31 August, 2012

Camping Champions

Kevin and I love to camp and it just so happens that my parents own a fishing resort in Oregon and it has some of the best camping spots.  Kev and I had the brilliant idea of putting together a little camping adventure and inviting some of our favorite people to join us (minus our Schelubes as a trip from Boston might be asking a little much).

So here is the story.  Erin, 6 months pregnant, and I, 6 months pregnant decided to venture down to East Lake before our hubbys were off work. And, surprisingly we only stopped once for a pee break.  We stopped at  Ray's Food Place which may have been a bad idea because EVERYTHING looked delicious and we didn't have our nagging husbands with us to stop us from eating a bunch of crap! For example I decided a Pizza Stick was a good idea, which it was. 

 Anyways, we made it to East Lake in one piece.  With our tummys full we decided we would have our campsite all ready for when the boys pulled in!
Look, we lite built a fire!  Rob who? Oh, OK.  Maybe one of the Resort workers build our fire.  But we lite it!

And look, we put up the tent!  Ok, maybe Katie and Michael helped a little.  But, just a LITTLE

Happy Campers sitting around the fire we lite built.

When the boys pulled up at 9:00pm to see a fire going, tent set up and dinner ready to heat, they must have been impressed!

Friday night was a success.  Lots of adventures were planned for Saturday!

Leandre was the first in the water hoping to catch some dinner.
The rest of us tried to thaw by the fire.  I was a COLD first night!  Especially for those who get up a million times a night to pee.
Cousin Katie and me!
Jesse cooking up some breakfast grub.  Can you see Leandre still in the water?
 After we were all fed and somewhat warm.  The girls headed out for a hike and the boys grabbed their fishing poles!
Paulina Falls
Obsidian Flow
I didn't think it was warm enough.  But, Kev and Leandre went for a swim!
The rest of us watching the crazy kids in the water
Kevin teaching baby Richie to swim.  Richie peed on Kyle in the middle of the night.  I think it was because Richie heard Kyle liked cats.
After lunch the boys headed off to try and catch us some dinner.  Us girls went to the cafe to grab a drink.  Erin and her horse dog made friends.  And then he swiped their hamburger later because he thought they liked him so much!
How do you think they did at providing dinner?!
Success!
Look at all those fish!
Sweet puppy Richie snuggling with Bobby!



I hope these picture help show how much fun we had.  And, I really think that EVERYONE had fun, I hope... oh well, if not, I had a BLAST!

30 August, 2012

26 Weeks

It was a HUGE awakening for me when my friend Erin informed me that I only had three, 3, tres, months until this little girly pops out (right, that's what happens?  The baby pops right out of me?)!!

Kev and I better get on it!  Right now all she has in her room are a few adorable outfits (thank you friends and family) and a rug!!  Oh and her name...we don't know...we can't decided.

Three months, I don't know if I am ready for life to change so dramatically.  But, I guess I should have thought of that before Kev and decided to have a little "fun" one night!  YIKES!  See you in three months, baby!

Wanna know why I think she is going to pop out? Check out the first couple seconds of this video.  Please excuse my piglet bellybutton!!
 She was much more wild until I turned the camera on.... how does she know?!!

17 August, 2012

half a year

Pretty nutz-o that I have been pregnant for 6 months already!  Oh, and I was thrilled to hear it will be several months after the babe is born that the dreaded "monthly gift" will show its ugly face again!  
Definitely a plus side to pregnancy!

Though I am FINALLY seeing the positives of pregnancy; feeling baby move, my hair is fuller, all the extra help/attention you get from EVERYONE (it's amazing actually how nice everyone is to a pregnant lady).  Even though my morning sickness is gone I am finding there are still a few down sides to pregnancy. I know I am not alone in this issue, I have talked to a lot of girls who have experienced the same thing while pregnant.  Still, I don't know how to talk myself out of the strange body image issues I am experiencing..
my face describes it all
When you step onto a scale in your home you hope to see the numbers drop.  Well, that feeling does not go away when you step on to the scale at your OB's office.  It is a strange feeling to be scolded with the scale goes down or stays the same. They want to see a weight gain, you don't want to see much of one.

