Football is BAAAAACK!!!

College Football is BA-ACK!

You know what that means... COLLEGE GAMEDAY!!!!


You know you want to sing along... It's the type of song that you just HAVE to sing along!
So... I'll help you out.  Here are the words:

Well we're comin to your city.
Well we screamed Boomer Sooner, Roll Tide Roll, and Go Big Blue!
Had a ball down on the Bayou and on the plains.
 
We saw blue turf and the Tomahawk Chop, and the Gators in the Swamp.
Yea Woo Pig Sooie, go Gamecocks! They all got game!!!

Irishmen and Buckeyes in the 'Shoe, Sparty, USC, and Bevo too
Aggies, Huskers, let's go Dawgs, and TCU!
 
(rap)
Red, 17, niner, razor
College football can amaze you.
E-S-P-N: tell your family and friends,
I've said it once but I'll say it again.
Get ready for the (what is this word?) and the jersey you're wearing
With Chris, Lee, Desmond, Kirk, and Erin.
Buckle your chinstraps get ready to play, its time to kick off College Gameday!
 
We're comin to your city.
If you want a little ying in your ying yang,
If you want a little zing in your zing zang,
If you want a little ting in your ting tang come along
 
Yea we're comin to your city!

Friday Letters: Football!

• Dear Friday, Welcome Friend.
• Dear Work, I am exhausted.  Are you sure it is Labor Day Weekend?  I'm pretty sure it is Memorial Day Weekend and a much-needed summer break is right around the corner.
• Dear Baby, Hubby and I are excited to go to a doctor's appointment this afternoon.  We haven't heard your heart-beat since you were 8 weeks along.  Now, you're nearly 18 weeks along -- we are SOOO ready to hear from the doctor that you are growing like you're supposed to be.
• Dear Michigan Football, Mentally, I'm really excited for your season opener tomorrow... but to be honest, it doesn't feel like fall to me.  If anything, it feels like Spring -- a season when I've been working for months and am ready for a break.  College football season is a fresh start after a nice vacation.  That is not what I'm feeling right now.  Nevertheless, I will be dressed in Maize and Blue on Saturday and tuning in to watch my team beat Central Michigan.
• Dear Hubby, I love you so much, but I have never been so jealous of your 4-day work weeks.  Maybe would could pull a Freaky Friday sometime?  And it should be on a Friday, because that's the day you have off.  Let me know what you think.
• Dear Pregnancy Books, Are you available as books on tape?  I think that's going to be my only chance to do any of the mother-to-be reading that I'm supposed to be doing.
• Dear Lloyd, We really need to entertain you more often.  I think you need a little puppy sibling, but now isn't really the time.  You're about to get a new human sibling, and that's enough family addition for the moment.
• Dear Lexie, Why can't you play with Lloyd so we won't feel the need to get a puppy sibling?  YOU could be the fun, playful sibling for Lloyd, but I think you might need a personality change, or a hypnosis treatment before that's going to happen.
• Dear Hubby, Thank you for taking such good care of me.  I'm trying to take good care of our little Nugget, and you're really doing everything you can to take care of me.  It makes me want you not to head out hunting this month.  I guess I need to pray that you get your animal RIGHT AWAY -- first morning out, so that you can spend the rest of the month home with me!  Good luck!

Recovery

This week seems to be a week of recovery... I didn't know we needed a week of recovery, but apparently we do.  I knew that last weekend was going to be spent resting, but I wasn't expecting my first week back to be so tiring.

It's not like I've been lounging around a pool eating bon-bons all summer -- I've been working NONSTOP since last school year!  I've been up and working at 7am or earlier the ENTIRE SUMMER.  Learning in Greeley, working in Tucson, working in Kalamazoo, working in Colorado... what's the difference?  No extra rest needed... or so I thought.

This week, both Hubby and I have had NO EXTRA energy for anything!  Our entire week has been work, sleep, eat, and cuddle.

Anything that was on our list to do this week that doesn't have to get done, hasn't gotten done.  I'm so glad I unpacked last weekend, otherwise, I'm SURE the suitcases would still be scattered around our living room.

A haircut was not gotten by hubby.

The laundry was not done by me.

vacuuming was not done by me.

The dishes were rarely done by me.

Cooking was not done by either one of us -- it was microwave cooking ALL week!

Dusting was not done by me.

Exercising was not done by either of us.

Grocery shopping was not done by either of us.

We're really lucky that either one of us showered.

 

Seriously, we have worked, slept, eaten, and cuddled.

