One Shining Moment...

I have to say, in my very educated pics for the bracket, I picked Kansas to win it all! Should've gone to Vegas! (Eric picked them to win it all too but we fill out our brackets seperately and can't peek until they're filled in!) Thankfully he did go to Vegas...just kidding!

Spring Break Re-Cap

Well, it's over...Spring Break has ended! But, no worries...only 2 weeks of work and then...Maternity Leave!!! Wow, is it really that soon? Anyway...here's a week in review. Last Sunday, Eric and I went to USC to catch a Spring Football Practice. It was fun to see all the big football players up close and I was in awe of how many there were! How they keep them organized is beyond me. Anyway, the exciting thing was we met Pete Carroll!

Monday and Wednesday were my scrapbooking days and I feel like I am finally making some progress. I really need to get caught up before the baby arrives and I have a whole new book to undertake! Tuesday, I went to Redlands to hang out with my parents and sisters. My mom and sisters and I went to get pedicures and then went out to lunch! It was such a nice day and so fun to hang out with them. Kelly and Cameron also stopped by my parents' house and it was great to see them! Thursday I got a massage (thanks Mom & Dad S.) and just kind of ran errands. Eric took Friday off and we headed down to San Diego for the weekend. We went to Sea World on Friday and then just kind of explored San Diego on Saturday. It was a nice weekend away and really weird to think that it's our last without a kid in our lives...whether or not they are with us!

On Friday, our great friends, Keith & Carmen, had their baby! A healthy boy, Lucas Robert. Carmen and I have gone through our pregnancy together and it was killing Eric and me that we didn't get to meet him right away so we stopped this morning on our way home. He is a beautiful baby and I couldn't be more excited for them! They didn't know what they were having either so now we are VERY curious if ours will be a playmate with Lucas or a wife!

My First Shower!

This last weekend, my sister-in-law, Karen, and my 2 good friends, Carmen & Kelly threw a shower for me and our baby! It was a perfect shower and I loved every minute of it! I felt so blessed and overwhelmed by the generosity of all who came. My mom and sisters also came down for it so that meant a lot too! We were all sitting in my living room after the shower and that's the first time we've all been together in MY house! It's so much easier for Eric and I to just go out there. However, I think things might change a little after this little one arrives! Anyway, it has been so fun putting everything away and making everything have a place in the baby's room! It makes me all the more eager to meet this little life growing inside me!

The beautiful hostesses, Kelly, Carmen, Karen

Julie, Jill, Jani, Mom

Eric's Mom and sister Karen

So, a big thank you to the girls who threw it! It was perfect! On Sunday, we were in Redlands for the dedication of our neice, Maria. My sister, Julie, and her husband got Maria when she was 1 day old and her adoption was just finalized in February, a year and a half later! We are all so excited that she is a permanent member of our family and that no one can take her away! Sunday afternoon, there was a party to celebrate!

On a different note, I only have 5 more teaching weeks left! Isn't that crazy! I have Spring Break in there too and my plan is to take off 2 weeks before my due date which is April 25. I can't believe how quickly time is going. As you can see in the above photos, my belly is continuing to grow, it seems more and more rapidly! According to my dad, I'm going to fall over by the time I have this baby! Thanks, Dad!

Painting Day & an 80's Party

Yesterday was a busy one! We decided it was time to paint the baby's room so we could finally put the furniture in and where we wanted it and so the room could finally stop looking so cluttered! So, Eric's parents along with his sister and neice came over to help! Eric and his dad actually painted the whole thing and it looks great! We are doing a beachy theme so we just painted a neutral tan but it totally makes a difference and lets the white furniture pop a little more than just the barren, white walls it was before! Then, we put the furniture where it goes and I even put up the bumper just to see what it will all look like! It is so fun to actually have a baby's room coming along for OUR baby! I will post pictures once we have a little more going on in the room so you can get a feel for it! My next project is finding some material because I want to make the cribskirt and a couple other accenty type things for the room! It's fun though and it feels good to have that major project done!

Last night was an 80's party for my friend Erin's 30th Birthday! Eric and I defintely won best dressed as there were some party poopers who opted not to dress up but we had a fun time!

The Birthday Girl, Erin, and I



Doesn't this look like a classic 80's prom picture!

We look like two 18 year olds who chose poorly one night!

Today has been a nice day of just getting things done before the week begins again. It's been SO hot here so we took a bike ride to enjoy the weather and I now feel beat! I've had a stupid cold for 2 weeks and I think I'm finally on the up hill battle with that...oh how I miss Nyquil!

I do need to mention that last weekend I got to spend some great time with my friend, Kristen, from Washington! It was so great to see her and catch up in person! It always feels like we've never been apart once we see eachother and I so appreciate that about her! She is one of my favorite people and I SO miss her living in California! I played hooky from church Sunday morning and we had a great breakfast at Mimis! With everyone she needs to see when she comes to California, I truly appreciate the time I get to spend with her and it leaves me anticipating the next time I get to see her! Sorry I don't have a picture to post...I brought my camera and everything and just plain forgot to get a picture!

