Merry Christmas

I love Christmas! Not only is it a wonderful time to remember the reason for the season but to look at all the lights. I love to sit and look around the neighborhood or take Kaeden to the living room at night with the lights off and watch the Christmas tree lights a twinkling. With Kevin's mom in town, we headed down to the Bellagio Conservatory to see how it was decorated for Christmas. It was so beautiful!



But it was also very crowded, so we quickly made our circut, and then went around the corner for a look at the chocolate fountain and a giant chocolate covered strawberry. Then we headed out to the front fountain and watched the show, done to Christmas music this time of year. It was chilly, so we then headed home and to bed.



Christmas day was a lovely, relaxing day. Most of the presents we had already given to each other, so we just took our time getting up, watched "A Christmas Story" and any other Christmas-y movies that were on. (Actually, it was a day of Bond, but that's okay by me!) I had a fabulous turkey cooked, homemade mashed potatoes (thanks for the awesome masher, Dad!) and gravy, green beans, olives, rolls, and a huge appetite. It was a great day.

We were sad to see Grandma Christenson leave, but we took her to the airport Friday morning, wishing her well on the rest of her trip visiting family and friends in California. I'm glad she was here to see Kaeden, and enjoy shopping with me! :-)

Kaeden "The Hobbit" Christenson

So, this has been a big week for our little guy. He had his 2 month check up at the doctor's office, here's his stats: 23 inches long, 14 lbs 11 oz and has a 40 1/2 cm dome! He eats between 4 and 6 ounces every 3 hours or so...needless to say, we no longer call him our munchkin but our little Hobbit! :-)

He also had his shots, and Momma accidently snipped his finger while clipping his nails, so the holiday season isn't very happy at the moment...he's been pretty fussy the past two days, but I don't blame him. I would be if I'd had so many people poking and snipping at me, too.

Grandma Christenson (Kevin's mom) is in town for Christmas, and she's just loving being the Grandparent. We went shopping at Macy's yesterday, and as he was sore from his shots, he didn't like to stay in the stroller for long so she would take him on walks around the store. I went around shopping for clothes for Kevin, and would see her occassionally talking to people saying, "This is my grandson, isn't he so cute?! He's the first, and we're so proud of him, it's just such a joy!" I got a great laugh, cuz she was telling anyone who looked in her direction! I'm glad she's enjoying it so much, I felt bad he was so fussy...

Meantime we've been stocking the fridge and our closets, getting lots done shopping wise for the holidays, enjoying the carolers that have been coming by, and laughing at my attempts to make holiday treats and failing miserably. I do try to be domestic, making peanut brittle or caramel corn, but somehow things just go badly. the brittle never made it past the gooey phase, the caramel corn was more like soggy corn and shrank to half it's original size...sigh...

I'm the only person I know who can ruin bread in a bread machine and not get perfect rice from the rice cooker - I don't know why I attempt other things, I must be slightly masochistic. But the tree must have lights, the mantle must have stockings, and the holidays must have treats, so I get in the kitchen and try :-)

Blog Award

You like me, you actually like me... :-)

I have been given my first Blog Award. Jessica Balls, the bestest buddy ever to give the Bloggy (as I have nicknamed it).

For several years friends in Utah (Dani, Kirty) have been telling me to start a blog. I never thought my life was so interesting as to blog every day, or even every week, but I set one up. After only a week I was telling everyone about bloggin, and it has been the best way to keep in touch with everyone as well as keep you posted as to what is happening in our house. I've had a blast putting this together and am glad to hear from everyone that you like looking at my goofy life.

But this is also an award I need to pass on, so here are the other blogs I enjoy reading and give the Bloggy too (in no particular order):

1. Danielle and Tom
2. Kirty and Dan
3. Jessica and Brady (back at ya babe)
4. Anne Marie and Jon
5. Tasha and Nate
6. Heidi and Ken
7. Jdub and Andi

SNOW DAY!!

Several inches of snow in Vegas is a big deal. Yesterday, we had several fall in the valley, so school was officially closed today! I get a whole day to spend with my family, drinking hot chocolate and watching movies! HOORAY FOR SNOW DAY!!

