Ketchup

So the last few months have been a blur. I feel like we have been really busy, but when I look back I can't remember what we were doing for all that time! So here are a few highlights from the new year.

First, Spencer has been CRAZY busy at work. Due to some very unexpected events he ended up being the only engineer on site shortly after New Years, so he has been responsible  for a whole lot and was coming home a lot later than usual. Luckily things have mostly died down, but for a while it was a lot of very early mornings and very late nights.

For a little while this pregnant lady got REALLY lazy. This same dinner scenario has happened on more than one occasion, though sometimes with French toast or pancakes instead of grilled cheese.

And then it finally snowed! A completely sunny and warm Christmas, and finally it dumps snow in February. Spencer and I finally got to make a snowman, as tiny as he may have been.

I also turned old (note: this is not a typo, I meant old, not older). Birthdays aren't a huge deal anymore, but I very much enjoyed the letter from my hopped-up-on-drugs missionary sister (in her defense she had just had surgery) and the giant box of oranges from my mommy's tree. Baby boy also very much enjoyed the oranges and would have a disco party every time I ate one.

Since Valentine's Day is two days after my birthday and was on Saturday this year we had made plans to make a day of it, but a bunch of things went terribly wrong at work for Spencer and he ended up working all weekend, so we salvaged the day as best we could with a 10 o clock dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.

We also love to get in as much skyping/facetime with nieces and nephews as possible. And we've gained a new niece and a new nephew since February! I love watching them grow.

Spencer and I both got new church responsibilities. Spencer was called as a counselor in the bishopric (meaning he helps the Bishop, who is in charge of the congregation, with whatever is needed to take care of the members and to keep things running smoothly). I was asked to serve as a youth leader over the young women in our ward. It is a challenge for me at times, but I love it and the girls don't seem to mind my sometimes silly ideas. This was after a lesson on our divine nature, and I made all the girls make crowns and wear them around at church to remind them that they are princesses and daughters of God!

We've also been working on finally finishing up some projects around the house so that it's in the condition we want it to be when the baby comes (more pictures to follow). So we finally put up one of our Christmas presents to ourselves just a couple of weeks ago. No big deal, it's only 6 feet long...

But one of our favorite highlights from this year was a trip down to Texas at the end of February. Spencer had a corporate training in Corpus Christi, so we drove down a few days early to spend the weekend with my brother and his wife in Dallas. We love visiting them, and we always have so much fun when the extended family gets together!

Weather in Jacksonville...

Weather in Dallas. Blessed sunshine.

The girls.

Big belly!

Proof that we actually love each other.

Texas family!

And funny story that I need to document so I don't forget, but just a few weeks ago Spencer decided that he needed to change the brakes on his car and that he wanted to do it himself. He started around 9:30 that morning, and I don't know the exact details but there was a part that just wouldn't come off. He worked and banged at it for a while, and then our neighbor across the street noticed that he was struggling and came over to help. Spencer felt vindicated when he couldn't get the piece off either (he's a bigger guy and worked as an Air Force mechanic for 6 years). So together they decided to saw off whatever this piece is and replace it with a new one, so Mr. Neighbor brings a hacksaw over and they go at it. They finally get it off, but now a different piece is stuck inside. After working on THAT for a while, Mr. Neighbor suggests that they take a blowtorch to it to expand the metal so the piece can fall out. Which  they do, and it works. Hallelujah. We say thank you to the neighbor and Spencer proceeds to change the brakes. Only to find out that the brake pads were still in plenty good condition and didn't need to be changed after all. So after 5 hours, 3 trips to the auto shop, a hacksaw, and a blowtorch...our car is in the exact same condition it started. Oi vey. But Spencer had a blast, so I guess it's a win.

Anyways, it's been a great year so far and now we're just waiting for little boy to make his grand appearance!

Wedding Planner, At Your Service

I spent most of the end of 2014 helping my good friend Katie plan her wedding. This was a big adventure for me, especially since I almost literally did nothing to plan my own wedding (thank you Momma!). But I loved helping my friend put together her fairy tale day. It was a test of my organizational skills and, with a few major setbacks, of my ability to be flexible and adaptable. And in the end it all came together. She was gorgeous, the weather (mostly) cooperated, and there is just about nothing better than watching two best friends commit to spend eternity together!

Holiday Madness 2014

By now you should know that any time we get together with my family there will be a blog post with too many pictures of my nieces and nephews.

With that warning out of the way, Spencer and I planned for months to spend Thanksgiving in Idaho with my sister and her family this year. And we were very happily surprised to find out that my parents and several more of my siblings were going to be joining us!

I would be lying if I said it wasn't madness. But oh, what glorious madness it was! 2 days of 10 adults and 6 kids  hanging out in a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment. Two pregnant sisters and 3 babies under a year old. Lots of giggling and playing cousins, intermingled with the occasional biting, hitting, and falling. Meal after meal of DELICIOUS food, not limited to shrimp dip, homemade snickers, and real Mexican tacos. We played lots of games (FARKLE champion, at your service), snuggled lots of babies, and only one person ended up in the hospital (my poor dad had a kidney stone).

Save me?

Adam and Kiera became best buds.

After the two days everyone else went home and Spencer and I spent the rest of the week with Michelle and Austin. None of us had ever done Thanksgiving on our own, but I am very proud of how everything turned out. We made way too much food (of course) but it was so much fun.  We played more games, giggled with their babies, and just enjoyed ourselves. And I tried to do a family photo shoot with them but the weather and the little girls did not cooperate so we just took a few quick shots inside. Boo. Next time!

Thanksgiving was amazing. I was a little sad that we needed to stay in Illinois for Christmas, but I'm so glad we were able to see so many people for at least one of the major holidays.

Christmas at home was fairly simple but lots of fun. It was such an adventure figuring out how to decorate our first home, and of course we got a real tree!

Christmas day was spent opening presents and then the missionaries came over to spend the rest of the day with us. They skyped their families here and we played games and ate food all day long. We also got to talk with Spencer's family in the morning, and then had a family skype session with ALL of my immediate family. Yeah that's right. 2 parents, 8 siblings and 6 spouses, and 10 grandkids...all at the same time. All that I'll say about that is that I am rarely more entertained than when my family is all together.

Silly missionaries...

It was a very merry Christmas!