Road Trip

It was 5:30pm on Friday night. We were at the kids VBS celebration when Kevin brought up the idea that maybe we should drive to Arizona that very night! If you know me in the least, you know that isn't how I work. I take 2 weeks to book a flight, 4 days to pack, and a week just to clean the house out to leave. So, I was hesitant to say the least. 

I was 35 1/2 weeks pregnant and called the after hours line for my doctor. I had to talk with a different doctor who gave us permission to go, as long as we got out to stretch and move around every hour and that we were home by Thursday (my 36 week mark).

So, by 7 pm we were home from church, packing up the car, and drove away at 8pm: Destination Phoenix....

We stopped about 1am in Las Vegas, New Mexico (it's nothing like Vegas) and slept until 7am. On the road by 8am. We drove along I-40 avoiding the semi-trucks and were happy when we finally hit Flagstaff. We met up with my Mom, Grandma, and Aunt at McDonald's in Cordes Junction. Had a small break and drink and made it to Phoenix about 4pm.

It was a surprise 90th birthday party for Kevin's Grandpa and we made it shortly after it started. The kids jumped into the pool within minutes and we were so happy to be on our feet again!

We stayed only until Tuesday, but packed our time while we were there. We had breakfast with Grandma Sheryl, dinner with Granny, lots of pool time and an evening with Grandpa and Grandma Betts at Peter Piper Pizza. 

One of the highlights was when Uncle Bryan took us all to the fire department. The kids got to climb all over the trucks and even go for a ride around the neighborhood. Big Brother got to sit in the front and talk to the rest of the kids through his own headset! They came back and got to spray the fire hose. They sure think Uncle Bryan is pretty special!

So, after 2 1/2 days of fun and family, we packed up and headed home. We drove North through Arizona and stopped in Moab for the night. I felt a bit like Mary when there were no rooms available in the first few hotels we tried. We found a place and were grateful for some rest. We got home Wednesday, a day before my deadline. Surprisingly, there was a message waiting from my doctor making sure all was well. I guess she wasn't too happy with our last minute decision after all! 

Oh, well! No harm done. We're home and the boys loved our adventure and time away. I can't help but  think how God put Kevin and I together to help me grow. If it were left up to me alone, life would be structured, organized and probably boring. I'm grateful for the ways he brings adventure and excitement to our family. (I'm also grateful the baby wasn't born in a bathroom along the highway too!)

Baby Update, Vegas, and More

Being forever behind on the things I have to do and leaving no time for the things I want to do? I hope this isn't my new normal. Ever since I got pregnant I rarely pick up the camera. If I do, the pictures just sit there until I (rarely) get a second wind once the boys are in bed. Then, I download them. Every so often, I actually edit them and even fewer make it to the blog these days!

Today is just one of those days when I got the second wind and a few minutes of quiet to post a quick update.

On Leap Day (Feb 29) we found out we are going to be the proud parents of Baby BOY #3! We had a full room and a grouchy ultrasound tech, so there weren't any photos of the moment. However, I still want to remember the day. Kevin, my mom, and the boys were all there. We were so excited to find out whether this was Littlest Brother or Little Sister. The grouchy tech didn't even make it fun and just passed over it like it was a kidney! In fact, the boys didn't even hear her, so I had to repeat it. That's when Little Brother exclaimed, "It's like all my wishes have come true!" I didn't even know he was hoping so strongly for a Littler Brother!

Everything checked out well- he's growing well, got all the parts, and has a cute profile and feet!

The next day, Kevin and I headed to Las Vegas for a little getaway. My mom graciously stayed with the boys, spoiled them, tired them out and loved on them for 4 days, while we whooped it up in Vegas (as much as you can when you are 5 months pregnant!) And, just like I explained in the intro to this blog, I didn't take pictures of our trip. Kevin took one on his iPhone of me and an old teaching buddy I was able to reconnect with. So, here's my 5 month belly shot in front of Caesar's Palace!

