Jumping on

Just jumping on the "elfing" bandwagon. so funny...I can't even stand it. :) A definite "Must See"

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1310158819

Games

For some reason, I am in a playful mood today, so I thought I would entertain you with a fun little game. Its called

Now you see it....

and Now you don't! :)






And in case anyone was wondering what a house can look like after its been robbed.....

But I'm grateful.....because it could have been much much worse. And besides, I've learned a lot.

For instance, I always wondered what my dog would do in some kind of emergency. And now I know......ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

I've also learned:

• locks only keep honest people out
• don't delete pictures off your camera unless you have a back up copy somewhere safe
• don't wait to make that back up copy!!
• bad things don't always happen to "other people"
• insurance companies always assume you are lying
• Sometimes having a friendly dog that never barks ISN'T a great thing

• It could be worse
• Don't save 4 years worth of loose change in a big bucket with a handle. This makes it very easy for someone to walk out with you vacation fund.
• apparrently, thieves love posters of Bob Marley as much as my husband did
• They never steal the things you actually WANT to get rid of.

I think we'll just chalk this up to one of those fun life lessons, and move on. :)

robbed

I'm sure everyone has used the expression "I was robbed!" I know I have....when shooting basketballs and it ALMOST made it in, but not quite, or when Mike just BARELY beats me at Monopoly, or any other game. Well, this is no longer just an expression around our house.

We Literally were ROBBED!!!

It happened on Tuesday, before Thanksgiving. I was out shopping and running my all important errands that needed to be done before we left for St. George. ( You know...get a new pedicure, buy a cute swimsuit, etc.) :) Well, I was at Macys shopping when Mike called on his way home from school. We were just chatting when all of a sudden he mentioned that I had left the garage door open.

"No...I certainly did not leave the garage door open." I said. Then he said .....well, I better not write on here what he ACTUALLY said...but let me know in very strong words that all his tools in the garage, as well as camping, hiking, rock climbing and sports equipment were missing as well. Oh...and they also took his framed poster of Bob Marley. Go figure.

Well, thats not the worst of it. I thought it was my fault, because I assumed I actually HAD left the garage door open. but when Mike went inside, he was in for the shock of his life!

Everything was gone!

Okay...not everything. The couches were there, my curio cabinet was there, and my big huge tv was there. (it takes about 4 grown men to left that darn thing. I almost wish they HAD stolen it so I wouldn't have to move it again.)

but everything else. They took our DVD players, my COX DVR cable receiver, Mikes surround sound speakers and receiver, our laptop computer and my desktop, all the wireless internet stuff, phones, about 150 DVDs, oh...and my toaster! go figure!

It was scary to come home and see your house in shambles. It was really like what you see on TV. All the dresser doors had been opened and over-turned. there were clothes and papers everywhere! In all the rooms everything had been rummaged through, dumped out, and picked over. We called the police and waited over NINE HOURS for them to show up. That was the worst part. We couldn't do ANYTHING until they came. My house was a complete disaster and I couldn't do a thing about it. all Day long.

They took tons more stuff. I have some before and after pics I will post later. but on a brighter note....it could have been so much worse.

No one was home. Which is probably why they robbed us in the first place. But you never know. I'm just glad I wasn't home to find out if they would have tried it anyway. Also, they didn't do any damage to my home. A couple of people in my ward have been broken into, and they did MAJOR vandalism. You know, spray painted walls, smashed tvs and furniture and walls with baseball bats, basically desgtroyed anything they could get their hands on. I'm glad that didn't happen to us. I'm sure we were hit by some pros...because they got in, took what they wanted, and got out. They even brought wire cutters to cut through all the computer and electronic cords. That way they didn't have to waste time unhooking everything.

The most annoying thing they stole were all our duffel bags! I realized its so they can throw all your stuff in them and carry it out easily. That made it pretty hard to pack for Thanksgiving vacation. Ironically, they even stole my Primary bag with the CTR label emblazoned on the front. That made me laugh. I guess no one ever taught them what CTR stands for!! :)

the robbers broke through a kitchen window and just let themselves in. thanks to Marlee (my nicest dog in the universe) who let them just walk right in, and was probably THRILLED to have a few new "friends" visiting her.

anyway, we boarded up the window and changed all the locks before we left. We also had to cancel all our credit cards. They didn't steal any cards, but they went through our files that had all our bank account statements and credit card statements. I hope they weren't smart enough to write down the account numbers...but I'm not taking any chances.

Now that we're home, I had to call the insurance agent, call glass people to come fix the window, call COX to get a new DVR (that they are charging me $500 for. Thanks COX), and put a fraud alert on our credit reports and social security numbers. Its just no fun to get robbed. oh, I also called a company about a state of the art alarm system. :) Maybe a little too late, but hopefully the thiefs won't come back.