It is a strange feeling to not fit into any of your clothes and the clothes that do fit, fit weird. I refused to buy maternity clothes.  I refused to buy a new bra.  But, when I am frantically undressing each night because I feel like I am going to bust my clothes at the seam (which has happened...) or that my bra's underwire is going to cut my boob off... I finally gave into the world of Motherhood Maternity. Thank you for Kev and Mom for helping me through this treacherous hurdle!

Can anyone tell me why so many maternity clothes are butt ugly?  I mean, we pregnancy gals already don't feel at the top of our sexy game and to put us in patterned tents and bras that look like turtlenecks isn't really helping us feel the pregnancy glow!

I wish I could just be excited that my growing body is holding a growing baby.  But, when I read she is only weighing about 1lbs right now, I wonder what the extra 9lbs are for!! I decided, weight feels like weight.  If you are growing a human or not!

When Kev and I were looking at my prego pictures from the last few months we both exclaimed at Weeks 14...we both forgot that there was a time that I didn't have a tummy!  But, on man, look at her grow!



09 August, 2012

So long, 1225.

Well, last night was our last night in our downtown apartment. We made a downtown night of it!  We walked to the Pearl and enjoyed a dinner at Trader Vic's. Super fun atmosphere and the weather was warm enough to eat in their open air dining! 
Look how yummy the food was! You can just tell by the was it looks that it was a party in our mouth!

From there we headed to moonstruck chocolates, and finished the night at Powell's Book store. I was trying to top off the night with a little Salt and Straw but Kev wasn't buying it.  It was pushing 9:30pm when we left Powell's and we are old timers. 

We crawled onto our blow up mattress, compliments of Kev's lungs (oops, we forgot to charge the electric pump) and slept our last night in our very first apartment together.
 Early this morning we headed to Besaw's and reminised over the last 5 times that we met there! Crazy it has been so many already!  We couldn't even remember all of our visits!  I am kicking myself that we haven't taken a picture every year!

The date of handing in our keys was actually PERFECT. Every August 9th Kevin and I head to Besaw's in NW Portland to celebrate the day Kevin FINALLY asked me out!(If you want more of an explanation read here.  Basically, in my mind Kev took about two years too long to ask me out!)  Anyways, August 9th, 2008 we meet for breakfast for our first date at Besaw's and we remember it every year by going back to the same spot.  So, today, August 9th, we said our goodbye while remembering our start.  Pretty cool, huh?

We enjoyed our delicious breakfast as always, walked back to our apartment, packed up our last few items and thanked the Lord for our time there.  As Kev prayed for that home I was a big cry baby.  We really loved that house.  We had so many fun memories.  We will always remember our first place.
I really dislike this picture.  If Kev wasn't in such a hurry to get to work I would have made us retake it!

Bye 1225, it was so so fun!!


08 August, 2012

A Blue Adventure

With all the moving that has been happening over the last few weeks poor little Blue has been neglected. Wait, do you even remember who Blue is?  Read about my new friend here!

Last night Blue and I finally rekindled our friendship and love.  (well, I don't really love her on hills...she kind of sucks at them).

Kev found a trail in our new city...Vantucky, I mean, Vancouver.  He needed to get a 6 mile run under his belt and I needed to dust off Blue.  The trail for the night was Burnt Bridge trail.  I tried my best to capture our little ride/run. Enjoy!

Pretty NW

Bridge, Burnt Bridge possibly.  This picture is blurry because I am TERRIBLE at riding one handed.
I passed Kev-0 on blue.  We must look like the funniest pair of runner/cruisers.

Found this little gem right close to our house.  We will be going back for some peaches!!

this is when the view started to get good!!

Blue really sucks at hills.  I am not just saying I suck at going up hills, Blue doesn't cruise up hills.  Oh, and I found out I not only suck riding one handed.  I suck riding standing up.  Which doesn't help the hill situation. Kev took her up the hill while I ran.  Running the hill was seriously easier.

We explored our new town.  Spent time together, exercised and still agreed that Blue was the best idea we had in a long time!  Well, besides the few times we ended up on busy main roads, going up hill, no bike lane, no helmet. Can you picture me on Blue?  Had to be a site.

