sunday we went to church and then I let Michael go for a bike ride.  I tried to go for a hike while he biked, but alas, no more hiking for me.  Just too difficult.  But I am happy that was able to hike as long as I did!

I am starting to get all the questions like "Aren't you so ready to have that baby? It could happen any day now", "I was dying at this point, aren't these last weeks terrible?", "Do you have your bags packed and ready?"  "Are you guys ready to have that baby?"

And my answer is yes, and no.  We are excited to meet our son or daughter, but we are not crazed by the fact we have to wait.  I did not expect to feel this way at this point.  I expected the anticipation of having this baby to be unbearable and that I would just be so ready.  I am excited, but also content to just let this baby come whenever it wants.  I am not feeling terrible.  I still feel really good and honestly, I have enjoyed being pregnant.

One of the ladies at the tailgate was shocked I was there because her son was two weeks early, so she already had a baby at that point.  And that is weird for me to think about!  I just don't feel like my body is ready to have the baby yet.  But I could be wrong!  Friday marks 39 weeks.  Thanks for walking in this journey with us!  I appreciate your prayers for a quick, safe labor!

Living in the Moment

This week has marked the realization for Michael and I that very soon we will go from a family of two, to a family of three.  And that adjustments and changes will need to be made.  These revelations have made us anxious and excited.  Our focus has shifted somewhat from our life right now to our life in 3-5 weeks as we prep for a baby.

In the midst of all this we have been saddled with additional stresses.  I am getting more emotional which comes with increasing hormones and less sleep while Michael deals with a lot of stress at his job while he tries to do the job of two men in a normal workweek (his coworker was let go).  My increasing need for his presence has been met with an empty house as he tries to accomplish everything that has been put on his task list.   And his stress becomes my stress, further pushing me into a more emotional state as my mind races during the night when I should be asleep.

I ordered some of my favorite children's books from Amazon the other day and when the package arrived, I flipped through each book lovingly and excitedly, imagining the day when I hold my child and read them that story.  This imagery and other imaginations fill my thoughts as I wash clothes, make lists, and perform any other kind of baby prep I can think of to occupy my time until my husband comes home.

This time occupation for me and busyness for Michael finally came to light this week.  We have both forgotten to live in this moment, to live in the now.  We keep looking ahead to when I deliver and Michael can take time off to be home with the baby and me.  But we need to not forget the time we have together right now.  It has been settling upon me the actualization that there will be no more "quick run to the store" or "stopping by Target."  I will be having this baby in the winter, which means it will be cold and my pediatrician has advised us not to leave the house unless we actually have to, since sickness reigns during the winter months.  Michael and I will not be able to just take a Saturday afternoon to go snowshoeing, or for a winter hike.  We will be a little housebound for awhile.  Because of this I have been feeling this increasing need to spend more time together out of the house.

We need to enjoy these days as they are, just the two of us.  Even with all the stress or lack of sleep, because each day is such a gift.  I keep being reminded of the verse in Matthew 6:25-34 where God speaks to us about not worrying and to "not take thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself."  And it will, and it will be God's perfect plan as according to Jeremiah 29:11.  I know God is orchestrating our lives right now.  We can't wait to meet our little bundle of Joy, but we can't forget the joy we have today, and everyday.  Michael and I love living an adventure, and having this baby is certainly going to be an adventure.  I want these last few weeks to be our adventure for just a little longer.  Baby, I am so excited to meet you, but tomorrow, your mama is going to live for tomorrow, because you will be here soon enough!

Random and Update

Well, hey there everyone.  This is just a random post, with some pics I missed and a super short update about our last weekend.    

This pic is from Big Bear a couple weeks ago with the lovely Bride-to-be!

Michael and I both got new tennis shoes last month.  Here are mine!  I know they are bright but they are so comfy!

Last weekend I went for a hike while Michael went for a bike ride.  There is just something so relaxing and centering about being up in the mountains on a trail.  I love it!

I finished Peanut's matching hat to go with his/her blanket.  Michael and I both have hats like this, so now baby does too!

I was feeling extra crafty after completing the hat so I picked up some cute fleece and flannel fabric on sale and found a patter online for a car seat canopy. It is the canopy you can attach to the handle of your car seat and covers the car seat as you move from the car to the house or car to store when it is cold or windy outside.  Since this baby is going to be so small during the winter, I figured it would be a handy thing to have.  I'll post a finished product photo after I finish.

We had a pretty lazy weekend!  Besides the hike we also had a kick off with our new small group that involved a picnic and campfire up one of the canyons.  Fun times!  I am so excited for this fall/winter and all the new relationships it brings, including the birth of our little one!

