Whirlwind

It's been a while...especially for me!  I feel like the October has been a whirlwind of non-stop activities.  Things the last week or so have been incredible crazy busy - at work and home!  We have a new $45 million building scheduled to start construction in November on campus and I am in charge of organizing the groundbreaking ceremony - complete with guest speaker Governor Dayton!  YIKES!  Not to mention all of my other regular duties.  In the evenings we have been visiting daycares.  Weekends have been busy traveling, housework and cleaning out the room for Lucky.  Not to mention Walleye and his friends have been "getting the woods ready for hunting".  I didn't know one needed to do that but apparently they do!  :)

Our trip was fantastic!  And I didn't get sick this year!!!  I was surprised as the last two years I have. (Although I am still sticking to my story that I get sick as a reaction to the flu shot I get the same time every year and this year we went on vacation before the shot!)

Here are some pics from the trip:

We wanted to hike to the top of that peak but figured it would be a little too much so chose a smaller one just across the way.

One of the many State Parks we visited. 

After a day of hiking we each had our own evening drinks...I fancied mine up by putting it in a wine glass! 

Sunset over Lake Superior outside our "cabin".

Heartbreak Ridge - a beautiful tree canopy lane we drove. 

Early morning (like 7:30 am) hike at the State Park less than a mile from our "cabin".

When we got back from our trip I emailed my family pics and a quick "We made it home.  Had a great time." and my mom's immediate response was "Did you make reservations for next year yet because your Dad and I will come to your house a take care of Lucky?".  Not "Glad you had fun." or "Great pics."!  Guess they're a little excited about their first grand baby!  :) 

Today marks Week 19! Hard to believe I am almost half done!  Still one of the luckiest pregnant ladies I know as I still don't have much for symptoms and have been very blessed with no morning sickness or anything worse than a few headaches here and there, heartburn almost daily and the occasional constipation.  Next Friday is the 20 week ultrasound and I can't hardly wait.   

North Shore Bound!

Walleye and I are both looking forward to our mini-vacay!  It will be so nice to get away and not have anything to do or anywhere to be for a few days.  Plus the leaves are at 75 - 100% where we are headed and the forecast is awesome!  We are so lucky!  We only have reservations for 2 nights but since we both have Tuesday off we are talking about finding a place to stay one more night. 

Oh I just can't wait!!! 

4 years ago tonight

 my world changed forever!  Four years ago tonight I met Walleye!  Read all about it here.

The last four years have been amazing!  I am so lucky to be able to spend my life with this man! 

Thank you God for bringing us together! 

14 weeks!

I still can't believe that I am 14 weeks pregnant!  It does not feel real!  I am so very thankful for this wonderful blessing. 

Last weekend was a blast but also extremely exhausting!  I spent most of Thursday night baking and cooking, as well as a lot of Friday - I was careful not to push it too much and tried to sit as much as possible and take breaks (i.e. reclining on the couch watching the Price Is Right) throughout the day.  Then at night and Saturday morning I finished up the cleaning.  I didn't do my usual super deep clean but the house was still very presentable. 

Saturday my sister arrived first around noon, then my cousin K and her adorable kiddos around 4 and my dear friend S around 4:10.  We got to sit and chat for awhile before the other guests arrived.  We ended up having about 19 adults and 11 kids so it got to be quite loud and chaotic but I loved every minute of it.  The party is a blur for the most part but they usually are.

After everyone had eaten Walleye and I ran through the house to make sure everyone was outside and called everyone's attention and he started off by thanking everyone for coming and saying how much we appreciate their friendship.  And then at the end he said "Oh and we're having a baby!"  Not exactly how I had hoped/planned it would all go but with all the chaos of 11 kids all under the age of 8 we just had to roll with it. 

We had a few people say they had a hunch but for the most part everyone was (pleasantly) surprised. 

We ended the night with a bonfire and s'mores!  I think I crawled into bed around 1 am - I don't even know the last time I was up that late! 

Sunday my friend S, my sister and I were up and on the road to a huge craft fair by 9 am.  Normally that's not so late for me but with not getting to bed until 1, not to sleep until well after 2:30 and getting up at 6:45 to shower and make sure breakfast was ready, it made for one tired Sunfish.  The craft fair was fun - and HUGE.  We were there for a good 4 hours and didn't even see everything.  It was a great time with my sis and friend.

That evening my sis helped me make 4 dozen cupcakes and decorate them with pink and blue frosting and a pink or blue question mark on them for Walleye to take to work on Monday.  They turned out so cute!

Monday I slept in some and then my sis and I went to a diner for breakfast as the thought of cooking anything really didn't sound appealing to me.  After we ran a few errands and then she had to head home.  I spent the remainder of my day baking/decorating 6 more dozen cupcakes for me to bring to work the next day!

I feel like I came to work on Tuesday to relax!  :)  But all in all it was a great weekend and I wouldn't change a thing. 

And not to mention I am so relieved that everyone knows now!  It was getting really hard not to say anything and to keep track of who did/didn't know! 

BIG weekend coming up!

I am so stinking excited for the weekend!  Thank goodness it starts for me in 1.5 hours!

Tomorrow I have off to clean, cook and bake for Saturday.  It's our 2nd Annual Wedding Party BBQ on Saturday!  I love, love, love to throw parties and hosts dinners.  It's been a while since we have seen some of our wedding party (and their kids) and I love getting together those friends who support us and our relationship so much and were a big part of our special day.