 

We have just been soaking up our time together.  We were a part for most of the summer, and I'm off to Texas for my last practicum placement in another few weeks.  Sure, our laundry is not done, and some dog hair adorns corners of our house... but we are happily soaking up this time together and recovering from our summer a part.

 

The laundry and dog hair will be there next week.

Treasuring the Present: Teamwork

I absolutely love being married to my husband. 

There are certainly times when I remind myself that marriage is not for the faint of heart, and I like my husband less than I love him, but by and large, marriage is more wonderful than I ever imagined.

I remember times, not all that long ago, when I felt so alone in life.  I had to handle everything for myself -- rent, bills, car maintenance, shopping, cooking, good days, bad days, weather, work challenges, family stresses, stories from the past, dreams from the future --  I was alone for everything.

In the past two plus years I've been married to Hubby, I have been a part of a team.  Challenges are divided between us, trials are shouldered by us both, and joys are multiplied.  Last week, when I was in Michigan -- but still working in Colorado, I was so appreciative of the ways my hubby jumped in to do whatever I asked of him while I was gone.

Here's an example of a conversation we had:
"Hubby, will you go into the guestroom and find a huge stack of braille for me?"
"Sure."
"Okay, is there any print anywhere on any of the pages, or is it all braille?"
"It is all braille."
"Okay, so, I'm going to call you on Facetime, and can you hold the braille up to your phone so I can try to find a specific a specific assessment that I need for my student?  Then, once I find it, could you label it, and arrange a time for my boss to pick it up from you?"
"Yes, dear."

Not many people would take the time and flip through braille pages so that I can read braille and find a specific test that I needed?

 I just felt like he and I were a team, and I wasn't facing this new school year alone.

I love you, Babe.

Preggers I: 17 Weeks

  I'm not sure which of these poses I prefer for these weekly photos. I like my hands at my sides, because I think I look better -- but the hands in front emphasize the belly more.  The truth is, I don't know if I like the emphasized belly.  I'm still not used to seeing myself SO big.

How far along? 17 weeks

How I am feeling?  Relieved to be home.  As I'm unpacking from the summer of travel, I am finding myself thinking about how our house is going to change, and different re-arrangements that will be made.

Weight gain/loss:  Weight gain... about 5 lbs, according to our Rifle scale, from the last time I weighed myself in Rifle.  We'll see what the doctor says this week.

How big is baby? The size of an onion or turnip.

Sleep:  Much better now that I'm in my own bed with my hubby -- but still getting up several times a night.

Boy/Girl Prediction:  I think a boy.

Baby Nicknames:  Nugget, or Baby

Best moment this week: Coming home to see my hubby and seeing how excited he was to see how my belly has grown.  :-D

Food cravings: Club soda... not so much a craving, but just tasting really good right now.

Maternity Clothes:  More and more

Labor Signs: No.  Thank goodness!

General Attitude:  A little nervous about getting back to work this week.  I'm nervous about what to wear -- for work, I dress nicely and wear skirts every day, but I don't have enough maternity skirts -- or clothes for that matter to look nice every day.  I'm just nervous to see people I haven't seen in a few months.

What I am looking forward to this week:  I have two doctors appointments this week.  One with the nurse for an "intake" -- and one with the doctor on Friday.  Hubby and I are really excited for the Friday appointment because it will be our first appointment since 8 weeks.  We haven't had any HINT of complication with this pregnancy, but we are REALLY ready to hear the baby's heartbeat again, and hear from the doctor that everything looks great.

Milestones:  We announced that we are expecting to our church family here in Rifle.

HOME

It feels SO amazing to be home.

I use the world "home" interchangeably for two locations -- Muskegon, MI, the residence where I grew up, and Rifle, CO, where  my husband and I rent a little house and have made a life together.  Arriving home to Rifle a few days ago, I think I have officially passed the threshold of Michigan being home where I grew up, where I come from... but our little home in Rifle is HOME, where I belong.

I have not lived at our home in Rifle since May 31, and in my first 36 hours home, I am overwhelmed with a new appreciation for all sort of things about our little home:

• Pictures on our walls -- I LOVE that our walls are adorned with pictures of our family, friends, wedding and life -- in every room of our house is evidence of our love and our blessings
• Our bed -- OH MY GOSH, OUR BED IS SO COMFORTABLE!!!!  I've always been comfortable in our bed, but it wasn't until I slept in four different beds throughout this summer and then arrived home that I realized ON MY GOSH, OUR BED IS SO COMFORTABLE!!!
• Our kitchen -- our dishes, organization, oven, and dishwasher -- its our kitchen.  We know where everything is and what the system is.
• Relaxing -- It's our home, so Hubby and I can unload the car late Friday night and leave suitcases all over the family room all day Saturday without inconveniencing anyone else -- I'll get to unpacking on Sunday.  Saturday was all about recovery.
• Animals -- having both of our animals safely under the same roof again.  I don't think Lexie is overjoyed to be sharing a house with Lloyd again... but we're overjoyed to have her back.