On a happier note, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the family in St. George. Mike and I even braved the Sale crowds early Friday morning to try and replace some of what we lost. We were waiting in line in the Best Buy parking lot by 4AM, and we managed to get a good deal on a new laptop. I also bought ANOTHER new photoshop, as the one Mike got me for my birthday was stolen. so atleast now that we have a computer again, I can blog and do some scrapbooking.

anyway...that is the drama at the Romer household this week. It certainly seems that Drama never ends around here. I will post pics later, but for now, I just don't have the heart. They are so sad! Its a strange thing feeling like a stranger in your own home. But for now, everyone is safe, and the things we lost can be replaced. thanks to everyone for your kind words and prayers! we love you!

Moms

For all the Moms out there....or for anyone who's ever had a mom.

ENJOY! :)

Just playing around with my new software and came up with these. Rachel inspirted me to start scrapping Miles, so thanks! You got the ball rolling.

Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday dear SARAH....Happy Birthday to Me!

One thing about me.....I love Birthdays. I am Especially fond of MY Birthday. Yes...the day I graced this world with my presence.....blah, blah, blah. :) Turns out today is my special day. I am now a whopping 27 years old! This ALMOST qualifies me as an old fart.

But seriously, today was a pretty great day. I woke up to my wonderful husband making me some of THESE for Breakfast.

Then we opened presents. I was so surprised! First, I opened this....

Mike asked me what I wanted for my Birthday a few weeks ago, and I "casually" mentioned the new photoshop software. Well, Mike thought it was crazy they are already on version 6, when I bought version 3 like...2 years ago. Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled about the idea of me getting this. So, I just forgot about it.

What a good husband!! He not only surprised me by getting me the scrapbooking software I wanted, he also surprised me with this....

We saw the movie when it came out, and I just LOVED it. I remember now saying "I should get this sound track". Well...my sweet husband remembered this too, and bought it for me. He smiled when I openend it and said "I know how much you love your show-tunes."

Yes....I DO love my show-tunes. Thanks sweetie!

He also surprised me with one of those back and neck massager thingies you can put on your chair. He said so when I was up with Miles at night to feed him, atleast I could get a massage at the same time. THEN he pointed out I could also use my new software to scrapbook, while I listened to this fun soundtrack AND got a massage. ALL at the same time. What a thoughtful guy. I know....I"m pretty lucky.

Then, if all that wasn't enough, Mike stayed home with Miles for a little while so I could go "out". Where did I go? To the gym of course! :) And yes, I was actually very excited about it. Today was my first day back at the gym after the arrival of our Miles, and it felt GREAT! Now, I am starting out slow, since any REAL physical activity has been basically non-existant for almost a year. But I picked up a schedule of their classes. And the best part is that Miles can start using their on-sight day-care next month! Wahoo! So I can get out every morning and do my work-out, and Miles can stay in the day care for an hour or so while I do it. PERFECT!

And if all that wasn't enought, I went to Olive Garden for my birthday lunch. I am a creature of habit, and so I ordered what I always do. Soup, Salad, and breadsticks. Love it. Then I came home and Mike watched Miles while I took a nap. Yes, you heard me right. A Nap. I actually got to take a nap.

Now, I am going to watch Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy, and then go to bed.

A Perfect end to a Perfect day. Thanks again to Mike for making it that way. LOVE YOU!

cute pics

I picked up some pics of Miles we had taken twhen he was 2 weeks old, and I thought they were cute, so I wanted to share.

but First.....

Like Father, Like Son

doing their favorite activity.

Napping during the Sunday Football games showing on TV. Miles is definitely his Father's son. You can't help but notice the similarities. :)

And here are the pics of Miles.

I know, there's only a couple. But it was kind of a spur of the moment thing I did when Rachel was here. So we didn't order a lot. But it was fun. And they are cute.

Miles' First Halloween!!!

I should have known I would be one of "those moms." You know, the kind that obsess about their kids halloween costumes months before they are even born. The kind that forces the whole family to dress up on Halloween for the baby's first holiday. The kind that makes her husband take about a MILLION pictures of the little guy dressed up, plus a million more with each parent, and two million of the whole family. Yes....That's me. I am one of those moms....

And I am LOVING IT!!

So, here is a small sample of my obsessive picture taking for your enjoyment.

This is mom and Miles. I ofcourse dressed up as a biker, as I do every year. The reason???? I am always looking for an excuse to wear my real black leather pants. :)

Here we have Miles and Dad. Dad is pretending to be a hard core biker. But notice...HE doesn't have leather pants. Too bad he doesn't still have his really long hair.

And finally, the entire family. Just for fun. This was the first year I have been able to stay home and pass out candy to the little kids. I have always had to work, so I had a good time. We didn't have too many trick or treaters, but a few. And BOY, is halloween different here than in Wyoming.

Our next door neighbors have a cute 3 year old girl. She was dressed up as a hula dancer, with a little pink bikini top and real grass skirt. I laughed, thinking how the outfit would look on top of a SNOWSUIT in Wyoming. But she was adorable. There were no kids in snowboots, coats, or even jackets. Mittens and ear muffs were nowhere to be found. The kids were just out and about in their little costumes, enjoying the 78 degree weather as the sun went down. What a difference.

