VERY Exciting News!

EEEEKKK!!!!

We're going to have a baby! I've known this for about 8 weeks and I have been dying to share with everyone I see! I'm currently a little more than 12 weeks along, and due around June 5th (just a few days after our 3rd wedding anniversary).

Today was a really fun day at the doctor. We got to hear our little baby's heart beating for the first time! Below is a picture of me at 12 weeks (yes, I realize it looks like 72 weeks). I'm still wearing all of my normal pants, but they are starting to get a little tight. Despite all that I've been eating I'd actually lost a pound since my appointment at 8 weeks! I haven't been sick at all - just really exhausted!

Gum?

When I was in the sixth grade I had a gum business. My mom would take me to Sam's and I'd by big packages of bubblelicious gum. I'd get about 12 packs for 7 or 8 dollars. Then I'd take it to school and sell each pack for a dollar. It was quite the profitable business for a 12 year old...until I got my money stolen out of my desk and we were no longer allowed to sell gum at school. Honestly, now that I'm a teacher I'm surprised my teacher let it go on at all.

25 years later gum is still a hot commodity at school. My kids chew gum a lot. I let them. I was a gum chewer - and it doesn't bother me in the least. Every few days it seems as though there's a battle with some kids over gum. Some kid wants a piece and the kid he knows has some is lying about the fact that he does. I've even seen kids ask almost everyone in the class for a piece of gum only to turn up empty handed. I think it's funny. Buy your own gum people. Or, open up a gum business - and then you'll always have gum - and money.

So, today during my 7th block class I was starting to feel a bit hungry and sadly realized that my snack wasn't on my cart (aka - my classroom) and was actually on the lower floor in my office. Not wanting to leave my precious students, I thought, heck, I bet gum will tide me over. So, I took a chance. I asked if there was anyone who had gum. To my total surprise 5 or 6 kids raised their hands and offered me a piece of gum. (They must like me or something - I do really like this particular class). So, I decided to take a poll and see what my choices were. I had some great options - but I settled on mint. And sure enough - all those kids who offered me gum had to dole out gum to the rest of the class. Then I felt bad. Next time I should remember my snack. Or start a gum business so I always have gum and money. Do you think I could get in trouble for that? I bet I could....

P.S. I spelled 'gum' as 'gume' almost every time I typed it. I do the same thing with 'flu'. It always comes out 'flue' the first time.

Wedding Season?

2007 - the year we got married, was a year full of weddings! Some of my nearest and dearest friends got married that year - and through the month of June there was a wedding every other weekend! I LOVE going to weddings, but haven't been to one since last May...May 2008.

I'm excited because we're gearing up for 3 weddings in the next month! My oldest (as in the length of time I've known her) friend Jenny is getting married in one week! I get to share the matron of honor duties with my dear friend Emily. Then, the next week a friend from high school is getting married and 2 weeks later one of Brian's friend's from college is getting married.

Weddings are awesome. I'd love to do my wedding day again. It is still my favorite day of my life. I loved having my mom pick me up in the morning for my hair appointment, seeing my handsome groom for the first time, hugging my dad as he choked back tears before we walked down the aisle together, promising before God and all our friends and family that we were committed to one another for a lifetime, hearing people clap when we kissed after being pronounced husband and wife, celebrating with all of our wonderful family and friends, sharing the day with my parents 34th wedding anniversary and going to my new home with my new husband. It was the best day ever. I hope all my friends have a day as great as ours!

6 days

This has been an interesting week. Last Friday night I had "the tickle". That awful throat tickle that told me that I was more than likely going to end up sick. By the next morning my fears were confirmed. Since then, today is Thursday, I have spent my life on the couch. After 6 days, and several hours for most of those nights, I'm guessing my couch would like me to remove my sick self from it's cushions. My sick self is ready to be up and off this couch. I'm really ready to go back to school. I'm bored out of my mind. Here are some random things about my week on the couch.
* I've learned 3 friends of mine are pregnant.
* 2 different friends that are pregnant found out that they're having girls.
*I've seen 2 doctors and am currently on my second kind of antibiotics.
* Even though I know I'm sick and don't look great, it's not cool when your sub for the day tells you that you don't look good.
* I learned that snot can come out of your eyeballs.
* I love the TV show 'Friends'
* I have the greatest friends - some of them took over some of my responsibilities so I could be home coughing up a lung.
* I have the greatest mom. She took off work to take me to the doctor, brought food and has called every day (sometimes several times) to check on me.
* I miss sleeping in the same bed as my husband. He's been nice enough to sleep in the guest room so I can have the bed to myself. I miss him.
* I think not having a sense of taste is the key to losing weight. I'm hungry, but since I can't taste anything I have no idea what I should eat.
*I have spent way too much time on facebook this week.

Mini Me

Shockingly, ISN'T my child. But one day, when I have kids, I REALLY want a little girl with red curly hair.