Let It Snow!!

I looked out the window and what did I see?
SNOWFLAKES falling on all the palm trees!
Winter has brought me such a nice surprise
SNOWFLAKES falling right before my eyes!

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas is one holiday I love to decorate for, and now I have a house to decorate, but few decorations! For the past few years Kevin and I haven't gotten a tree, I just spun lights on my fake tree here in the house and hung stockings. Now we have a family, so I went out and got us a tree, just a little one for my little family, but I got to decorate it with all my ornaments from childhood and wedding. I had fun putting everything together, although it only took 30 minutes from start to finish. But Kaeden helped... The tree is super cute, and the cat is leaving it alone, although he stares at the lights from the chair next to it. Our stockings are up, and I found Kaeden the cutest one with penguins on it. All I'm truly missing is some snow - it just never feels like a real Christmas without snow. Any how, here is what our Christmas looks like... We also had Kaeden blessed this last Sunday. Kevin got all spiffied up and Kaeden had the cutest church clothes, and I snuck in my flip cam. I know cameras are not allowed, but I wanted to keep it for posterity, and didn't have time to write it all down so it's the next best thing. I'm sure He'll understand :-) I'll admit I sat in the back hiding behind Kevin because I do fear a kharmic retribution, but it was worth it. I'm so luck to have such good friends in the church to help us out with this special moment.

Latest Love...

I have a new love in my life - RedBox! It is the greatest invention for those of us who love movies but hate the prices. It is a low-budget wonder! For only a dollar I can catch up on all the movies I have missed. I love to go to the theater, but Kevin isn't into it so much and I'm just lazy about going down to Blockbuster. Then when my brother came down to bring baby furniture he introduced me to RedBox, and I've found my heaven. In fact, I think I've found the heaven of my ward as well, as I have run into several ward members in line at the local Box. If you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to, it's the best!

Back to School

I feel like I've stepped into a lost episode of "Welcome Back Kotter" (hilarious show by the way!). Yesterday was my first day back to school, and everyone was so excited to see me. The teachers were singing and dancing that they didn't have to help keep my kids under control, and the students were yelling and screaming, well, cuz that's what they do! :-) Not really, but they were on their best behavior and working hard all day yesterday. Today however...apparently the honeymoon period is over already...sigh...

Apparently my kids went through 4 substitutes while I was gone. Bothers me only because then my directions and lesson plans got lost in the shuffle, and NONE of the grading got done. I kid you not, my stack of papers to be graded was atleast 6 inches high! I know substitutes generally don't like to do much, but honestly, if you're taking a position for more than a day or two, grading is part and parcel! The kids are really concerned about their grades, which I'm trying to quickly figure out with all these assignments to grade - but don't worry, I'm not buried in work. I threw out everything except the last 2 weeks - I'll have that graded in a few days and back to the kids. The substitutes should have done their jobs and graded, I can't possible do all that work, so it's triage time. We're starting a new chapter next week, so I'm not looking back and doing my best to count down to Christmas Break! (only 11 school days!)

Kevins' playing Mr. Mom with Kaeden, and he's so happy when I get home cuz apparently I have a Momma's boy, he's fussy for Kevin and great for me. I'm so lucky to have a husband home with him during the day, not having to pay an arm and a leg for daycare. We're having him blessed in church this Sunday, and I have the cutest little outfit for Kaeden to wear - I'm excited. Our good friend Scott Thorne is performing the blessing, with a few other gentlemen who have really reached out to us since we've been in the Ward. Plus, I finally get to get Kevin in a suit! He looks so good all dressed up and now he has a place to go :-)

Hooray for Turkey Day!

There's nothing I love more than a whole day dedicated to food. And good food at that. Nothing beats a well cooked turkey with all the trimmings. This year it was just me and my little family, but it was a bit crazy trying to cook and take care of the baby, too. Kaeden doesn't like to be alone in his little pillow - if you are sitting next to him on the couch he's fabulous, but if you get up to leave he starts to fuss. I'd feel better about carrying him around if his little bobble head were a little stronger, so I usually end up sitting next to him on the couch. Getting much done can be a little crazy.