I started thinking about all the great halloweens we had as kids. Here are just a few of my Halloween memories.

1. Ben and Adam dressing up as Ninjas....for what seemed like the 10th year in a row. Or Cowboys. It was either one or the other. Rachel's costumes were always really "girly", and I basically dressed as whatever my mom wanted me to.

2. Dad hiding with his Freddy Krueger mask on in the hallway closet. He would wait for one of his poor, unsuspecting children to open the door, then jump out and scare us.

3. Mom stealthily sneaking up on the van where her innocent children were waiting for her. She jumped up, yelling and pounding on the window so hard, we cried and cried. I still remember sobbing..."Mom!!! That was really mean! Don't do that!"

4. I dressed up as a black cat in 4th grade and was so excited to walk in the Halloween parade at school. Until I saw the pictures of me in my cute kitty costume. I realized my little white undies were peeking out from under my black leotarde. The embarrassment of my "peeking panties" still haunts me to this day.

5. We trick-or-treated in the Aspen Grove neighborhood by my Uncle Paul and Aunt Joan's house. There was a house there that ALWAYS gave out KING SIZE candy bars. This was like basically hitting the lottery when you were a kid. We begged to go there every year.

6. When we were "too old" to trick or treat, the girl cousins had fun at Aunt Kathy Atkinsons house. We dressed up as a scare-crow , or a large pumpkin and propped ourselves on the front porch. Then, when kids rang the doorbell, we would jump up and scare them, chasing them as they ran away screaming. :) We were so mean.

I thought I would make a "top ten" list....but now I am stumped. My frazzled and sleep deprived brain can only think of 6. Lets just say we always had a good time. And a big thanks to my mom for keeping us in cute costumes and taking the time to drive us around all of Evanston every year to show us off, keep us safe, and get us the best candy. Kudos to you mom!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

I took these of cute little Miles yesterday on our way to the Ward halloween party. I think he makes a cute little pumpkin. I was glad to finally be able to dress him up in his costume, since I bought it about three months before he was born. :) I guess you could say I was just a little excited. More family halloween pictures to come later.



Hope everyone has a safe and fun halloween!

growing boy

Today was Miles' second Drs appointment. My mom was just DYING to find out how much he weighs now. He's still small, but he is growing and gaining weight right on track.

He started out at 5 lbs 7 oz and was 18.25 inches long

at his second Drs appointment he was down to 5 lbs and 0.5 oz, still 18.25 inches long

and now.....drum roll please......

He is a whopping 6 lbs and 3 oz.

and is 19.8 inches long

Way to go Miles! He has been gaining about 1 oz. a day, which is great. He's still only in the 15%, but I'm sure he'll catch up.

And onto another update.

We went to sacrament meeting for the first time on Sunday, and it was also our first time in our new ward. We had a meeting with the Bishop before church, and we were asked to be primary teachers. Oh boy!! :) We are "team teaching", which means we get to do it together. (But we all know that really means I will do most of the work, and Mike will play with the kids) :) We have the 5 year olds, which will be fun I think. I've never done Primary....so this could be interesting.

And another VERY important update. (atleast it is to me)

I've lost 22 pounds!!! wahoo!! I even pulled out a pair of capris from my closet today, and they mostly fit. ( I had to do the squat manuever to stretch them out just a little bit) But that means I am almost there. About 5 more pounds to go. I am going shopping this weekend for some new shirts and shoes. I think pants will have to wait a couple more weeks. But for now, I am happy to be back into mostly regular clothes.

Okay, this is a pretty boring post. But ohwell. I'll post more fun things later.

a few quiet moments

I know, I know....its been ages since I have posted anything. But what can I say except that I've been busy!!! And I know most everyone has been waiting (some of you patiently, some of you not so patiently) for new pictures of Miles, so I'll start with the good stuff!

Miles on his daddys lap yawning and stretching

our first family outing. We went to the park by our house and took Marlee to play and run around. Not too exciting, but it got us out of the house for awhile.

Grandpa Atkinson holding Miles. This was pretty much where my dad stayed his entire visit! He just loved holding and cuddeling his first little grandbaby. So cute!

In his swing. He doesn't mind swinging for awhile, but still prefers to be held. Especially now that my dad has spoiled him by holding him about 23 hours out of the day. :) I love this picture becuase it shows just how tiny the little guy is.

And one of my all time favorites. Miles in his car seat. This was taken at the Mall.....yes, I have already broken him into shopping at the Mall. Rachel put on his little hat and we laughed and laughed because it is so huge on his little head! It was funny to watch people craning their necks to see in the stroller as we walked him around. He was a hit!

Rachels in-laws sent this sweater set that Ed's Grandma had knitted. It is so adorable. Still a little big on him (but what isn't?) The sweater reminds me of the ones Great Grandma McKinnon used to make for the grand kids. Plus, it makes for a pretty cute picture.

The pictures are sure cute, but things have been pretty hectic around the Romer household.