There are more wonderful things about being home, but those are just the few that come to mind right away.  It is so wonderful to be home with my Hubby.

Praise God - Home Sweet Home!

I am home sweet home in Rifle with my hubby. 
I arrived home at 10pm MST last night almost exactly 22 hours after I left Michigan.

This summer has included:
4 weeks of Graduate school in Greeley including a blindfolded drop off
3 weeks of teaching in Tucson
3 weeks of teaching in Michigan
Passing my O&M Comprehensive Exam Research Paper

All of this was topped off yesterday by a 1300 mile, 22 hour drive alone from Michigan to Rifle.

All of the above was accomplished while pregnant -- and completely by the grace of God.

I am so grateful to be home with my hubby with two days of rest ahead.

Preggers I: 16 Weeks

I'm going to have to start doing these pregnancy update posts earlier in the week.  Truth be told, Sunday, is the day each week that marks a new week of my pregnancy.  So, in posting this on Friday, it's more like 16.5 weeks.  I think I will try to do these posts on Monday to make them more accurate and not get behind as the days of the week fly by.

My mom loved this picture -- she calls it "Barefoot and pregnant"

How far along? 16 weeks

How I am feeling?  Unprepared.  I'm feeling like I haven't read as much as I should have about pregnancy, birth, and parenting at this point.

Weight gain/loss:  Weight gain... I'm not sure how much.

How big is baby? The size of an avacado.

Sleep:  Pretty well -- up once or twice to use the restroom.

Boy/Girl Prediction:  I have no idea.  I think its a baby.

Baby Nicknames:  Nugget, or Baby

Best moment this week: People have touched my belly for the first time.  We went to a birthday party for a close family friend last weekend, and one of my "cousins" gave me a hug and then touched my stomach.  It felt weird... but sort of like a right of passage also.

Food cravings: Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops.  And Chinese Food.

Maternity Clothes:  About 60% of the time.

Labor Signs: No.  Thank goodness!

General Attitude:  Getting a little impatient to feel the Nugget start to move.  It is still in there, right?

What I am looking forward to this week: Seeing my husband after two weeks a part.

Milestones: People touching my stomach.

Last Day!

Today is my last day in Kalamazoo, and it completely snuck up on me.  Part of this is due to the fact, that I had originally planned to be in Kalamazoo until Friday afternoon... but Wednesday some schedules with students changed, and both my supervising teachers and I agreed that it made the most sense for Thursday to be my last day.

So, all of a sudden, today is my last day.

This placement has been so enjoyable and completely different from my placement in Tucson (not that my placement in Tucson wasn't enjoyable).  I have been working with adults, and learning about a totally different population of students.  I feel so fortunate that I get to learn in so many settings and with such a wide range of ages.

Last night was spent packing and loading the car, and this evening is going to be spent savoring this last time with the parents and getting to bed EARLY!!!  The plan is to wake up really really REALLY early Friday morning (like, many people would still consider it Thursday night) and drive from Muskegon to Rifle on Friday. 

The drive should take about 21.5 hours... but I gain two hours on the drive.  I will stop if I have to, but I'm hoping I can get home on Friday.

Prayers are appreciated for my safe travel.

Treasuring the Present: Time with Mom and Dad

 Okay, I'm a day behind with my Treasuring the Present Tuesdays post... but Monday night I was WAAAAY too exhausted to write a long thoughtful post, so I'm just switching things up.

This week, I am really treasuring this time that I'm in Michigan with my parents.  This will be my fourth week at home -- one week of fun, one week working in Kalamazoo while Chris was still in Michigan, and two weeks of working in Kalamazoo living with my parents.

For 18 years I had my parents entirely to myself -- for better or for worse -- I had all of their attention whether I wanted it or not.  For most of my life, my dad has been retired, so when I say I had all of their attention, I REALLY had ALL of their attention.  There are times, I can assure you, I DID NOT WANT IT, but that's the way it was for 18 years.