We did manage to dress Kaeden up for his first Thanksgiving, though.

Our turkey day had just our favorites - a smaller turkey, stuffing, gravy, rolls and mashed potatoes. My parents bought me a deluxe potato masher so we had real taters this holiday! Kevin was quite pleased (he's not a fan of the potato pearls we usually have) and he actually was in charge of most of it, so I can't claim more than boiling and serving them. Desert consisted of Boston Creme Pie and Cherry Cheesecake. The pie is cuz that's all they had at Walmart (all out of pumpkin) and the cheesecake is my mom's recipie, and my favorite. Kevin doesn't like the goo that goes around the cherries, hence the pie. All in all, it was a quiet day, but a full one!

Everyday life is a routine, Kevin is up with Kaeden around 6, I follow them around 8, and we spend the day revolving around feedings and diaper changes until 9 at night when we all go to bed. Kaeden already has a schedule at night, 12, 2, 4 respectively. Kevin and I trade off getting up and feeding, but all this is about to change.

I get to go back to work this week...sigh...

Kevin gets to play Mr. Mom while I head back to my students and clean up the mess left by multiple substitutes. I'm dreading what I'll find. I've stopped by my room once already and was appalled at what I saw - papers stacked for grading, desks all over - and I've heard from other teachers that it's been a rough go for the kids with the several subs they've had. But, I've got Christmas Break to look forward to as a reprieve! I hate to leave Kaeden, but I'm itching to get my hands on that messy room and get it back under control!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as we did!

3 Week Update

I can't believe 3 weeks has gone by already. My little man is already beginning to outgrow some of his newborn clothes - craziness! He's such a cutie though. He's started to stay awake for several hours in the afternoons, and he's trying to hold his head up, look around. I'm trying to coax a true smile out of him, but so far no success. However, I have been using my flip cam, recording little tidbits, and here's his 3 week progress report... :-)

Trying Out a Movie

When my parents came to see Kaeden, they brought me a little present - a flip camera. It looks like a still picture camera, but it takes little videos a couple seconds long, which you can then save to your computer or send via email. I've had a blast filming all sorts of stuff, and now I'm gonna try to add it to my blog.

As a test run, you get to see what my dad does on his 'hunting' trips. Before my brother Taury headed off to Army boot camp, he and Dad went out into the mountains, but spent most of their time filming. This is their version of those 'Messin with Sasquatch' commercials...

Happy Halloween

Even without a whole lot of sleep, parenthood is so much fun! My little boy is so precious, I have to share more of him with everyone. My parents have come to town to visit for a week, and it's been so nice to have someone else do the cooking and cleaning :-)



They love being grandparents, and the great grandparents (my grandparents) have come down for the weekend, so we've had a full house for the holidays. It's been great carving pumpkins, eating Grandma Greats' famous spaghetti sauce, and taking tons of pictures.




Kaeden is such a good baby - he's spoiling us as parents. He sleeps most of the day and night away, only waking up for a bottle or new diaper. He's just barely starting to stay awake for an hour or two in the afternoons, but he makes it easy for the time being. Kevin and I swap the night shift - I get the 2 am and 7 am feed and change while Kevin gets the 4 am feeding. I'm going to miss him when he goes to work graveyards :-)





We also had a great little Halloween. Grandma and Grandpa Great (Lesch, my grandparents) dressed up when they came to the house, so we had to get a great shot of them with Kaeden dressed as a pumpkin. We then went to the Trunk or Treat at my church and Kaeden got himself a little basket full of candy for Halloween. He also slept through the whole thing, but Grandpa (my dad) had a great time snapping pics of him all night long.



It's been a great week, I'm sad to see the family go - I'll also miss them doing all the cooking and cleaning. My little family is so cute now, I'm so glad I could have such and angel to add to the next generation :-)

Now Playing...

Everyone has been awaiting the cute baby pics - here they are! Starting in the hospital, taking him home, and meeting Grandma and Grandpa Gibbs - here is Kaeden Christenson!

Kaeden Gabriel

Hello all!!