Palm Springs

This weekend, we headed out to Palm Springs with our friends Keith and Carmen. We were able to stay at Carmen's parents' condo so it was a nice free weekend! We left Friday night and actually had nice weather Saturday morning. We laid by the pool and swam some laps and it felt so good in the sun! It was SO hard to not lounge in the hottub! Also, because I'm pregnant mainly in the winter, I don't have a maternity bathing suit. So, I dug through a box of my sisters' old stuff and found one in there to wear. I didn't try it on before we left because I honestly thought it would be WAY too cold to do any bathing suit wearing! I ALMOST put in one of my normal bathing suits just in case but didn't! So, Saturday morning, it's sunny and we want to go to the pool...I put on the suit and quickly learned that elastic somehow deteriorates over time! It was one of those things if you pulled too hard, you heard the brittle elastic break. Luckily, this hot number of a bathing suit had a skirt attatched to it! So, the loose, "did she just poop her pants?" bottom was covered up and I held my head high and went out to the pool! In the pool, it just continued to get looser and looser and I was more and more thankful for the skirt! In the end, it worked... it covered what it needed to, and I got to swim but I will NEVER wear that again!

Watch out Mrs. America Swimsuit Competition...this is one hot number!

Eric dominated on the golf cart!

After a relaxing morning, we dropped the boys off at a casino and then did a little shopping...I wasn't looking for anything in particular and made no purchases but it was still fun. We went to Black Angus for dinner to use some gift cards (thanks Keith and Carmen!) and went home and played some games. We left this morning and stopped at my parents for a quick visit and then headed home! It was a nice, relaxing weekend and we all had a great time!

Our only group picture...Keith, Carmen, me and Eric

So much to say...

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their 2008 so far. Last week it was back to reality as school started up again. It was actually a good week back but just having to wake up again everyday was a little tough. Our Christmas was a good one! We celebrated Christmas Eve at our house with Eric's family and then had Christmas dinner with them Christmas Day. We didn't celebrate Christmas with my family until January 4, when all my sisters were back from their in-laws. On Christmas Eve Day, we had our 20 week ultra sound. It was so much fun to see so much more than the first one and we resisted any temptation to find out what our little pumpkin is! It is moving more and more and it is so fun for Eric to be able to be more a part of it all, actually getting to feel it kick.

The profile of our little pumpkin

Truly Eric's child..."pull my finger!"

Little legs and feet

Over our break, we also went to Las Vegas with our friends Chris and Kelly. We had a really fun time getting away and Kelly and I had a great shopping trip along with learning to play a little blackjack...with the boys coaching us! I don't think I would dare sit a table by myself to play although I did do pretty good! We have also had fun starting to get things a little bit ready for the baby's room. Our second room has been our office, guest room, junk room for the last 2 years so we were able to get organized and get things ready to be painted in there. Eric also painted an old dresser white to match the other furniture so I can continue to keep some of my stuff still in there! We also registered so things are starting to feel so much more real! It's so fun preparing for the arrival. I'm at 23 weeks now and I feel like time is flying since Christmas has passed! Here's a pretty horrible picture of me but you can kind of see my growing belly...I feel like it is so much bigger than it looks here!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's embarassing...I've almost been gone a month. I'll try to do better! Anyway, my Mom celebrated her 70th birthday on Saturday! We had a big birthday tea party for her with her closest friends and 3 of her sisters from Iowa flew out to surprise her! We had such a fun time pulling a fast one on my mom. I took off from work on Friday and was there to help my sisters (who did pretty much all of the planning) with the decorating and last minute stuff! My dad took my mom away Friday night and my sisters and I went to pick up my aunts from the airport. Saturday morning when my mom arrived to her party, who was sitting at the table?...her sisters! It was so much fun!

Me with my 3 sisters and my 3 aunts

Jen, Jill, Mom, Julie, Jani

So, in the above picture, you see my mom and you might be saying...there's no way she's 70! I agree! I think my mom looks so great! I think she needs to be in one of those articles like 50 is the new 30, well 70 is the new 50! I am so thankful for my mom and that I get to talk to her everyday! She is truly the greatest mom in the world and everyday I thank God for her!

Onto some baby updates...I believe I felt movement this past weekend! It has to be it because I've felt it a few times and even if it's not it, I think it is and I guess that's what matters! Also, today was the first day someone asked me if I was expecting! One of my students' parents asked. I definitely know that I'm starting to show but I still don't think it's obvious enough to be questioned...what if I was just putting on a little extra holiday weight? Anyway, I guess it kind of confirmed that the bump is not just something those who know see anymore!