24th of July Magic!

Well, I have a confession: all I really want to eat these days is chocolate cake. I have resisted the temptation so far, mostly by avoiding Costco, as their chocolate cake is a sure heart attack, and by not turning on the oven, as it will melt our house to do so in this heat. However, that doesn't mean I don't actually have dreams about it. I think my problem started when I saw my first episode of the Cake Boss where he made the most amazing looking cake I have ever seen. Good thing it is not winter, or I might have been tempted to try my hand at it!

The summer is more than half way over, and we are now officially into our third trimester, and sadly, my life of summer projects does not even have a dent in it! Jared would call this overwhelming and depressing. I just think it means I will never ever get bored. Trying to remain optimistic!

I guess what I really wanted to post was our awesome weekend. We were fortunate enough to be able to take a few days and make a long weekend this last one, rationalizing that we needed to be in Utah, as that is the only place it is a holiday! So, Wayne and Robin being our saving angels, we used the Knudsen Condo and went up. With a little persuasion, we talked my mom and the twins into coming down to the heat, and we had a blast! Every time we are together with those guys we end up with two things we hate: Sour Patch Kids (or Starbursts), and laughing because our cheeks hurt! Here are some highlights to remember!

It started with some serious pool games. Mom and I stopped at the store and couldn't resist grabbing a pool volleyball net that was on MAJOR sale, and when we finally got it set up in the lap pool, we had quite the audience. Yes there I was, prego as ever, and the Knudsens took on the Haynes boys. Needless to say my jumping has never been at such a low, but it was awesome playing in the water. That first game spurred the decision that it would be so much more fun if we all had goggles, so off the boys went to get some.

A few hours later they came back, and told us how they had narrowly dodged the pressure from the sales lady to buy Batman goggles and a shark fin, but they had managed (with the help from a lady who didn't actually work there) to get a good deal on some great goggles. That is of course after Jared learned a few words in Spanish at the check out. I love seeing him flustered!!

We then moved on to playing some pool (on the pool table this time), where again it was Knudsens vs. Haynes, and let's just say the twins won by default, as I couldn't seem to do anything but scratch on the 8-ball! Grrrr...

And food?? My favorite topic? All weekend we were looking forward to some fantastic brownies, but we ran into a little trouble there. First, Jared accidentally used all the eggs making what ended up being fried rice oatmeal that we were all way too grossed out to eat. So he went and bought more. Then I accidentally used all the eggs to make more hard boiled eggs (loved it Britt!!!) not thinking, so Jared had to buy more! Finally, after two trips for eggs, we ended up making brownies for lunch not wanting to risk waiting for another egg fiasco. Who would have thought it could be so hard?

It was an awesome break, and it was good to see Jared relax and enjoy himself, and we are so grateful for every chance we get to get away from Vegas in the summer, even if it is to 101 degrees! Now we just have to kill this week getting things done and we will be in even better weather next week! We can't wait!!

Today, I am grateful for crock pots!

Stae

Nursury Fun!

As Promised... Pictures!

Just a few things to point out...

An always helpful puppy that we love!

And an unfinished baby room, but how cute are the monkeys?!!

We LOVE them!

June Buggies

Well Helloooo!

June has to qualify as a crazy mad month! In a snapshot, oh wait... not possible... here it is!

• June 5th, school ended.. happiest day ever... also my birthday. Dinner with friends and an amazing "all things chocolate" cake made by the one and only Jared. Turning 27 ended up being ok.
• Next week spent preparing for summer camp, and then the arrival of Tonya, Nate and boys. Lots of swimming, hot dogs (not for me of course), swimming, naps, and more swimming. It was awesome, and I have never seen the dog so tired!
• Next week, summer camp. Went by pretty fast, culmunating when the scorpion crawled over my screaming first grader in the classroom. Nice. Love the desert.
• Next week, Utah trip. Wow, never will remember quite how much I love cool mornings till I am in them! Walks every day, dog chasing golfers, birds, and now we can add dead snakes. Lots of cards with the boys (no worries, Brett and I remain champions at Sequence), shopping with my one true shopping inspiration (Robin, that is you!), and Patrice having her baby! Highlight - watching Patrice and I trying to bend over and pick up a dropped cell phone... never a good thing for two pregos!
• Getting home... fixing the car, catching up on teaching, moving Jared into his new office (which I aided by spilling the first smoothie all over the brand new carpet), getting geared up for seminary meetings to start, adjusting to the heat all over again, and lots panic about the lack of preparation for the baby!

Which brings us to last weekend, or the first weekend of July!

• Friday, panic about Jared's office move... feels really far away! Go buy first baby item... pack and play at 50% off... can't argue with that!
• Saturday, buy paint for upstairs, go to baptism, come home and start painting...(all things sage green and monkeys!) finish in time to go to the Baird Manor for an amazing dinner - thanks Charmaine and Cory! Come home and pass out.
• Sunday, break in time for church, come home and clean the disaster that we were calling our living room and kitchen just in time to make another disaster with dinner. Stand upstairs and watch about four fireworks, then pass out again.
• Monday, finish painting upstairs (pictures will be coming soon), shopping for a suit for Jared, and spend way to much at the Bath and Body sale. I had better not need hand soap again for a while!

These are the weekends where at the end you feel like you need another weekend. We got a ton done, but are both sore and tired. We really missed being with family, and spent a good amount of time lamenting about the poor timing of our family visits, and how we tend to plan them missing the holidays. It's just not the same without all y'all. But we love you and now, if you come to visit, we won't have to stick you in the white-wash warehouse that was our 2nd floor! Someday, we will get on the ball and plan our visits better.

Today, I am super grateful for couches, as I really don't intend to leave mine much!

Untitled... but for now... Baby J!

I feel strange posting this, but my family has been asking when they get to see pictures, so here you are! This is Baby J at 18 weeks, which we are well beyond now, but it will most likely be the last pictures we get until right before he is born! What a perfect profile!!

More to come soon...