I'm back, and I'm not alone! Finally, after months of anticipation, our little one arrived! I went in Monday evening for an induction, Tuesday morning started the pitocin, but baby didn't respond well so we had to have a c-section to get him out. Turns out he was too big for me anyway, tipping the scales at 8 lbs 11 oz.

I spent the rest of the week in the hospital getting over the cutting me open part (Kevin watched, he said it was brutal!) and just bonding with the baby. It's been so great to finally have him, and be a mommy. We named him Kaeden Gabriel (like hayden but with a k) and he is the best baby ever! I'll have pictures posted in a little while. Just wanted to let everyone know.

still waiting...

no baby yet...although he's very active. likes to roll around in my tummy. that's about the only activity. i go in for an induction on tuesday if he hasn't made an appearance by then.

nothing yet...

Hey everyone - just wanted to let you know that the baby has decided to stay where he is at a while longer. Been doing lots of walking and driving down bumpy roads, but he is taking his sweet time. Keep your fingers crossed that he comes soon...we're ready!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Everytime I have tried to call someone this last week, I've had to begin our conversations with "I'm not in labor..." I had to just stop calling people to chat cuz everyone was getting so excited. I've got 20 hours or so until my due date, but there's no action yet. The last doctor visit showed he's dropping, but likes his current surroundings so there's no effacing or dilating yet. Sorry.

I, however, am ready. My bag is packed, the baby's bag is packed, all the baby accessories have been checked off my list, my last day at work was Friday, I'm pre-registered at the hospital, I have a pediatrician - I'm all set, I just neet a baby!

I haven't hit the 'I'm tired of being pregnant' phase yet, but I'm so excited to be a mom, and I want to stick to my date plan - Kevin's birthday is on a 10th, mine is on an 11th, we were married on a 12th, and this kid is due on the 13th - it's perfect! He's gotta stick to the plan... :-)

Pregnancy 101

With only a week left (fingers crossed!!) I've been contemplating the things I have learned about being pregnant - and created a little list of observations about my state of affairs the last nine months. Enjoy!

10. Most people could eat and eat while pregnant - I have not been so fortunate and have had to moderate my eating (those who know my eating habits before pregnancy can mourn my lack of appetite with me). I can't wait to be able to finish a full meal again!!

9. During morning sickness, or as I called it All Day Sickness, always make sure to eat things that taste good going both ways.

8. Sleeping is non-existant at this point. And with the baby fussing and Kevin working nights, sleeping will remain non-existant until I'm dead.

7. Swollen feet just hit, as well as swollen fingers, and they are not comfortable. If I dared walk around my classroom bare-foot, I totally would.

6. For the first time ever, Kevin is turning up the air conditioning! I can't get enough cold air and our poor AC bill is horrible - never good to be pregnant during a summer in Vegas!

5. Thank heaven for post its, or I would never know what I need to do during the day - both at school and at home. If I don't write it down, I can't remember it to save my life. I now know what a goldfish feels like!

4. The best foods in the world - pickles and ice cubes (Not necessarily together). And the best ice cubes are the little circular pieces that no one ever seems to use anymore...sniff...

3. I have a reserved stall in the bathroom at school - can't wait to be able to pee longer than 3 seconds at a time. If ever you wonder where Ticey (or Mrs. Christenson as I am known there) is, check the nearest restroom.

2. Anything dropped on the floor will live there until someone else comes along to pick it up. At school this is not that much of a problem, I can guilt the kids into picking up anything for me - at home, not so much. (Kevin will help put my shoes and socks on though, he's sweet).

1. I am now so used to having my belly jump around on its own it will be weird to have it be still, and have something in my lap instead!

Baby Countdown!!

MySpace Countdowns

Vegas Vacation

Our dear friends Jessica and Brady Balls were able to come down and visit us this last weekend. It was so great to see them! They are a riot, and we had a blast with them. Especially as we cruised around the Strip. It was funny, we were just taking in the sights and we ran into a few locals. Luckily, we had a camera and were able to snap a few pics!