Random Labor Day Pics

Here are a couple random Iphone photos I didn't put up of when Mike's parents were in town last weekend over Labor Day.  On Labor Day, we went to Park City for their parade and the annual "running of the balls" where you can purchase golf balls with a number on them and then they run them down Main street in Park City.  The balls that make it down first win prizes. 

Michael and I felt like little kids again when we sat down to watch the parade.  Parades were so much fun when I was a kid!  I think the last time I went to a parade was during my undergrad in college.

They had these dinosaurs walk down the street during the parade which were really cool.  They were just costumes, but they were very lifelike.  You could rent them for parties and events.

We are also finally starting to see some fall colors!  Not too much yet though.  It is finally cooling off, which we are very happy about.

Dinosaurs!

Michael and I went to the Museum of Ancient Life last night. They have a deal right now for August, $2 Tuesdays. So of course tons of kids and families were there for that deal. So busy!  But fun. :-)

Parade of Homes and Hiking

This is just a post to share about our weekend.  One of Michael's old bosses bought us Utah Parade of Homes tickets, so we have been having a lot of fun looking at some nice, and then some ridiculous houses.  Some of them had indoor pools and basketball courts and were 12,000 SF+!  I didn't take a ton of pictures because I felt like it would be weird, but we say the most amazing backyard.  Look closely at the roof.  It has custom shingles!  This was a 2.7 million dollar house. We just really wanted the backyard and the kitchen.

Sorry if the pictures are too big, I only get some pre-set sizes for photos and they seem to be either too big, or too small.

Saturday morning, I went to a new prenatal yoga class and Michael went for a bike ride.  Saturday afternoon, Michael tried to play golf, but ended up never getting to play due to lightening.  I stayed home and baked a bunch of zucchini bread.

Sunday was church and then we finished registering for baby stuff.  After that, I really wanted to get outside so we went for a little hike.  It was the perfect length, just 1.5 miles each way to Catherine's pass.  This pass was the divider between Alta ski resort and Brighton ski resort.

Wow, you can see my belly now!

We just love being outside.  I wish I was a photographer, then you all could enjoy the beauty of the places we go with us!  But alas, I am not.
 

At the bottom of Alta, they had these fun old ski chairs.  The sun was not quite right though.

And that was our weekend!  I did not want it to end, it was so nice to relax and hang out together.  

Night in Park City

This week, Michael had a semi-formal dinner event at a house in Park City.  The host was the owner of one of his distributors.  Michael's boss let us get a hotel room up there after the dinner since Michael had to be back up there at 7am for a golf tournament.

I wore a new dress I got this week.  :-)  And thankfully I look pregnant now, so there was no guessing on the other guests part.  Now that would have been awkward.

It is always a little awkward going to these things because I don't know anybody at all, just Michael.  So sometimes it is hard to find conversation because I am not in sales or tools.  We usually talk about what they do and then go from there.  And can I say something?  Not to be mean, but it bothered me.  Not one person asked me what I do.  Not one.  I guess that is a cultural thing here because so many women stay home with their kids, not that this is a bad thing.  It looks like I will be a stay at home mom, but that never happened to me in Denver.  Mike would introduce me and we'd all chat and then the person would ask what I do.  I just think it is sad and interesting that 1) people think being a stay at home mom is not worth talking about or even asking about and 2) they automatically assume that because I am a women and I am pregnant, I do not have a job or a title outside of home.  But it was still fun.  And the area was so pretty and the weather was perfect!

We couldn't find our hotel at first.  Michael knew it was a Hilton Hotel, but they all have different names.  They aren't called "the Hilton", it is Sunrise Lodge, or Grand Summit.  He could not remember the name of the hotel, so we ended up at the wrong one before we found the right one.  Our hotel was right at the base of Canyon's resort, which is ski in/ski out, so the lift was right there.  The room had a little porch, which we sat looking at the mountains.  It was actually chilly and we had to move inside, neither one of us thinking to bring coats since it is always in the 90s down in Salt Lake.

We had to get up really before six to get Michael fed (well, mostly me fed :-) and to the course by 7am, the golf course was about a 1/2 hour away.  It was amazing to sip coffee (decaf! :-) and eat my breakfast bagel in the chilly morning air.  It would have been neater if there was a sunrise, but some clouds had to be burned off first.  It was a fun little getaway for the two of us, even if it was only for a night.  We keep getting told that we need to do a all the getaways we can before this baby is born.  