Vegas was a fun time. We stayed at the Cosmopolitan. Ate at some great places: Hash House A Go Go (mmmm!), Cabo Wabo Cantina, Earl of Sandwich, Taqueira Canonita, and much more! Eating was somewhat of a hobby for us! We saw the Cirque du Soleil "O" show. It was absolutely amazing: every act got better and more amazing. Those people are seriously talented! We even sat just a few rows behind Owen Wilson and his date. My kids were rather impressed since they love the Cars Movies! Had some nice weather to lay out by the pool. I'm glad there were no cameras for that!!! I also gambled for the first time ever. We made $2 at the Roulette table after an hour. Then, Kevin talked me into trying BlackJack. I was terrified. I started with $60 and made $65 in less than 15 minutes. I had amazing luck, getting 20 and 21 on almost every hand. I figured my luck would run out soon and the rude drunk guys blowing smoke at me was enough- so I walked away with my winnings. Kevin says I didn't play BlackJack. He says they paid me to sit at the table. Nonetheless, it was fun!

And for the last update: I'm now a little over 24 weeks pregnant. Tonight the boys came down with pillows in their shirts pretending to have babies in there. It was a good reminder that I have very few belly photos so far, so we got out the camera to document the growth! The baby is kicking a lot. Most nights when I read to the boys he really gets crazy. The boys love to feel him kick and I think it makes it a little more real to them. They like to come up with names for him too. Let's just say I hope they let their future wives name their children some day!

As for me, I am feeling really good at this point. I am working hard to "recollect" all the baby gear I got rid of this summer. I have been hitting up Craigslist, Goodwill, and garage sales like crazy. It's fun to see what kind of bargains I can find. I have also finally succumbed to wearing maternity clothes. I had it in my crazy mind that I could just get away with my own stuff for the whole 9 months! I made it 6 months, but now I am opting for the comfy stuff! (Who was I kidding anyways?!)

Family Photos!

While I was in AZ, I got the chance to do some family photography for my family! I love taking photos for other people and despite the ridiculous temperatures, we got some cute ones!

First, my niece's 8 month photos, shot in a make shift "studio" area in the corner of a hotel room!

You gotta love those rolls!

Next, was my brother and sister-in-laws adorable family in the midday heat of 110 outside a fire station...

Too cute!

And lastly, our newest niece and her amazing mom and dad!

I love taking photos and my kids get really sick of it, so I jump at the chance to do photos for others, especially our family! Love you guys!

Arizona- Part 3

The last part of our trip was spent in the water! Kevin's mom has a pool and lives off a "lake". We took a boat ride every night with Big Brother as the captain and swam all day! They had so much fun with all their cousins! It makes it hard to leave every time...

Big Brother learned to dive while he was here!

Good Bye Heat, Good Bye Summer! Until next year :)

Arizona: Part 2

After our 2 days in Flagstaff, we continued to visit family in Phoenix.

We met Grandma Sheryl at a new play place at Desert Ridge. The boys enjoyed the slides and both tried a rock climbing wall for the first time.

Then, Grandma Sheryl treated them to a bag of candy- anything they wanted. Little Brother was like a kid in a candy store.... (lame joke, I know!)

We got to see our nephew for a quick dinner before he left with his mom back to Minnesota. Here he is with one of the kids' favorite uncles!

We also got a fun night of bowling and dinner with Grandpa Toothpicks and Grandma Jackie. 

I'll probably get in trouble for showing the scoreboard and how my dad was beaten by his 3 year old grandson, but it is worth the risk!

And a little photo to remember why we call him Grandpa Toothpicks! 

Enjoying the heat

I snuck to Arizona with the boys about a week ago. Kevin was backpacking in the Grand Tetons and then off on a business trip. So, I packed us up and we hit the road (well, the air- we flew). We spent 8 days visiting family. The first couple of days we ended up in Flagstaff to visit my sister and her family, and then, we spent the rest boiling in Phoenix. Here are some of the highlights from Flagstaff! More to come soon.

(Still getting that creepy digitized look on my photos when I upload them to my blog. Oh well!)