30 weeks today!

I've heard people sadly exclaim that they can't believe summer is almost over. Normally I'd be one of those people, sad that summer has gone by fast, but not this year. With summer ending, it means we're that much closer to meeting our baby boy! I'm 30 weeks today. I feel like my belly gets bigger by the second. I feel pretty good (yay for no more nausea/vomiting!) and know I'm only going to get bigger, so I can't complain yet :) There is one spot in my mid back where it feels like a rib is getting pulled off of my spine. I think I'll go to the chiropractor tomorrow to see if he can help. Kaden gets in on this blog entry...it was hilarious. A few days ago he picked up a large rock to throw into the lake and exclaimed, "I'm pregnant for that one!" Meaning it was too hard/heavy for him to throw. Hahaha! Anyway here is how I look today:

30 weeks down, 10 to go!

Guess What?

We moved! Well maybe I should say we have moved from Florida. And we're not sure where we are permanently headed, but we are currently in southern UT staying in my sister's basement. We had hoped to stay in Florida and that George could work at the school where he's been training, but they have a hiring freeze right now so we decided to head out to new horizons. We're here in Utah while George continues to look for a job where he can fly and also work as a locksmith. We are optimistic about our future, but Ichabod does put a bit of a time crunch on us figuring things out. If we don't have anything by the beginning of October, we'll get a place of our own here in Utah for a few months while we have our baby, then it's off to somewhere where George can fly!

While I headed to girl's camp in Florida, George packed up our entire house into trusty Wrigley (our Subaru). I didn't have to pack one thing, can you believe that?! George is such a wonderful husband! He made the drive from Florida to Utah in 61 hours (39 of that actual drive time). He stopped in Texas at a couple flight schools for some face time. I don't know how he did it without getting a hotel the entire time, especially since the car was so packed he couldn't even lean back his seat! Gas is up $1/gal since we made the drive last year. The check engine light came on somewhere in Alabama, but other than that it was a pretty uneventful trip (thankfully). When I got back from girl's camp I worked a couple more days and cleaned the house, then I flew out to UT to meet George. I was so happy to take a 4 hour flight instead of a 40 hour drive!

So here we are here in Utah for now. It's hard not to be 'settled' especially with a baby on the way, but my mom reminded me that little "I" only needs our loving arms, so no worries about a home or settling. We're so blessed to have so many family and friends that support us. We've already enjoyed a camping trip up to Fish Lake with the Hansen's and caught the tail end of the Melling Family Reunion. We love the west and it's good to be 'home' closer to family!

My niece, so worn out she couldn't even finish her chip!

Cocoa Ward YW Camp 2010

Cocoa Giraffes - Be Grateful!

I just got back from a fun week at girl's camp for our church. It was a 4-day camp with 130 girls from central Florida. It was pretty posh camping with cabins and air conditioning, but I was definitely ok with that because camping in the middle of July in Florida being 6 months pregnant just doesn't seem right anyway!

Our cabin porch - Katie made the adorable giraffe, named Leffrey. Many of the girls from other wards tried to steal him on multiple occasions, but they were busted each time.

Our camp theme was: "It's a Jungle Out There!" Referencing Joshua 1:9 "Be not afraid, only believe." I was in charge of the Cocoa Ward Young Women, we were assigned to be the Giraffes and our motto was 'Be Grateful'. Six great girls were in my group ranging in age from 13 to 16-years-old. The girls did a fund raiser to earn all their money for camp this year, they're awesome! They were such good sports about all the activities too. We've been preparing for camp for months now. They learned first aid and CPR, multiple ways to build fires and cook on them, horse back riding, identifying clouds/constellations, different ways to purify water, etc. etc. They did service at camp by pulling weeds, clearing campgrounds, and moving pavers for walkways. We also enjoyed the water slide, mud slide, crafts, sports, hair-washing and french braiding, and 'natural' facials!

Mariah, Katie, and Georgette - rope 'em and ride 'em!

Mariah moving the pavers.

Mariah, Katie, and Liz getting natural facials - strawberry and cucumber, mmm!

Susie, Marisa, Sage, Chyan, Katie, Georgette - serving lunch to all the girls.

Georgette screaming down the water slide - so refreshing!

Hanging out in the cabin - we definitely had our fair share of junk food!

One of the first activities we did when we got to camp was go on the Copes Course. It was an obstacle course that started out with something called the Bridge of Courage which was two ropes strung across a large canal...we were told it didn't have alligators, but the next day during horse-back riding an alligator was spotted! It was harder than I thought and my arms and legs were shaking by the time I got to the other side, but there was no way I was going to fall into that murky water. Another great part of the course was the Trust Fall. We had one girl at a time stand on a 6' platform and fall, stiff as a board into our locked arms below. It was so fun to see the girl's get up the courage to do each part of the course, and it definitely unified our team.