But right now, Miles has been fed, changed, and is now sleeping. I am showered and dressed, the house is clean, the visitors are out hiking, and I have eaten breakfast AND lunch and managed to do other motherly duties like restock the diaper changer with supplies, sterilize bottles, wash baby clothes, and my favorite of all activities (I am being completely sarcastic here)....PUMP. If you have ever had to do this, no explanation is needed.

In any case, I have a few quiet moments to steal away for myself, and me, being the selfless person that I am, thought I would share my few quiet moments with you. :)

What a roller coaster ride this has been. Whew! After a slightly extended hospital stay, we came home and were excited to start being parents. Turns out Mike was forced to be more of a parent than I was for awhile. The Sunday after we came home from the hospital, I spiked a fever of 103, had chills, was achey, and basically pretty miserable. Mike took me back to the ER and 4 hours later we returned with a diagnosis of the Flu, and mastitis. Throw on top of that a big heaping pile of guilt for making my sweet husband take care of the baby and of me, and not being able to help with anything.....well, lets just say I was pretty miserable. But Mike was great, and my mom who was still here helping us was even greater! So with their help, some pain medication and a round of antibiotics later, I am feeling much better and have now been enjoying being a mom.

We have had lots of visitors. My mom was here for a week and a half, my dad came the day after my mom left, and stayed for the weekend. Then Rachel was here for four days, and now Mike's family (mom, dad, and 2 of his sisters) are here visiting us and Miles. We have had lots of help, and are so appreciative. Its been great seeing everyone love our little guy.

This sunday will be our first visit to church, and Monday is his next Drs appointment. So we'll see if he is back up to his birth weight. here's hoping.

I also figured out how to post a video. Actually, Rachel figured it out, so you can thank her for this.

This is a little video of Miles' first bath at home. His dad was so excited to give him the bath. As you can see, Miles wasn't quite as excited to receive it.

Look out world, Here He Comes!

Here at last.....

Many people have wanted pics, so here are a few to tide you over until I can dedicate some real "blog time" to post everything I want.

Miles William Romer

was born October 8, 2007 just after midnight at 12:39 am

He was a little guy...

5 pounds 7 ounces

18.25 inches long

He came into this world after a LONG and Difficult labor....

(okay...not really) My water broke 10/7/at 9pm....having no contractions at that time.

I drove myself home from work and called Mike on the way. We got our bags (mine was already packed, ofcourse) and headed to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital around 10:30 pm. Contractions coming on pretty strong now.

They check me and tell me its going to be awhile, as I am only dilated to 3cm...but baby is low (at a +1 station for those who know what this means.)

I ask for the epidural. Even though I am only a 3, contractions are very strong now, and only about 30 seconds apart.

The Anesthesiologist arrives and begins placing the epidural by 11:30 pm. Before he is finished I am feeling a LOT of pressure. And I mean a LOT. I tell the medical staff the baby is coming. They (0fcourse) don't believe me. I try not to push, but I can't help it.

They check again, and I am "complete"...10 cm dilated, and baby is coming. Mike can see the head. I am thinking..."what the heck??? I have only been here an hour!"

The nurses call the Dr. STAT....as the baby's heart rate has decelerated. The Dr. rushes in and says I have one chance to get this baby out....or I am going to emergency c-section.

I give 3 olympian style pushes.....(and a little help from the vacuum) and out popped my baby.

Just like that. Three hours and three pushes from start to finish. It all happened so fast!!!

Here are a few pics for your enjoyment. I will definitely post more details about what has been going on since we have been home, and our fun little hospital stay. And I'll post more pics and even some video clips!

But for now, I am just going to rest a little longer. :)

Thanks to everyone for your calls, prayers, love and support. We are thrilled to have little Miles home, safe and well.

Miles just after being born. Everything happened so fast, we almost forgot to get the camera out at all!

Being weighed. I weigh 2467 grams, or 5 lbs. 7 oz. I am also 18.25 inches long. And yes, that .25 is VERY important. :)

This is Miles' "mad face". He was all comfy inside his little house, and then all of a sudden he is outside, naked, cold and with all this "goop" in his eyes. You would be mad too!

Our first family photo, courtesy of the Labor and Delivery nurse. Thanks Amy! You were great! My dad really likes to play with my face and make it do all kinds of funny things. Then he laughs and laughs.
My boys resting. They had a really long day. :)

We have a LOT more pics, which I will post later. So stay tuned! But right now I have to call the insurance, call the Drs office, feed my little man, change some diapers, eat breakfast.....and the list goes on.

So be patient....there's more to come!

lunch lady land

A funny thing happened at dinner tonight. I trecked down to the cafeteria to get something to eat and it was really busy, which was unusual for a weekend. There was quite a long line, so I got in it and started to wait my turn. It didn't take long for the line to grow behind me.

After a couple minutes a lady standing behind me peered over my shoulder and asked: "What are you having?"

Trying to be friendly I replied "I think I am just going to have a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries....What are you having?"

The lady looked at me, astonished....and then started laughing out loud. And I mean really laughing.