Weekend Worthy

I called this post "weekend worthy" because it is not "weekend worthy."  Why?  Because we have been so lame lately.  Sorry for the lack of adventures.  Michael has been having to work so much and be gone during the day, or traveling so much that when he gets home and finally has a weekend, he needs to relax and rest up at the house.  

He was actually out of town all last week, so I had a lovely week of work, shopping, reading, cleaning, and walking.  

I found a maternity tank at Kohl's for only $4.50.  Not sure why I took a photo, I was probably just bored. :-)

On one of my walks I saw a beaver in the little river by our town home.

And when I had lunch at Olive Garden with a girl that I met here in Utah and her little 3 month old, these beautiful purple flowers were outside!  I love them!

See, wasn't that lame?

Well, the weekend gets a little bit better.

I went for a hike and Michael went mountain biking Saturday morning.  Then Saturday afternoon, we went and watched the tour of Utah on Saturday afternoon.  We found a watch party area with tents and chilled there to watch the riders go by.

He's winning!!

These guys are amazing athletes!  The day we watched the tour, they had to ride 126 miles, with 10,000+ feet of climbing! And they have been riding between 50-100 miles every day for 5 days!  They looked so tired at the end when we watched the podium presentation.

Sunday we went to church and then went to Worship 2013 at the capital.  It is a city wide outdoor worship event.

It was really weird how small it was.  Heaven Fest and other outdoor worship events in Colorado are so huge!  There was probably only a couple hundred people instead of a couple thousand.  We had a good time though, and it was nice to get out of the house.

Utah State Capitol

There you go, that was our week and weekend.  Hopefully we'll be more adventurous soon.

Bassnectar

With all the rush of moving, I forgot about some photos I took from the concert we went to Friday night before we skipped town.  

We went to the Bassnectar concert at Red Rocks.  Michael has loved this group for awhile (it is electronic music if you are wondering) and when we saw they were at Red Rocks we decided to splurge.  Also, it was my sister's birthday in May, so we took her and her boyfriend for her birthday.  It was a great going away event and it was nice to see them again before we headed out.  

Tailgating before the concert

A girl stopped at where we were sitting before the concert and gave my sister and I some face paint, fun stuff!  :-)

It was fun, and no, I didn't overexpose the baby.  I was a little worried about the noise and vibration, but my doctor was okay with it since my baby can't hear yet.  She also said to not stand by the speakers and to just not overdo it.  And we did leave early since we are so old.  :-)

The Utah "Crib"

I had a couple people ask to see pictures of our new place, so I took some of the inside of our townhome.

Here is a shot of the kitchen, we actually have more cabinet space here then we did at our house.

This is the shot of when you walk in the front door.  There is a half bath to the right of where I am standing to take this pic.  You walk forward into the living room.

When you are in the living room, you can see right into the kitchen and the attached dining room.

Then you go up the stairs and if you look to the right, you see our loft area, extra bath and extra bedroom.

Looking from the loft direction.

Here is our bedroom, don't mind the mess.

My favorite part, the huge closet!!

And a large bathroom, which is so nice.  We were pretty tight before.

I am really happy with the place we picked.  I feel like we actually have more space then we did in Denver, although we have less square feet here.  We are also really close to a bunch of trails, which Michael has been exploring extensively.  I even went for a mountain bike ride with him yesterday!  I kept it safe though, so don't worry.

I didn't take a picture of the front of our townhome because it is nothing spectacular and we really are sandwiched in here with our neighbors.  We don't really hear them though.

So there you go!  I will try to get some pictures up of our adventures soon.

Memorial Day 2013

I really had to relax this Memorial Day weekend after my trip to Montreal. I was so exhausted and overwhelmed. And a very relaxing weekend it was. Specifically, my friend G took me canoeing on Evergreen Lake, so awesome, beautiful, and relaxing. Then we walked into town and had some amazing pizza at Beau Joe's.  Great day!

Weekends

This weekend I went down to Colorado Springs to visit my friend H.  She was my dorm mate in college my freshman year at CSU.  We went to Hacienda Colorado for dinner.

And had some amazing fried ice cream for dessert!

Then on Saturday morning I headed up to Westcliffe to visit my family!  We went out to the lake and hiked around on Saturday afternoon.

And on Sunday, we went to church and then came home to a nice lunch and an afternoon of games.

I also had to watch my little sis train her dog for agility.  She loves animals and shows her dog in 4H.

And of course, you always have to visit the goats when you visit my parents place.  :-)

Great weekend!  I feel so lucky I got to make a trip back out there before Salt Lake City!