In the years since leaving for college, I really came to cherish those rare weeks when I would come home and spend time with my parents.  The comfort of home, the peace and quiet of family, the laughter at the same jokes, the delicious home cooked meals, and more were treasured weeks and, again, I had my parents all to myself.

Now, two years into my marriage, my parents and I still manage to have a little time just the three of us, but most of the time, we are a four-some -- and that is wonderful.  Chris is such a perfect addition to our family and we love all that he adds to our family.  But, the fact we are now four makes those rare times when we are again three all the more special.

And now... I am expecting a baby.

Will I have my parents to myself again - EVER?  I'm thinking "No" is a safe answer here.  The days of my being the object of their undivided attention -- AND their being the object of my undivided attention -- is rapidly closing, and I am treasuring these last few days together.

I miss my husband like crazy, but I am so grateful for this very fleeting time when my parents and I are again "three".

1000 Words

1000 Words

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I have the best Mom in the world.  There is no contest here.  She simply is the best.

My mom is my best friend and we talk to each other 6 days out of 7.  For years, my dad thought it was unhealthy that Mom and I talked on the phone so often.  Now, if Mom hasn't told him what I'm up to in the past two days, he gets worried that something is wrong because I haven't called mom in two whole days.  :-D

I have my mom's sense of humor.  Sometimes, I have my mom's lack of a sense of humor.  When something happens in my life, or someone says something that I find funny, I always tell my husband, and he might chuckle.  But then I call my mom, and she and I will ROAR with laughter over this comment, or situation.  We just feed off of each other, and she is always the one I want to tell.

She and I tell stories the same way (my dad actually falls in this category too) -- my husband would describe it as "Way too many details."  But often the details are what makes a story worth telling.

Even now, when I am 29 1/2 years old... expecting my first child, my mom is my cheerleader, my coach, my cook, my tailor (we were up late last night trying to set the hem length for maternity pants), my confidant, my best friend, the one who knows me the best (tied with my hubby), the one who knows me at my best, and my worst, the one who tells me when to buck up, and the one who tells me when its okay to break down.

I love you, Momma, and I feel so fortunate that you are my Mother.
I feel even more fortunate that you will be my child's Grandmother.

Uncle Bill's Birthday

Yesterday my parents and I got to be a part of a surprise birthday party for my Uncle Bill.  Aunt Ginger and Uncle Bill are in that special category of people in my life that they are not my blood relations -- my "real" Aunt or Uncle -- but they have been a real Aunt and Uncle to me my entire life.  They were the first people my parents called from the hospital at 3:00am when I was born.  There are very few people you can call at 3 AM with any news, no matter how joyful, but these are those people in my family.

Aunt Ginger's mom is someone I call "Grandma", and Aunt Ginger and Uncle Bills kids are like my cousins.  We have been friends now for several generations, and they are such wonderful people.

All that to say, there was a surprise birthday party for Uncle Bill last night.  I didn't take too many pictures, just a few.  It was a great time.

We love all the generations of this amazing family.

My great parents.  :-D

A fun folks-ey trio band

The birthday boy dancing with one of his granddaughters

 

Blowing out the candles

What a cutie!

Happy Birthday to Uncle Bill!

Snozzcumbers

Have you ever read The BFG by Roald Dahl?

 This book is about a Big Friendly Giant (The BFG) and is an adorable story of a little girl who meets The BFG.  She learns about a world completely unlike the one she has always known -- a world of smelly giants, whiz-poppers, dream bottles, and snozzcumbers.

Snozzcumbers are the food consumed by The BFG -- sort of a cross between a pickle and a cucumber -- and HUGE.  Well, this week, I found one:

This is actually a GIANT zucchini, but seriously, this is EXACTLY what I always imagined a snozzcumber to be like.

via

Friday Letters: Yay Friday!

• Dear Friday, YAY!!!  I'm so glad you're here!
• Dear Lexie, You are so adorable with my parents.  I don't think the baby will ever compare to their love and adoration for you.
• Dear Bed, You have been amazing this week.  When I awaken, my first thought is when I can be reunited with you again.  I hope we spend a lot of quality time together this weekend.
• Dear Hubby,  I miss you a lot... and its been tough this week because you're back to work and you have NO TIME to talk.  I hope your time preparing for students has been going well, and I hope we can talk a little more frequently this weekend or next week.
• Dear Kalamazoo Job,  I'm feeling like I am in a good rhythm with you... just in time for my last week.  I have had a great experience here so far, and I'm excited for my last week.
• Dear Exercising, It's been good to reunite with you this week... but I am so tired, and my dogs are barking -- isn't that what people say when they're feet are tired?  My feet are tired!
• Dear Lloydey, I miss you.
• Dear Mom and Daddy, It's been so nice to come home to you both every evening.  Thank you for taking care of me.  I'm enjoying this time when it is just "us"... for crying out loud, I'm about to have a baby -- will it ever be just us again?
• Dear Momma,  Only three more days before you turn 60... you're entering a new decade.  I'm sure this will be the best one yet.