I was completely confused....what was so funny about a grilled cheese?

Finally she was able to say "No, not what are you ordering...What are you HAVING.....The BABY.....is it a boy or a girl?"

Oh.....I quickly responded "It's a boy", grabbed my grilled cheese and left. She's probably still laughing. :)

I guess its pretty obvious where my mind is around dinner time. :)

progressing....

Well, according to my blog header today, I have 23 more days to go until D-Day. That's what I called it on my home calendar. D-Day (Due Day) ...circled and written in big RED letters. As if I could forget. I feel like I am ENORMOUS. Thinking about getting even bigger over the next three weeks is certainly not appealing to me. But I don't have much of a choice. Even my undies don't fit so swell anymore...(as if you really wanted to know.) But I am NOT buying fat lady underwear. I simply refuse.

Everything is going well so far. I had a Drs appointment last Friday. And without going into too many of the specifics...the baby is head down, and things are "progressing" normally. I am still hoping he comes a little sooner rather than a little later.

I went to human resources today to fill out the paper work for maternity leave. I thought it would be a horrendous, long and drawn out process, but it really wasn't bad at all. It took about 10 minutes start to finish. So for right now, my leave is officially starting October 20. Obviously if the baby comes sooner, my leave will start sooner. All I have to do is call HR and have them change the date on the paper work. But even if the baby comes later...the 20th is it. I'm through working full-time. Wahoo!!!! :) After my 3 months of leave I will start working one day a week. I think I am almost more excited about this than the baby!!! (Okay, not really. But it is one definite perk.) One not so great perk is that we will be broke. but ohwell. I can live with that for a couple more years.

AND....I think we have narrowed down the name selection to 2 different names. But...unfortuantely for you, I am not telling! hahaha. It is just going to have to be a surprise. If you've waited this long, a few more weeks won't hurt. Mike decided on Saturday that the goal for the day was to decide on a name. And about 10 minutes later we had picked 2. So we can check that off the list.

I have my hospital bag all packed. I bought some cute new jammies and a robe and some cute little slipper thingies. I think I'll be the best dressed, pajama clad, new mom at the hospital. And I have my list of things I'm not going to pack just yet, but need to remember to bring. So, as far as that goes, I think I am prepared. If there are any moms out there with suggestions of what to bring, (or not bring) I am definitely open to suggestions. I have scoured the internet and looked at all kinds of check-lists and I've taken the things I thought would be most useful. I know...I am a geek. Actually, I think I"m more like an obsessive planning freak and control freak. But I feel prepared, and that is all that matters.

I have been taking Marlee for long walks everyday. People say long walks are good to help bring on labor... so we'll see. I figure it can't hurt. Anything to get this baby out sooner, I'm all for. If anyone has any other secrets for this, please pass them on!

And one more new thing...Our church ward has been essentially deleted! There was a big meeting on Sunday, and at this big meeting, the first thing they did was release our entire bishopric. So obvoiusly something big was coming. Then the next thing they did was "release anyone holding a calling at this time in the Desert Sky Ward." The Whole WARD!!! So, I am no longer the ward chorister/choir director. (which is actually a relief, not having to find subs for when I have the baby). They announced ward boundary changes, and our ward was divided essentially in half, and grouped into 2 other wards. In other words..there were 3 wards, and now there are 2. The new ward we are in, the Agua Fria Ward, will be nice..with a lot of familiar faces, but I"ll definitely miss the other half of MY ward. I loved my ward. It was the friendliest ward I have ever been in. Following releasing everyone in my ward, they released everyone in the other two wards too! apparrently they wanted the bishoprics to pick people for callings taking into consideration all the new people moving into the ward. I'm glad My husband isn't in the bishopric. I can't imagine having to "start from scratch" for every calling in the ward. And do it within 2 weeks. Yikes! Maybe I"ll get another calling...and Maybe I'll just be able to sit and enjoy all meetings every week. Wouldn't that be nice! :)

Alright well....Thats all the news. I haven't had any pictures for awhile, so I will take some of my ever expanding mid section tomorrow and post those for the whole world to see. And ofcourse, if I get any new baby news...I'll let ya know!

Thank you...for Thanking Me

Am I the only one who feels a strong, almost overwhelming urge to write a thank-you note for someone giving me a thank-you??

Mike's friend who stayed with us Yesterday was very nice and left us a thank you card on the table as he was leaving with a gift card to TGI Fridays so we could go to dinner. I thought that was very nice and very thoughtful...and certainly unexpected! :) But my first impulse was to have Mike get his address so I could send him a Thank-you card....

A Thank-you for the Thank-you. has anyone ever done this before? I know he was thanking US for letting him stay the weekend. I know that no additional "Thank-you's" need to be sent...but still.....the urge is there.

I did get a call from a friend yesterday telling me she had received the thank-you card I sent her for the gifts she gave me at my baby shower. Her exact words were "Thanks...that was really sweet." In essence, I received a "verbal" thanks for the thanks. So apparrently I'm not the only one.