The BBQ is also our chance to tell our friends about Lucky!  We are still unsure about how exactly we are going to make the announcement.  You see, Walleye can be a complete stick in the mud sometimes and doesn't get the fun out of making big, grandiose announcements.  He thinks my idea of getting a group picture and the first time saying "Say Cheese" and the second time say "Walleye and Sunfish are expecting!" and capturing their reactions on film (is that the right term for digital cameras?!?!?) won't work and isn't the best idea.  His idea is to just blurt it out as guests show up.  BORING! 

In the end it doesn't really matter how we tell them - just that we get to tell them and in person. 

Then Sunday not only is it VIKINGS football opener but it is also a huge craft fair in a smaller town about 45 minutes north of us.  My sister and I are heading up to the craft fair early Sunday morning and from what I hear it is so big it will take us all day! 

Then because it is Grandparents Day on Sunday we are going to give my MIL her "Grandma" t-shirt and tell my FIL (if he is back from his latest vacation). 

And because there is so much going on all weekend I took Monday off too so I could kick back and relax!  :) 

Fantastic Weekend! (for the most part)

What a fabulous weekend!  I hope everyone’s Labor Day weekend was as good! Great times and fantastic weather!  Windows open in the house all weekend, plenty of sunshine and beautiful temps!

I got to have lunch with my cousin/sister/best friend K on Saturday and she brought me three bags full of baby stuff! It was the very first baby stuff we’d gotten – surprisingly I hadn’t even purchased anything yet.  It was so fun to look through and then show Walleye!  Saturday night we visited my MIL. 

Sunday after Mass, I cleaned and started to get things ready for the BBQ while Walleye and my BIL fixed Walleye’s brakes and Sunday night we grilled ribs. 

Monday was my favorite day!  It was a date day with Walleye.  We slept in, then went to a county park about 20 minutes from our house and did some walking of the trails, had a picnic lunch, stopped by Treasure City (the biggest tourist trap gift shop I have ever seen) and ended the date with a shake from DQ! 

It really was a fantastic weekend.

Saturday night we went to my MIL’s to tell her and called my BIL over – which was perfect because Free Loader was in town picking up her kids from the mall so she wasn’t able to be there. 

It went ok telling my MIL and BIL.  My MIL started in on all sorts of advice – from telling me we told too early as a lot can still happen until after 3.5 months (I’m telling you she doesn’t get that a lot has changed in the medical world since she was a nurse 25+ years ago).  She went on and on about not sharing the name with anyone until after the baby is born.  And then how we are not supposed to give in to the nursery decorating business and actually spend any money to decorate the nursery with a specific theme.  I tried to let it all go in one ear and out another but it was hard.  She does it with this whiny almost crying tone of voice and just doesn’t know when to stop reiterating her point.  This could be a long few months ahead of us if she keeps this up!

My BIL was ecstatic!  I don’t think I have ever seen him smile so big!  It was pretty cute.

We did ask that they not tell anyone, including Free Loader’s kids, until after our BBQ next weekend.  We also said we would tell my FIL when he returns from his vacation.  And we would tell Walleye’s great aunt after the BBQ (his great aunt lives with my BIL). 

After we told them I went home and Walleye went to my BIL’s to look for brake parts and apparently that’s when the not telling anyone rule was broken.  I guess Free Loader walked in the garage about 30 minutes later with kid number 4 in tow and the first thing my BIL did was blurt out that we were expecting.  Then Sunday when Walleye was over fixing the brakes Free Loader’s 6 year old walked in saying she knew a secret about us and that we were going to have a baby.  Seriously?!?!  What part of “please don’t tell anyone, including the kids” did they not understand.  Now we are certain the kids will say something to Walleye’s Great Aunt before we have a chance or worse my FIL!  I am so angry.  I am certain that Saturday night when they show up at the BBQ one of them will say something before we have a chance to make our announcement.  I did text my BIL that I was disappointed that they told the kids and to be sure no one says anything until after we have a chance to make OUR announcement.

And just when I was starting to be less mad at my BIL over this whole vacation fiasco.  Dear God please help me let go of this anger towards my BIL and I suppose Free Loader too.

Thank goodness in a week the news will all be out in the open! 

Less than a month...

until Walleye and I are here:

for a mini, early 2nd Anniversary getaway.  With a view like this:

I cannot wait!  I absolutely love the North Shore of Lake Superior!  We went to that cabin for our minimoon right after our wedding.  Then last year our 1st wedding anniversary was on a Sunday so we left straight from Mass for the North Shore to celebrate our first year of married life at the cabin next door.  I think we are going to try to make it an annual anniversary trip! 

We decided this year to go a little earlier in hopes that we will see the fabulous colors and get in on some of the tourist action. 

I love our visits up there for many reasons...it is so quiet and peaceful.  We have the entire cabin to ourselves - all three floors!  There is a full kitchen complete with pots, pans, plates, silverware, etc. so we can bring food and cook together.  It has an amazing fire place that we can cuddle up next to on the chilly Minnesota Fall evenings.  The views are spectacular!  There are great hiking trails close by.  We make a trek north about an hour and visit a touristy town and get the best pizza in the world (Sven & Ole's) and on our way home get amazing pie (Betty's Pies). 

But most of all I love our visits up there because it is just the two of us.  We can focus just on us!  Our cell phones don't work and we don't bring the laptop so we have no computer connection - we can really cut ourselves off from the world.  I love the time we share together up there. 

I simply can't wait for this year's trip!  With that I'll leave you with a few more pictures....