07 August, 2012

Suburbia

Portland has been experiencing some pretty wonderful summer weather.  Last night Kev and I took full advantage of it!  After we both got home from work we opened every windows in the house (partly because I am still trying to air out the dog smell the last owner left us, so nice.)  and Kev fired up our BBQ.  This was super exciting because we haven't been able to use our BBQ since we got it over two years ago.  We haven't had a yard or patio until now and we busted it out for last night's dinner!  While I watched over our grilling meal Kev decided to rid our property of all the SPIDERS!! I seriously think our home might be a commune for all spiders in the neighborhood, they are EVERYWHERE! But, not to worry, Kev-0 went to home depot!  Oh, and if you know Kev-0, you know that yard/house maintenance is probably one of the most exciting things to ever happen to him.



Just as Kev finished his spider hunt the food was ready! We sat on our patio, ate our delicious meal and enjoyed the Portland summer!  As we finished up, I went inside to clean the dishes and Kev went outside to adjust the sprinklers...yes, and he loved that too!  We actually sat for a while listening to the different sprinkler zones turn on and off just as Kev has so perfectly programmed!  After Kev came in from working on his sprinkler master piece he brought in with him a large piece of frozen salmon....apparently we have some very nice neighbors behind us that just got back from Alaska.   It took us almost three years to become friends with our neighbors in Portland.


I hate to admit it.  The burbs are growing on me.

03 August, 2012

Burbs Bound

Last Saturday we said goodbye to the city and hello to suburbia.  And, all of last week we spent every night packing up our little apartment and going through all of our crap stuff trying to decide what to keep, what to pack and what to pitch!

Kevin, being one of the most positive people I know, was whistling as he packed, laughing at stuff he found and having a jolly ole' time.  I, on the other hand, was often found standing in the kitchen in sheer stress and horror!  I had NO idea how I was going to pack up our kitchen! And,where was everything coming from? And, why was everything sooooo heavy?!!  Kevin even caught me sitting on the floor reading the newspaper I was supposed to be using to carefully wrap the kitchen items in.  I was not into this move to say the least!  But, just like everything does, it all got done.

Good bye closest!
We were fortunate enough not to have to pay for a rental truck.  My work owns one that we got to borrow!
hahahaha! Look at our ride!
Dan came over and helped Kev move all our boxes and furniture into the truck.  Apparently, when you become pregnant you become cripple as well.  Dan made it very clear that we weren't organized enough for his liking!  Hahaha- oh, Danny Boy!  Thank you, big brother!



The truck was loaded and we said goodbye to the city and headed to the burbs!  Sniff sniff!

I learned unloading the truck was WAY faster than loading it!  But, then I soon learned unpacking is the worst of all!
Last thing off the truck!

We ended our night doing very suburban things. We stopped by wal-mart and grabbed dinner at Taco Bell and finished everything off with a milkshake from Burger King!  Don't judge, the burbs make you do crazy things!




02 August, 2012

22 Weeks

Well, it is happening, 22 weeks and the morning sickness is finally gone!  Not 100% but enough were I am remembering that is ISN'T normal to feel sick ALL.THE.TIME!

When it happened I didn't want to say anything to any one.  I was afraid if the morning sickness knew I noticed it was slacking on its job, it would come back full force!  But, then I realized I need to give thanks for this! Sing to the mountain tops. Praise the Lord and rejoice in this moment of RELIEF!

So, here I am! Thank you, Lord!

While, I am at it, here are a couple other things about pregnancy that I am grateful for:
1. No ache on my face
2. No sign of stretch marks (this may come later but I am so glad they haven't shown their face yet!)
3. The ability to eat food again
4. The ability to look at my Cooking Light magazines again
5. The ability to cook meals for Kev-o and his big ole' stomach!
6. Hearing everyone's baby girl name recommendations.  Some are VERY amusing.  Kev's having some of the best!
7. Feeling the little wiggle worm in my tummy right before I go to sleep!
8. Hearing Kev yell every time he feels a big kick or punch
9. Being surrounded my so many thoughtful, caring and supportive people
10. The adorable baby clothes that are starting to accumulate


Thank you, Lord for all the blessings!  Oh, and we are moved!  Still settling in but moved in and sleeping at the new house!

I will get the move pictures up soon!

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I know, I always look like a crazy picture!  Kev- tell me to use a brush next time!