I, ofcourse, in return, thanked her for calling me. so what is that then? A "Thank-you for calling to thank me for the thank-you????"

Maybe I'm just neurotic, or just very thankful....I'm not quite sure.

Did I forget to mention.......

Conversation I had with Mike this morning.

Mike: Hey Sarah....remember when I told you my friend was gonna come stay with us for a weekend?

Me: Ummm, okay...yeah. (Vaguely remembering a phone call he got last week in which I overheard him saying "yeah, you can stay with us.") ( I don't think we ever had an ACTUAL conversation about this.)

Mike: Well......That's today.
Me: Oh...okay, what time is he getting here?
Mike: Noon
Me: (Looking at clock, its now 8:15 am) And what time are you going to work?
Mike: 8:30 ....I feel bad.....I forgot.

Needless to say, I had a busy morning. I jumped out of bed to clean the house. Started in the kitchen and worked my way through the house. Dusting, vacuuming (Mike did this), mopping, then to the guest bathroom. Cleaned it all up, hung fresh towels and noticed the navy blue guest towels (the only ones that actually match that bathroom) somehow have big bleach spots all over them. Great.

Throw some stuff in the crock-pot for home-made spaghetti sauce so our guest can have dinner, seeing as neither me or Mike will be there when he arrives. This way, it can simmer all morning while I am doing everything else, and be delicious by this afternoone. Great planning Sarah!

Off to Wal-mart to buy groceries. (Cereal and milk for breakfast in the morning...I know...I'm a great hostess) and NEW navy blue guest towels to match the bathroom. While I'm at it, I splurge on a new kitchen dish towel to hang from the oven door. Snazy!

Get home and check the guest bedroom...needs clean sheets. The only spares I have are green flannel with lots of those little flannel "balls" that build up over many many washings. Decide to just wash the red sheets that are already on the bed. They match better anyway. Pull back the bed spread and realize two things: 1. Marlee has been sneaking up on the bed, because there is dog hair everywhere. And 2. these red sheets ALSO have bleach spots all over them. Double Great.

Apparrently I need a lesson on using bleach correctly.

Decide to put on the balled up green flannel sheets anyway....who cares right? They are clean, and on a few hours notice...thats MORE than fair in my book.

Start getting ready to go to work...and remember I am suppossed to be there an hour early today. AND...I told my friend who just had a baby I would stop by for a visit. So, I forget the shower, brush hair and teeth and grab clothes out of the dryer from two days ago..(still haven't quite found the time to fold them and put them away), and head out the door.

As I am leaving, I notice I never turned on the crockpot. My delicious home-made spaghetti sauce hasn't been simmering all morning like I planned. Turn it on High to "make up the difference", and leave.

I DID get to go visit the cutest new little baby. Baby Abigail Violet Jensen...7 pounds 5 ounces. So cute!! She had lots of dark hair, and was so fun to hold. I start getting excited about a new little baby myself. Have such a good time holding the baby, I loose track of time, and leave the hospital a little later than I intended...Making me late to MY hospital for MY work. And when I walked in, it was CRAZY!!!! a Madhouse, basically. Hit the floor running.

I am doing two things when I get home. 1. eat some of my delicious-simmer all day in the crockpot-spaghetti, and 2. go to sleep! Tomorrow is my day-off. Thank goodness for Friday.

What a day.....What a day. :)

Saturday is a Special Day!

For some reason today, I have this primary song stuck in my head. I guess because we have beeen busy this saturday morning. Or, atleast I should say I am keeping Mike busy! :) This is my long weekend off (Friday Saturday and Sunday) before I go back to work, so he has been checking off his "honey do's" for me.

He also got a call at 8:00 am this morning to help a couple from our ward move some of their big furniture into their new house. I went with him to "supervise", and talk to Nicole, one-half of the couple moving. We talked about paint colors and decorating while the boys moved in all the "stuff".

Next, Mike got busy in the backyard. We bought another tree and a few new plants at the Nursery yesterday, and he wanted to get started before it got too hot outside. It's suppossed to be 107 today. Here he is on what I call "beautification detail"....

Mike has recently taken to watching "designed to sell", "sell this house", and any other real-estate shows I enjoy. He has decided adding a few more trees and plants to the back yard NOW, giving them time to mature for another year and a half before we sell will "add a lot of value" to our home. :) The plus side for me is that
1. I don't have to fight to watch these shows. He doesn't mind watching them anymore
2. I don't have to convince him these projects are worthwhile. He's totally on-board. and
3.Its much easier to convince him to let me paint or do some other kind of "home improvement" project. Anyway you look at it, its a win-win! yay!

Yesterday was a fun day too, because I received a surprise package in the mail! I never get surprise packages! My mom sometimes sends things, but she usually can't resist telling me. I was excited to open my mail box and find the key to the "big boxes". I ripped open the package, and there were four beautiful baby blankets inside! Thank you , Thank you, Thank you to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Ron, and Kristi and Rhett. We love the blankets! And Rhett...Mike loves the camo one, so that was a good choice! :) They are all so nice, and they have the cutest stitching around the edges. They will be just perfect! And I love the cowboy one too. I can't wait to buy him little cowboy boots and wranglers and a cowboy hat. too cute! Thanks again!