Yeah right, I wish we were that lucky! We went to the wax museum. It was still fun to run around and pose with the figures, although they could be creepy cuz they were so life like. Jess and Brady also brought their two dogs, so Tok had friends to play with all weekend. At first they were crazy just checking each other out, then they were an inseparable pack, constantly on the run chasing each other and toys, always wanting to play. It was hilarious - we spent a lot of time just watching them run around in the backyard. It was sad when they left, Tok walked around the house for 2 days looking for his friends and giving the saddest huskie face when he couldn't find them.

It was awesome to see them - I hope they had fun, too.

baby shower

This last Saturday the ladies of my ward were kind enough to throw me a baby shower. It was a blast! Showers are always cute and fun because they are all about babies, but this one was awesome. There was, of course, great food and decorations, but the company is what made it so spectacular. The ladies of my ward are hilarious. We played a few games: match the animal as a grown up to the animal as a baby (ie: duck with duckling, sheep with kid) and remember all the stuff on the tray. But for me, the best games was the "Baby Powder Game." I'd not played this one before. There are a bunch of baggies all filled with a white powder. It was our job to determine what each powder was - and there were some doosies! Anything from flour and sugar to comet and dried milk! It was hilarious to see people try and smell or taste the powders to see what they were. (Play this game with caution - especially if you are using non-edible powders!)




The gifts were also wonderful. All the cute clothes and outfits - this poor baby will be my living doll just so I can dress him in all his cute new clothes. There was also things I didn't even think of, even after all my baby-must-have lists. Things like a thermometer for the bathtub or a bottle brush. They even have single serving packets of baby formula for on the road, like koolaid or crystal light! It was a great day, and I'm so thankful for such fabulous ladies in my ward who are so excited for this baby, too!




Thank you ladies!!

may we always remember...

We all know, we all saw...may we always remember why - freedom is not free!




Hateful is the power, and pitiable is the life, of those who wish to be feared rather than to be loved. ~ Cornelius Nepos






In the huge mass of evil as it rolls and swells, there is ever some good working toward deliverance and triumph. ~ Carlyle




May the Lord watch over and provide for our loved ones overseas (TJ is a Marine, he heads to Iraq next month).



(Taury is in the Army Reserves and heads to bootcamp next month)




And may the Lord watch over and provide for the families.

Baby Supplies

Thank you to everyone who has helped us out with getting ready for the baby. And thank you for all those who have asked what I still need or want. In order to make it easier, I have registered at Babies R US for stuff that we still need before the baby is born (34 weeks and counting!).

Feel free to check out their website and see what items we need. You can also have the items shipped to the house, as opposed to purchasing them and sending them yourself. (6344 Arlington Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89107)

I'm so excited for the baby, and it warms my heart to see so many of you happy for us too!

Montana Perspectives

For those of you who don't know, I get all my teaching skills from my very talented parents. My father is also a teacher (high school spanish baby!! Como frijoles?) and my mother is a motivational speaker. Mom has been taking off with her speaking business: she's written a book, has a cd out, and has just gotten her latest website up and running, so I'm giving it a free plug.

With a unique Montana Perspective (hence her business name!) of working on the ranch, she talks about how to change attitudes, motivate employees, and more. She does a phenomenal job if you're interested in hiring her :-)

In the meantime, cruise by the website and check out her articles and newsletters - she's one in a million!



http://www.montanaperspectives.com

Back to School...

Well, with fall comes the inevitable - school. Most parents are eager to send their children off to get some peace and quiet at home, and perhaps something done. All summer they've been busy, and now it's time for a break from the kids. I, on the other hand, am the one who get the kidsall day, so I'm back to work! School is upon us, and this is where I earn my paycheck. Usually I'm pretty excited to get back to work, a routine, but with the baby coming, I'm just counting down days: til he's born and my leave starts, then from the end of my leave until Christmas break. My new students are all very happy for me, and last years kids are going beserk! I didn't have much of a belly before summer, so they think it's great to see me like this. I just smile, waddle and wave.