Crossing the 'Bridge of Courage' -no way was I going to fall into the murky water below!

'Be Grateful' - "You're very attitude toward life can be evidence of whether or not you are truly grateful for life, for the blessings you have, for the comforts and privileges and opportunities you enjoy, for the talents you have been given, for everything." "Be grateful, count your blessings and gifts and privileges and see just how long that list is...Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights." -Gordon B. Hinckley

Giraffe Facts:

• Heart is 2' long and weighs 25 lbs, talk about a grateful heart!
• Sleeps between 10 mins and 2 hours/night
• Babies are approximately 6' tall and 140 lbs.
• Babies drop onto their heads at birth - about a 6' fall!
• Although they're generally quiet, they can 'moo' 'whistle' 'hiss' and 'roar'
• Can't swim
• Have to straddle their front legs to drink water
• Drink 10 gallons of water/day
• Neck is 6' long and weighs about 600 lbs!
• Legs are about 6' long as well
• Lungs can hold 12 gallons of air
• Have the same number of neck bones as humans...7 neck vertebrae, theirs are just WAY bigger!
• Eats 75 lbs food/day
• Can stick tongue out 1.5' and it's a blue-black color

• After they swallow the leaves the first time, a ball of leaves travels all the way back up their throat into their mouth for more grinding
• Their horns are called ossicones and are covered in hair.
• Run 30 mph
• Calves stand up and walk about and hour after birth
• Feet are the size of a dinner plate - 12" diameter
• Longest tail of any land mammal, up to 8' long
• Males are about 18' tall and weigh 3000 lbs, females 15' tall and weigh 1800 lbs

Banana Spiders, eek! They are gigantic and in ALL the trees.

They sewed their capris themselves! This is our whole 'herd of giraffes': Susie Dornellas (my amazing assistant!), Katie, Sage, Marisa, Liz, Mariah, front: Georgette & Chyan

I can't think of a better way to spend my last week in Florida! A BIG thank you to all the girl's and leaders that helped make this year's camp such a success!

Ichabod's Baby Shower!

My good friends, Sarah and Morgiana, threw a baby shower on Thursday night for our little boy. It was SO much FUN! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! There are so many people I've come to love during our time here in Florida. Thanks to each of you who took the time to come, and for all your generous and thoughtful gifts! I didn't realize how many cute things there are for baby boys! And dad will be so proud when he's wearing all the helicopter gear!! I can't believe that we're actually going to have a baby...just a little over three months to go, eek! At least I have diapers and burp rags now, the nightmares can stop where I'm holding baby Bates and stuff is coming out of every end and I have nothing to clean him up with, haha.

The party planners - look at all that yummy food they made! Thank YOU so much!! Sorry I didn't get a normal picture :)

Noah's Ark - by Brandi Chavez. She's SO talented! No one wanted to cut it because it was so cute, but it was yummy too! Click here to see some of her other cakes. (I don't know if this link works - you might have to be friend's with her on facebook in order to see her album.)

I was 'showered' with gifts! A BIG thank you to everyone!! I can't wait to have a baby to use all our wonderful gifts!!

Evelyn LOVES to shop! And her pet peeve is when baby's aren't wearing socks and shoes, so we should be set now thanks to her :)

Cheryl, Amy, and Angela - such pretty ladies!

Gwen, Vic, Jimmy, and Kelli - my work friends that braved all the other mormons, haha.

Some of my Simple Joys...

A quick list of the many reasons to SMILE :)

(I actually started this post back in Feb, during my pre-sick time. I'm feeling so much better now...I really do like rosemary, basil, and strawberries again, so now I can post it!)

• The rosemary bush outside my door...so fresh, so convenient. It makes me smile every clipping I clip...it's so yummy in roasted potatoes.
• The vita-mix 2hp blender I got from my parents for college graduation. MmmMmm delightful fresh strawberry milkshakes!
• The love notes George leaves me on our bathroom mirror.
• Scorching hot showers. I can use an entire hot water heater's supply on a good day, actually probably even on a fair day :)
• Sunday afternoon naps. Especially in a patch of sunlight coming thru the window.
• The smell of freshly cut basil.
• Getting to wear scrubs to work.
• When George drops me off somewhere, seeing him wait to make sure I get inside safely.
• Long walks on the beach, barefoot of course.
• Seeing how much George loves to fly.
• Ichabod behaving himself, giving me love kicks and not making mom sick anymore.
• Family support. Anytime, anywhere.

SO many blessings to be thankful for from our loving Heavenly Father!