I also have been trying to organize "again" the baby room. My friend Tammy keeps giving me more clothes as her little boy grows out of them. She has two boys and is finished with kids, so as her baby gets bigger, she is giving me EVERYTHING, so she doesn't have to store it. I love this, because I have so much stuff.....and I hate this because, well.....I have so much stuff!!! The baby isn't even here yet, and I am bursting at the seems! This is a picture of one-half of the closet. And in case you were wondering, these clothes are just the 0-3 month ones. Yikes! I bought some of them, and some were given to me. All these clothes here are brand new, with tags. Tammy gave me a LOT of clothes her kids never wore too.

Remember the dresser from the baby room? It is full of 0-3 month stuff too. The things in the dresser are new: onesies and pajamas people have given me, and then the rest of the 0-3 month clothes Tammy gave me. I also have 2 large diaper boxes full of 3-6 month clothes she gave me, and a Tupperware of 3-6 month clothes waiting in the wings for "rotation". All this "stuff" caused me to go through everything again. But its finally finished. The next picture is the tupperware Tammy gave me that only has "warm winter" clothes in it. Most of them are brand new. I am saving them to take to Utah, and then we'll probably just give them away. We don't have too much use for snow-suits here in Arizona.
And last but not least, I did buy another shirt for the baby. hahaha! Mike wasn't too happy about it, but oh-well. I justified it because it is for 12 months. We only have a couple outfits for 12 months, so I figured it was okay. AND...I just thought it was cool. A little bit biker, a little bit rock'n'roll...or something like that. And I got it at TJ Maxx, so it was super cheap. Love TJ Maxx.

My doctor appointment on Friday went well. Heart beat was 156...and I've gained, well.....the doctor said I am doing "great", but it seems like a lot to me. Not quite 20 pounds. Double Yikes! Although she tried to re-assure me it wasn't that much, and I was on the low side of the normal limits, it still feels like it might as well be 100 pounds. Ohwell. Can't wait to hit the gym in a month (or so). I'm definitely ready. The Dr. also said she would be surprised if I had a baby larger than 7 pounds. She said my belly is still "relatively" small, and she expects around a 6 pound baby. That was somewhat of a relief to me. A little over a month to go.

spontaneous

Mike and I decided to be sort of "spontaneous" this last weekend. Thursday night he asked if my parents were still going to St. George for Labor Day. When I said "yes", he said "well let's go!" So, we got up early Friday morning and headed to St. George in the new SUV, with our dog in tow. (I put blankets over the seats so Marlee couldn't get her hair everywhere....as requested by my slightly OCD husband) :)

We had a great time. Adam ended up driving down too, so that was fun. The boys went golfing on Saturday. Mike was really hoping to "whoop" my dad, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. My Dad had his best game ever, and kicked everyone's...you know. but a funny story....

Mike kept talking about this "sandwich" my dad had bought for him. He told me multiple times how nice that was of my dad to buy him this "sandwich". He just kept talking about it. I was thinking..."so he bought you a sandwich...big deal!" I was so confused as to why, of all the meals my dad has bought for us on vacation, this sandwich seemed to be so important.

Well, the boys went golfing again the next day, and my dad started talking about the "sandwich" too. And then he said how much the sandwich really improved Mike's game. and THEN I had my "ahhaaa" moment. They weren't talking about a sandwich at all....but a SAND WEDGE. You know....a golf club. ha ha ha! I felt like the biggest idiot! I think I should just chalk that up to "pregnancy brain."

Anyway, we had a great weekend. And thanks to mom and dad for letting us spend the weekend with you! Love ya!

Nursery, atlast

My Bedding for the crib and nursery finally came a couple days ago, so I have been busy trying to finally put everything together. Mike even helped with the "decorating", and putting everything together. Man...kids are EXPENSIVE!!! I can't believe all the $$$ we have spent, and there are still a few things we would like to get. Now, these are WANTS, and not NEEDS....so we'll probably just have to make due without them. I really wanted to get a nice, plush rocker from Ashley furniture, and we also wanted to buy a video camera. But I think for now, these things will have to wait. You know, seeing as we have no more money. That kind of puts a damper on buying, well......anything. Oh, the joys of parenthood.

Anyway, here are some updated pics of the almost completed baby room.

This is just a "general overview". Mike hung up the cars and trucks on the wall. He was VERY excited about the way he positioned them....so I think they are just going to have to stay like that. :)

a view from inside the crib

A friend of mine from my Ward made this for me, and it just happened to match what we had already bought. Mike hung this up too.

And this is the baby swing Mike's family bought for us. Mike was WAY excited to get this, because he said "you can just leave the baby in there for HOURS, and they LIKE it!" We'll see about this. But it is very nice. Thanks Romers!! :)

Thats about it for now. I have to go to work :( Maybe I'll post more tomorrow about all the "other" changes going on around our household. Lots and lots of changes these days.