Actually, this last week has gone by really fast. The new students are a lot more well behaved (hooray!) and although class sizes are still high (36 ish) it feels like it's going to be a good year. Course, we'll see after the honeymoon period is over :-)

Things are starting to speed up in the baby department. All the big furniture has been obtained (thank you so much grandparents-to-be), clothes are being bought, and Kevin is working on the remodel. Mostly just tearing down at this point, but we're up and running, so it's all good. Kevin is also shopping around for a night job, so we don't pay and arm and leg for child care. He'll be home with the baby during the day, and I'll be home with him at night. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the sleep deprivation won't be that bad!

Also, we have bought ourselves a new baby-mobile! Kevin's brother Eric was fabulous enough to sell us his beloved Accura.



I am totally in love with this car!! It looks awesome, drives wonderfully, and has AIR CONDITIONING!! Yes, for 4 years we've lived in Vegas with no a/c in our vehicle. I don't know how we've survived, but now...sigh...life is beautiful!




Kevin teases me that I'm going to get pulled over for driving what I call the 'sports car' but I just laugh - I've got the a/c and he's just jealous! It's great to be a 2 car family, he can sleep in for work when I leave, and I don't have to wait for him to get off to come home from school. It's been a blessing that our schedules have worked out pretty close so far, but with him going graveyard, and with no a/c for a baby this just is great. A million thank you's to Eric for takin' one for the family!!

Home on the Range...

You can take the girl out of the country, but never the country out of the girl! I've been visiting my parents back in Montana for the last 2 weeks, and it was a blast! The weather was so nice, a great break from the Las Vegas heat. I loved being back in the mountains, and the color green! :-)



My parents own 5 acres and 3 horses, 2 goats and all the accessories. I love their house, made of pine logs and just what you'd expect in the Montana country. Always something to do on the ranch - Dad's latest project was landscaping the edge of the driveway. He's got rocks on the brain, and scoured the mountainside finding the perfect boulders to use in his wall. Rumor has it he even caused rock slides to get to the right ones! If you ask me, it turned out beautifully.



Mom and I spent a lot of time redecorating rooms inside the house. Now that Tieg, my youngest brother, is out of the house too, Mom wanted to give his room a make-over. She had this great idea of using the musical instruments that had been passed down from her father and grandfather (and played by her father and my brothers, actually) and some old pictures she had of them. We spent a lot of time picking out picture frames and figuring out where to put the instruments on the wall, but after all our hard work, Mom has the best room design! I am amazed at the history and the stories on that wall. It is a true work of art.



This room naturally led to reorganizing other rooms, so a lot of time was spent measuring wall space and thinking really hard (which causes major headaches!). We were able to get a lot done, but she's got lots more ideas and projects, which I am handing over to her sister, who will be visiting her next week. Tami - watch out and good luck! Mom'll put you to work! :-)


We also got to show off our musical abilities. Pioneer day was celebrated while I was there, and the Stevensville Stake celebrated with music and games, and cobblers galore. Ya'll know we have a family band (Mom on mandolin, Dad on banjo and me on fiddle) and we teamed up with 2 others to play some bluegrass at the celebration. What a fun time! Nothing beats a little Rocky Top! Some songs went more smoothly than others, but all in all the Bitterroot Rascals stole the show! It was great to have us together, playing again. I love to play with Mom and Dad, they have a great program of music and cowboy poetry, and I'm proud to be a part of the band in some small way.


After all the shopping, decorating and jammin' I was one worn out little lady as I boarded the plane back to Vegas. I swear, time passes faster in Montana, and I was out of time way before I was ready...but I've got some remodelling of my own to do here at the house. And a deadline, October is right around the corner!



Thanks Mom and Dad, for a wonderful time at home! I love you guys!

Happy Birthday to Us!

Another summer means another birthday! Happy days for Kevin and me. Luckily, our birthdays are the 10th and 11th, making it easy for us to remember and celebrate. Kevin turned 29 and I turned 28, and we had a great time. On Kevin's birthday we went out to eat, and it's tradition to go to PF Chang's. When we came home we did birthday cake. I make one for us each year. Not much on way of decorations, but I added some special touches in honor of July birthdays (hooray for sparklers!)

