Go Eagles!

Last Friday night, we attended a high school football game to watch our nephew David play. We weren't really sure how the kids would do at the game, but it turned out pretty well. Tyson was a little squirmy, making it less enjoyable for Rick, but Riley had the time of her life- after she discovered the cheerleaders! She also loved watching the marching band, but spent the entire second half of the game copying every move and cheer coming from the squad of cheerleaders. It was so cute! Like mother, like daughter, maybe? I was a cheerleader for Kennewick High for 2 years- Go Lions! I think we've decided on Halloween costumes for the kids this year- we'll have a little cheerleader and football player on our hands! (These pictures were taken with my iPhone, so not the greatest quality, but better than nothing)

Tyson enjoying a little popcorn snack- trying to keep him sitting still!

Riley doing a few cheer moves, while Aunt Debbie holds her belt loop. She would also try and jump like the cheerleaders after the cheers- not so good on bleachers! 

The highlight of her night- Riley got to meet one of the cheerleaders on the field after the game and she was so star-struck! She wanted to keep the pom-poms!

Here is David, Tyson, and Rick, on the field after the game.

David, Riley, and Rick on the field after the game also. 

Reflection of Time

(As copied from Heather's blog. Please copy the questions about where you were 20, 10, 5, 3, 1 year ago and also today, tomorrow, and one year from now and post on your blog!)

20 years ago:

I was 10 years old in 1988 and I was in 5th grade at Canyon View Elementary. I don't remember much else. 

10 years ago:

I was 20 years old in 1998 and just starting my last quarter at Columbia Basin College in the Tri-Cities. I was also General Manager of the Regal Clearwater Cinemas at the time and trying to figure out what I would do after I got my AA from CBC (transfer back to WSU or take a break from college and become a flight attendant... we all know what happened!)

5 years ago:

I was 25 years old and just celebrated my 4th anniversary with Southwest Airlines. I think I had just gotten back from a cruise with my friend Laurie and her boyfriend around this time... it would be 6 more months before I would meet the amazing man who became my husband. It's crazy to think we didn't even know each other 5 years ago! 

3 years ago:

I was 27 years old in 2005. Rick and I had just gotten married in March and by September, I was already 5 months pregnant with Riley. We found out in early September that we were having a girl! I was still flying quite a bit at Southwest before going on maternity leave in late October. 

1 year ago:

I was 29 years old last year and the enjoying life as a wife and mother of Riley (who was nearly 20 months) and Tyson (almost 8 months). I was also taking 2 online classes through Mt. Hood Community College (electives towards my Bachelor's), attending my classes at Warner Pacific, and working 3-4 trips a month at Southwest. 

Today:

Today I will straighten up the house a little bit, take the kids to story time at the library (which they LOVE!), and then try to nap while they nap this afternoon, hoping my cold will go away soon! I'm also officially in week 36 of my pregnancy, making the end seem very, very near! :)

Tomorrow:

I will be a little nervous to attend my orientation/first class at Warner Pacific College again, this time to start my Master's degree. Class is from 6-10pm (every Tuesday night), so I'm hoping I'll be able to stay awake through class! Maybe I'll be napping tomorrow too...

1 year from now:

I will be over halfway done with my Master's degree, focusing on the Elementary Track classes. I'll also be the mother of 3 kids (3 1/2, 2 1/2, and almost 1) by then... I have no idea what that will be like! I have a sick feeling in my stomach that I'll still be flying a few trips a month at Southwest too.

MAT

I'm officially crazy, overwhelmed, excited, nervous, anxious, happy... hmmm, that about sums it up. And the reason is, I am officially starting the Master's of Arts in Teaching program at Warner Pacific College on Tuesday night!! I will be 36 weeks pregnant, making the timing a little awkward, but it was now or April of 2009- so I opted for now. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it's safe to say I'm freaking out just a little bit. Okay, a lot...

It feels like added pressure as to when the baby will be born. Will he or she be early and I have to miss a crucial first class?; How will I nurse and still attend class for 4 hours every Tuesday night? (with Tyson, I was able to take a leave of absence for one 5 week class and he was able to take a bottle by the time I went back- this time, a LOA isn't an option); How will I handle a newborn, 2 other kids, have time for Rick, keep up with the house, homework, AND fit in time for sleep? (AND flying again after the first of the year, but don't get me started on that just yet); Do I even want to be a teacher? (and yes, I still wonder...) I could go on and on about concerns I have, but I also know that God wouldn't give me anything I can't handle and I have the unconditional support of my wonderful husband. 