 

Preggers I: 15 weeks

I want to start documenting my pregnancy week by week, and now seems as good a time as any.  I might tweak these questions a little as the weeks progress, but these were a good jumping-off point.

How far along? 15 weeks

How I am feeling?  Big.  My belly is definitely bigger than its ever been before, and it is so weird to not be able to "suck it in" when I look in the mirror.  Most people to see me wouldn't immediately know I'm pregnant -- I just look like I've had too many summer snacks.  I guess I should get used to my belly sticking out, but I'm just not yet.

Weight gain/loss:  Weight gain... a little

How big is baby? The size of a naval orange.

Sleep: Pretty well.  I'm savoring these last weeks when I can lay on my back.

Boy/Girl Prediction:  I think its a boy... unless I think really hard about it... then I think it might be a girl.

Baby Nicknames:  Nugget, or Baby

Best moment this week: I guess this question is asking best pregnancy moment this week... ummmm getting back into regular workouts.

Food cravings:  I'm not really craving anything at the moment -- the first trimester, I was all about grapes and bbq potato chips -- but I am snacking every few hours.  I don't eat a big breakfast or lunch, but I find that if I don't nibble throughout the morning and afternoon, I am starving.

Maternity Clothes:  About 50% of the time.  In the above picture, I'm wearing a maternity skirt, and regular top.  Most days its a combination.

Labor Signs: No.  Thank goodness!

General Attitude:  A tad overwhelmed at the moment.  I'm back to work in Colorado WHILE I'm still working in Michigan, and I feel like it is just foreshadowing for being on maternity leave.  I'm supposed to be completely focused on the Michigan thing, but I'm not because half of my attention is trying to make arrangements for my students in Colorado.  If this is how my maternity leave will go, I'm in trouble.

What I am looking forward to this week: Sleeping in on Saturday.  Driving to and from Kalamazoo every day is getting old.  I even had to buy decaf coffee yesterday because I was so tired.

Milestones: Last week we announced to the internet/facebook/blog world that we are expecting.  The well-wishes have been flooding in ever since.

Treasuring the Present: When It's Easy to Look Ahead

I want to get back into the habit of treasuring the present each week, so here it goes:

Right now, it is so easy to look ahead.

I am trying to do two jobs at the same time -- prepare for a new school year in Colorado AND soak up all the O&M practicum teaching experience I can.  It keeps me hopping, and it is hard to not think about a few weeks from now when I will only have one job to keep me busy instead of two.  But I want to treasure this time.  I am very busy, but it keeps me from having too much time on my hands to miss my hubby.  If I have to be this busy, at least it is a time when my Momma is fixing me dinners every night, and my baby is still safe in my belly, not requiring much of my attention.  It is easy to look ahead, but I want to treasure the fact I can devote so much time and energy to two jobs right now, because it may not always be like this.

I am eager to feel the baby move.  I haven't had much time for prenatal reading as of late, but what I have been able to skim has said that I could feel the baby any day -- any time in the next two weeks.  I am SO eager for those first flutters, and all that follows, but I am trying to cherish the present.  I am sure there will be a time when the movement is not so welcomed, like when I'm trying to sleep, or when the baby is getting really big.  I need to treasure this time, when I have not yet felt movement -- only anticipation.

It is easy to look ahead to what this year might hold -- mostly because Hubby and I are having to plan our schedules, discuss travel for the next 16 months, and request maternity leave for this winter.  We are having to look ahead and think about specifics of the future, and so it is hard to focus on the here and now.  I need to cherish this time when we are still figuring out how we are going to spend this year.  I need to cherish this time when it is still possible to believe that a substitute will be found to cover my maternity leave (and my work won't just sit, and pile up, and remain untouched for three months).  I need to cherish this time, when not everything is decided yet -- because even once everything is "planned" -- we're talking about a Baby.  Seriously, what are the chances things will go according to plan?

What are you treasuring today?