And Kevin was a sport, posing for the pics. On my birthday we hit the 7/11 gas station - every year on this date they give away free slurpees! (they give them to everyone, not just birthday people) On Saturday my friend Amy took us out for dinner at Nero's in Ceasar's Palace. She always takes us to the fanciest restaurants for our birthday dinner, and this one was great! Filet Mignon, Lobster Bisque, and Creme Brulee! Yum yum. It was a great evening.

Birthday cards, phone calls and wishes all come flooding in, too. I love that all of you call and wish us happy birthday - it's great to hear from everyone! Grandma and Grandpa Lesch always sing, and this year my cousin Jenna did too. I even got a song from Marine-Corp-Tough-Tieg!! Thanks to everyone who called and sent cards or thoughts - we love you too!

Presents to each other were geared towards the remodel on the house - gearing up for the baby and updating. Kevin has been buckling down and tearing stuff up (which is always the fun part!). We're going one room at a time, but it always leads to another room, so half the house will always be under some sort of construction. I wish I could help out more, but it's getting harder for me to carry stuff around. Not that I can't lift (although Kevin always bugs me about it) but that my belly gets in the way. So I've resigned myself to the post of secretary - I make the phone calls to contractors or plumbers, and I research prices and items online for eventual replacement. I'd rather have the crowbar to whack stuff down, but design is fun too, so I'll do my job to the best of my ability.

Hooray for the 4th!

I love the 4th of July! And not just cuz it means my birthday is coming :-) I love the bbq's and the park, the flags and the fireworks! Most especially the fireworks. I wait all day for night to come so I can see the shows. It's hard to do much during the day in Vegas, it gets so hot, but we tried this year. Our bbq didn't work out as we planned, but I had enough food and fireworks for just our little family. I enjoyed getting steaks ready, having some corn on the cob and shrimp to go with, and wash it down with some IBC rootbeer or cream soda (a staple at our house!). Once dark started to fall, it was easy to get a front seat to fireworks, just step outside!

We celebrated at our house, out back. Kevin and I got into a bit of a pop-it war and waved our sparklers at the neighbors and the cops driving by (spotlighting for illegal fireworks). Our cat, Willie, doesn't like all the noise so he hid in the house most of the night. Our dog, Tok, didn't quite know what to make of the sparklers. He was interested until he burnt his nose, anyway.

He was fascinated with everything else, the fountains especially.

Low key, but so fun for just our little family. Baby kicked at the noise, although in fright or fun, I'm not sure. He likes to move around a lot when there's lots of noise (singing in church, music in the house, crowded restaurants, etc), but whether it's cuz he likes it or not has yet to be seen!

Hoping yours was a great holiday too!

Welcome to my Blog!!

Well, who would have thought it, but I'm finally a blogger! Thanks to the stern promptings of friends, who wanted to see the Belly. Plus, I've got lots of time on my hands this summer, spent mostly scrapbooking or reading, so here's another creative outlet for me to use to keep in touch.

So far, this summer has been pretty hot and fairly low key. I spend most of my days watching 'A Baby Story' on TLC, reading and trying to not think about starting the school in the fall. Occassionally housework and cooking get done. :-) I've also spent a lot of time online, researching out baby gear and trying to find great deals for purchasing them. So far, I've lucked out (thanks Dani, for all your advice!!) and found great stuff, and am slowly getting the nursery put together.

Kevin still works for the pool company here in town. He's at a warehouse now, not driving, which has helped him lose some weight, but has no a/c and he's got some down time that keeps him bored. Soon he'll start looking for a night job so he can be home with the baby during the day when I go back to work in the fall. This will help us not have to pay for childcare, which is an arm and a leg!

At the moment we're gearing up for the 4th - putting together a bbq with some friends. I've got great T-bone steaks in the fridge, marinating as we speak! My mouth is watering with anticipation...Then, of course there are the fireworks. And in Vegas, that's quite the show! Most every casino on the Strip sets some off, and across town there are parties, both city sponsored and private, that set them off too, so all we have to do is find a clear spot in town and sit back to watch. Kevin and I have our secret spot to sit (okay, our front porch isn't that secret) and we've got a stock of IBC Rootbeer and cherries to eat while watching.

I'll start getting some pictures uploaded and play around with this blogging thing, so check back later as I get better and better at this...(fingers crossed!)