I'm trying to remember that I'm not Super-Woman or Super-Mom, and nobody expects me to be. The perfectionist/Type A personality in me wants to succeed and excel at everything, not let anyone down, balance everything perfectly, say and do the right things, and not let anyone know how stressed out I am, and be the best mom and wife around. I may have to get over some of that... :) 

I feel like this past week has been the calm before the storm. It's been a great week with the kids and we've been able to do some really fun things (library story time and the zoo), I've cleaned the house from top to bottom, caught up on the laundry, and the weather is suppose to be great this weekend. Then Sunday, everything changes... Life Group starts up again with every other Sunday meetings, 4 hour classes start on Tuesday, my doctor appointments will be weekly, and we'll be on baby watch for the whole month of October (the due date is late October). I see a lot of prayer and reliance on God, family, and friends in my near future! 

Despite all of these crazy thoughts and fears that have been flooding my mind lately, I am truly excited about starting the program. It's the same Adult Degree format it was for my Bachelor's degree. We meet one night a week for 4 hours, over 18 months. I have decided to focus on the Elementary Track (rather than the Secondary), which is K-8th. In January of 2010, I'll be doing my pre-student teaching, followed by the full-time student teaching and then finish in April of 2010 (graduation will be in May). It seems like a long time from now, but I know it will go by so quickly- and Rick pointed out that this baby will basically be Tyson's age by then (18 months)! 

So, I'm ready to hold on tight to the roller coaster ride my life is about to become and hope for the best! In the meantime, I'm going to nurse this silly cold I've caught, rest as much as possible, and try and fit in a few "me-time" things (like a pedicure or girly movie) while I still can. And I'm sure I'll still find a few more things to worry and stress about... knowing that in the end, they'll all turn out just fine! 

I Love The Office!

I haven't laughed so hard in quite a while! Last night's season premiere of The Office did not disappoint- I loved every minute of it! At this point in the pregnancy, my "stomach" muscles are so weak, that when I laughed, my whole belly moved and it was actually painful! I had to readjust a couple of times and support my belly with a pillow, just to make the pain go away! The baby was probably wondering what the heck was going on. And it was causing me to have some minor contractions from all the moving and shaking I was doing... I actually told Rick at one point, wouldn't it be a funny story if my water broke from laughing at The Office?! I know that wouldn't happen, but I definitely put my belly through an ordeal- and it was so worth it! I hope all of you Office fans out there enjoyed the premiere as much as I did! :)

Trip to the zoo

Today I stepped out of my pregnant comfort zone a little and followed Rick's suggestion to take the kids to the zoo- for the first time all by myself. It may not sound like a big deal, but I have to admit I was a little nervous. I figured it would be easiest (for me) to have both kids ride in the stroller, rather than spend most of the time trying to get Riley to walk or end up carrying her. We had a nice little talk in the van about Riley needing to ride in the stroller and she was amazing about it- thank goodness! We got there pretty early, 9:30am, and it almost felt like we had the zoo to ourselves! The kids had a great time seeing many of the animals who were out- the polar bears, cougars, monkeys, hippos, zebras, and giraffes. There was a baby elephant born recently at the zoo, so we were lucky enough to get our second look (the first with Rick back in August) of the baby elephant. Riley and Tyson both thought that was pretty cool! The biggest challenge of the day was actually pushing the stroller around the very hilly zoo... I was pretty exhausted by the time we left! I still think it was easier than chasing Riley in the long run. I will be grateful to have my physical capabilities back soon! And maybe I'll even be brave enough to try taking them again next week...

I'm so thankful for the double stroller! And I appreciate how good both the kids were, considering I made them sit in the stroller...

Here they are checking out the zebras (through the fence).

And the hippos are in the background here with Tyson!

The new baby elephant, Samudra, getting a little workout walking around in circles outside with the other elephants.

Welcome to fall!

I love the beginning of every new season... okay, maybe not winter... but every other season. It always seems like I'm ready for the change in weather when it comes. When I lived in Phoenix, AZ for 2 1/2 years, I had a hard time with the lack of seasonal changes. At least I was traveling a lot and experiencing the changes in other cities. I moved to Portland in July of 2003, just in time to leave hot, hot, hot, Arizona and fall in love with the beautiful, dry summers we have around here. I remember my first fall in Portland, being so excited about the changing leaves on the tree-lined street I lived on and the amazing fall evenings we had that year, all the way into late October. For some reason (maybe the internal heater I now have being 35 weeks pregnant) I am super-excited for the fall weather this year... give me a dry day in the mid-60's to low 70's and I'm a happy, happy girl!

Today is the first official day of autumn! So, I decided it was time to dust off my Crock Pot (and yes, it actually had a little layer of dust on it!) and make one of my favorite slower cooker recipes given to me by my friend Maggie- Taco Soup! I will be making tons of slow cooker meals and casseroles in the fall and winter months to come and I love it! I also bought some very crisp and yummy Gala apples last night at the grocery store and had my first one of the season today- so good! I could go on and on about the other things I love about fall, the new, cooler weather and all it brings... (Pumkin Spice Lattes top the list...)