I'm it???

I guess I was tagged...so just doing my official blogging duties. thanks Rach.

Jobs

• McDonalds Drive-thru gal


• Claimjumper Waitress


• Jolly Jacs fireworks (STILL my all-time favorite job ever)


• Manual labor grunt for the City of Evanston, mowing and wacking weeds and picking up garbage. (STILL my least favorite job ever)


• Secretary for the Urban Renewal Agency in Evanston


• Medical Laboratory Technicial - Ogden Clinic, Ogden Utah


• Medical Technologist - ARUP, Salt Lake City


• Medical Technologist/Blood Bank Specialist - Sun Health, Phoenix AZ

Weekend Getaways

• Flagstaff for camping
• St. George
• Or just to Sam's club to get a hot dog and an ice cream.

Movies

• Pretty much anything with a happy ending
• Nothing Scary or bloody or violent
• no rated "R"s

Where I have lived

• Evanston, WY
• Roy, UT
• Ogden, UT
• South Ogden, UT
• Bountiful, UT
• Phoenix, AZ

Vacations

• Las Vegas and California lots of times
• Portland
• San Antonio, TX
• Mexico - Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel
• Belize
• Haiti
• Honduras - (Actually the Roatan Islands off the coast of Honduras)
• Grand Cayman Island
• Puerto Rico
• St. Thomas
• Jamaica
• Florida
• the Bahamas
• Spain - Alicante and Valencia
• Hopefully all over Europe when Mike is finished with School. Atleast thats MY plan. :)

Foods

• Anything my mom cooks - especially spaghetti and chicken bundles.
• Anything as long as I didn't cook it.
• but NO: beans, or tomatoes. YUCK!

If in a "jam" with my spouse, tactics used to get out of the dog house:

1. apologize
2. give him a hug
3. do the "booty dance"
4. repeat if necessary

Ha Ha. just kidding. We don't fight too much. Usually a simple I'm sorry, I won't do it again, will suffice.

Websites:

• Blogs
• www.postsecret.com
• www.people.com
• all digi scrapbooking sites and stores
• potterybarn
• and most recently, anything having to do with "meal planning". I need all the help I can get.

I'd rather be: NOT at work, which is where I am right now. Home with Mike getting a back rub and a foot rub. And skinny again, and shopping for new clothes at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Next to be tagged:

No one!! Let this little blog tradition die with me! Yes!!!!

Only because you asked so nicely

alright, alright. So, I know its been awhile. Rachel called me from work to politely remind me I haven't posted for a LOOOONG time, and what was she suppossed to do at work if I had no new blog entries for her to read? So, because you asked so nicely...I have a few new things.

First of all, thanks to EVERYONE who planned (rachel and mom) and came to my baby shower. It was really fun, and so nice to see everyone. It really meant a lot to me. I think this baby is definitely now well-equipped. Now, I don't know how well equipped the PARENTS are to take care of the baby, be he certainly has all the supplies he needs. Thanks again!!! :) I know rachel already posted this picture, but as far as unflattering pregnancy pictures go, this one's not too bad. So, I figured I would post it on my own blog too.

Now, to some of the fun things. Atleast I think they are fun. I bought my stroller and car seat. You should have seen me and Mike at Babies R Us trying to figure out which one to get. Talk about hilarious! We had no idea what to look for. I was getting really frustrated because I kept trying to push them around the store, and they wouldn't move very well. I was thinking..."All this modern technology, and they still can't invent a stroller that is easy to push?"

I looked over at Mike and he was really laughing hard, because I was so frustrated. He gave me a big hug, and then reminded me that I have to FIRST.....unlock the wheels. :)

Yes...I have a lot of learning to do. Thankfully Mike can help me.

Anyway, After UNLOCKING all the wheels, the strollers were much easier to push around. We decided on the new Chicco Trevi stroller and car seat. I couldn't wait to come home and put it all together. So, this is what they look like.

The car seat attaches to the stroller to make a "travel system". It just snaps on and off, and is really quick and easy.

So, those were my big purchases for the week. I was really tempted to try and put Marlee in the stroller and push her around the neighborhood, just for fun. But, I decided I wouldn't be able to get her into it without a struggle, and it just wasn't worth it. But I like to push it around the house, and Marlee just follows me around while I push it. I think she'll be a good companion for walks when the baby comes.

And last but not least....A Baby picture! I sweet friend Janeal gave me a 3D ultrasound last Thursday while I was in Utah. The pics turned out really well. I am amazed at how much detail they can get now. He kept opening and closing his mouth and sticking out his tongue. So that was kind of funny. Rachel thinks he has my nose. I think he's still kind of squished in there, so its too early to tell. But only a couple of months and we'll find out. So, here's his cute little face.

He kept his hand covering his face most of the time, but moved it a little for this picture. Although SOME people were expecting him to be "prettier" :) I,ofcourse, think he is cute just the way he is. :)