Worry

The Bible has a lot to say about worry... specifically, not to do it.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Proverbs 12:25 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

I understand why God tells us not to worry.  I know that the Bible says Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? (Luke 12:25) but I have a really hard time with Jesus' instructions not to worry.  I don't see worry as a lack of faith.

When I am worried, I pray more.  I pray more diligently.  I think more clearly.  My synapses fire like crazy, and I get better ideas than I would when I'm not worried.  When I am worried, I'm afraid... and I know the Bible tells us not to fear...

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

But do you ever feel like fear is needed to wake you up to a situation?  I sure do!!

Since Hubby and I found out that we are expecting a baby, some would say I worry a lot.  Well, what is your definition of worry, because I think I try to brainstorm solutions to problems I see on the horizon... a lot.

Since we found out we are expecting, I have a lot of things on my mind, and I am praying like crazy.  Is that worry?  Or is that responsibly laying my burdens before the Lord and petitioning Him for solutions?  Is daily brainstorming the same as worrying?

wor·ry

wor·ried, wor·ry·ing, noun, plural wor·ries.

verb (used without object)

1.  to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

2. to move with effort: an old car worrying uphill.

Yikes... that sounds horrible.  No wonder God instructs us not to worry -- that sounds miserable.  I don't think I'm tormenting myself with disturbing thoughts.  I think I am thinking, and thinking, and thinking about possible solutions to problems.  I don't think I'm worrying -- I think I'm brainstorming. 

How does God feel about brainstorming?

What do you do when you have a problem?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27

How Are You Feeling?

When people (especially women) learn that I am pregnant, the most common question to follow is, "How are you feeling?"

I'm never really sure how to answer this.  I suppose they are wondering if I am suffering morning sickness or other common aches and pains of pregnancy, but I am really unsure how to answer.  And really, who wants to hear my complain about physical pregnancy challenges -- believe me, I have them, but when these woman ask how I'm feeling, I don't think they really want the answers.

How am I feeling?

Emotional.  Excited.  Terrified.  Overwhelmed.  Ecstatic.  Nauseous (physically and mentally).  Tired.  Hungry.  Sick.  Scared.  Womanly.  Wifely.  Large.  Blessed.  Burdened.  Prayerful.  Amazed.  Full of disbelief.  Shocked.  Unprepared.  Hopeful.  Petrified.  Motherly.

And about 1000 more emotions every day.

How am I feeling?  You REALLY don't want to know.

Friday Letters: On Saturday

• Dear Blog, I have not devoted as much thought to you lately as usual.  I trust when my hubby heads for the hills -- literally, heads back to Colorado (today), I will have more time in the evenings for more thoughtful posts.  For the past two weeks, I have been soaking up every minute with him, and my attention to you has suffered.  I am not sorry for this, as time with Hubby is all too precious and fleeting, and blog is all too trivial.
• Dear Michigan Practicum Placement, One week down, Two to go.  This placement is going by SO MUCH more quickly than Tucson.  Its amazing how much being around family enhances an experience -- any experience.
• Dear Momma and Daddy, Thanks for letting me live at home while I'm working in Kalamazoo... and thank you for letting my hubby, two animals, and my pregnant self turn your house into a circus for a few weeks every summer.  Something tells me the circus is just going to get crazier and crazier as the years progress...
• Dear Hubby, I am going to miss you so much, but I am so glad we have had these two weeks together.   For the first week, you were drowning in graduate school summer classes, and for the second week, I was working all day every day, but I would rather wake up to you every morning and kiss you goodbye, and fall into bed with you every night and kiss you goodnight rather than be away from you.  Even the little time we have had together this summer is INFINITELY better than the time a part!  I will miss you during these two weeks when you're back in Colorado and I'm still in Michigan.
• Dear Lloyd, Take good care of Daddy in Colorado.  I will miss you too.
• Dear Nugget (our name for Baby), I'm getting excited to feel you move -- should be any time in the next two weeks.
• Dear Lexie, You and I will have two more weeks of bonding time with Gammie and Papa, but then you are coming back to Colorado with me, and you're old life with your dad and brother.  You've had many, many weeks in paradise, and you need to know that, when the time comes, your vacation is over.
• Dear Saturday, I am SOOOO looking forward to sleeping in today!  Thank you for existing.
• Dear Michigan Football, THREE WEEKS UNTIL KICKOFF!

1000 Words

1000 Words --- 1 Million Words!

I have wanted to post this 1000-word picture for awhile.

BIG NEWS -- Baby Miller!!!

Baby Miller, our little Nugget, is on its way!
Estimated arrival:  February 2, 2014!