I had the awesome honor of teaching Sunday school to the kindergartners at my church this summer. This little sweetie was one of the kiddos in my class. I rarely wear my glasses, but since I've been back at school and working more on the computer, I've been wearing them more. I happened to have them with me at church and couldn't pass up an opportunity to take a picture with my mini me. Interestingly enough, her parents don't have red hair - and neither do mine.

Weekends Past, Part 1

The weekend right before school really started up again Brian's parents stopped in for a quick visit on their way home from a really long trip through the US and Canada. On Saturday I had the brilliant idea to have them, Brian's brother and my parents over for dinner. Well, that really was a brilliant idea, but I chose to make pizza on the grill which although very tasty, isn't a good thing to make for a crowd - unless you have a professional chef to make it for you. And I don't. The pizzas turned out great - and it was a hit, but it was really stressful because we could only grill 3 mini pizzas at a time (and I had 8 to do and 12 bread sticks). I couldn't have pulled the meal off without the help of my hubby and my moms. Most people were done eating before Brian and I were done grilling.

Here is my mom helping me roll out the bread sticks.

The prep tray - you have to have all toppings ready to go and out with you by the grill. This pizza...if I haven't mentioned makes more dishes to wash than anything I've ever made. Ever. Thankfully, my mother-in-law washed all of them. I love her. But not just because she washed my dishes. :)

The action - getting the toppings on the pizzas. This is a two person job, for sure!

The last two pizzas, some of the bread sticks and a small picture of some of the mess.

This is what the men were doing while we were cooking.

My parents
Brian's parents
Siblings - we missed the other 3 who couldn't make it. Yeah, I actually have 4 siblings now. I realized that at school this week when I was introducing myself to my students and realized that I could say that I had 4 brothers and sisters instead of just one (three are in laws, but still). Yes, I've been married for over two years, but for some reason, that just hit me.

We also got to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday the night before they left! It was her birthday and she still did all the dishes from the dinner I had made that night. And she pulled weeds in our landscaping two afternoons. That's the best house guest ever. I wish my kitchen were that clean right now. Perhaps I should quit blogging and go clean. Sigh.

We had a great visit and we can't wait to see them again! It had been 8 months and they finally got to see our new house!

3 amigos

I have AMAZING friends. I can't imagine what life would be like with out these two ladies. I have been friends with Emily (on the left) since I was 14. We met in Mrs. Wheeler's 9th grade English class. Since then, we pretty much have done most things together. We were driving partners in drivers ed (and passed, amazingly enough), we were roommates at KState, we had the same major, graduated at the same time, moved back in with our parents to student teach in the same school district, became roommates again, both taught Spanish, started dating our husbands within 12 days of each other, got married within three months of each other, were each other's maid/matrons of honor and we currently live about 5 minutes apart. I love her to pieces. She knows me so well. Some of my biggest laughs have been with her. I've learned so much from her and it is always encouraging to be around her. Jenny (on the right) and I have been friends since we were 7. Yeah, 7. We've been friends for about 20 years. I think that is amazing. Jenny and I met in Mrs. Pippin's second grade class. She was one of my best friends that year. I thought she was the coolest because she always wore a fun colored barrette in her hair. 2nd graders really know what counts. I spent MANY nights sleeping at her house and she at mine. We share a deep love of Oreos and nacho cheese Doritos. We have been known to consume mass quantities of those foods in a single sitting. So many of my childhood memories involve Jenny. In when we were in high school Jenny faithfully picked me up for church every week. She was very diligent in inviting me to church activities and I often wonder if I would have made a decision to follow Jesus if she hadn't been a part of my life. I was even baptized in the swimming pool at her house! Emily and Jenny have been friends since Jr. High and the three of us always have lots of fun together! Jenny lives in Branson and is getting married 2 months from today. This last weekend Emily and I made a trip to visit her, as any good co-matrons of honor would do!

Only with these girls could I actually justify eating this for dinner...

Yep, people. We seriously ate that for dinner. You can see the doritos and oreos as Jenny and I require them at any gathering where junk food is consumed. There are chips and queso dip and salsa. There are milk duds, chocolate covered pistachios, pineapple, coffee drink mix, and apples with taffy apple dip. At least we got SOME fruit in there. We spent the whole weekend just chatting and getting caught up on life, going to visit Jenny's church and watching Bride Wars - in honor of the fact that she'll be a bride soon! It was great fun. I came back feeling refreshed - I was in need of some girl time! I miss having girls for roommates.

This is us after church on Sunday.

I really dislike car trips, but this was so worth it to get to have such a fun weekend, and I really enjoyed the actual time in the car, too. I had literally over 7 hours of Emily all to myself. That is quite a treat! We haven't spent much time just the two of us since her adorable little boy was born last year. It really was a fantastic weekend! Thanks girls! I love you.