Not only is it the first official day of fall, it's also the kick-off of new fall TV! Yep, I'm a big couch potato when it comes to my favorite shows! I can't wait to see the season premieres this week for many of my addictions (see sidebar for a list of a few of these addictions). I'm grateful for the invention of Tivo's and other DVR's, making it easier to love the shows, but not always have to stay up and watch them right away. It gives me something to look forward to during my "alone time" while the kids nap! But, if you're wondering where I'll be the next several nights... I'll be glued to my TV, watching (live) the extended season premieres of The Office, Grey's Anatomy, and Survivor: Gabon... just to name a few.

Welcome to fall everyone! :)

Vroom, vroom!

Just like his sister, Tyson says and does things everyday that make us laugh and amaze us. (see the post below for Riley's most recent funny moment) His vocabulary blows us away! One recent change in a particular word Tyson says, has us a little nervous... "Truck" was a word Tyson said very well and very clearly. I don't know if it was the addition of "fire" in front of the "truck" that has him mixed up, but lets just say Tyson doesn't quite say "truck" as clearly as he used to... but, he does say another word very clearly! Yes folks, that's right- if you ask Tyson to say "truck", it comes out beginning with the letter "f" instead. We're just a little worried about all the trucks in the nursery at church...

Oh, Riley!

As Riley gets older and her comprehension and vocabulary expands, we are really beginning to see first hand that kids say (and repeat) the craziest things! Tonight, Rick was just about to take Riley up to bed, when the Emmy Awards started on TV. They began with a montage of memorable quotes from television shows and about a minute into the montage, one by one, the cast of "Everybody Loves Raymond" came on, each saying "holy crap!", "holy crap!", "holy crap!" (Apparently a memorable line from the show...) No sooner had they finished and Riley was turned around to us... she smiled really big and said, "they saying 'holy crap!'". Oops... Of course, our first reaction was to laugh hysterically. I had a pillow over my face and tears in my eyes from laughing. We're pretty sure she doesn't know that's an inappropriate thing to say and I'm also pretty sure she's never heard either of us say it (I tend to say 'holy moley' a lot, but that's it). I think the repetition and the way they were saying it made her think it was funny enough to repeat... It certainly gave us a laugh though... is it wrong we laughed? :)

After the montage, Oprah Winfrey came out to open the show and she was wearing a beautiful red dress, which emphasized her... assets. The camera was only showing Oprah from the waist up, which made what Riley said next even funnier. She turned to me and said, "she having a baby just like you!"... yep, that's our girl! You heard it here first- Oprah's having a baby! :) She had us laughing so hard again. This may also be a funny time to point out that Riley was rubbing my belly one day and talking about the baby, then moved her hand up to my chest and said, "baby right here too!"... nope, no baby there- just my in my belly! :)

Just when I thought the moments before bedtime couldn't get any better... Riley came up to me and said, "You better not wake up Tyson or I be berry (very) angry!" Nothing like your own words being spit back out at you... is that really how I sound? Yep, must be! We've been staggering bed and nap time since the kids began sharing a room. They were spending too much time playing, laughing, and singing- basically keeping each other awake. We now put Tyson down about 30 minutes before Riley and he's usually asleep by the time we lay her down, making the process so much better (for the most part). Sometimes Riley still likes to sing, talk, and make noise when she lays down- and more than once I might have mentioned I'd be a little upset if she wakes up Tyson... I'll be watching what I say and how I say it a little more carefully from now on! But, it is true... I do get pretty angry when she wakes up Tyson...

It was an eventful and funny 5 minutes at our house tonight!

Doesn't she look innocent! :) This was earlier in the day, wearing her new pretty dress.

Breakfast dates

When Rick was still a bachelor, it's safe to say he was a bit of a "workaholic" when it came to teaching and investing in the education of his students. He was often the first one at school and/or the last to leave in the evenings. Since we've been married and added children to our family, his days have gotten shorter at school. I know it's been a struggle for him to still feel like an organized, prepared, and effective teacher, yet still spend time with us as a family and be home early. We sat down late in the summer and came to an agreement about a reasonable time for him to head home in the evenings (4:30pm), which has helped me out a ton- this is usually the time the kids start getting restless and I'm trying to get dinner going. I love knowing when he'll be home for sure and look forward to it! :)

On my end, Rick as always expressed how much he would love it if I were up in the mornings when he leaves for work. He's really looking forward to the time when I'm teaching too and we're both getting up and ready in the mornings at the same time! Part of our agreement included a weekly morning "date"- a day when I get up with the alarm also, we can have breakfast together, and he doesn't leave until closer to 7am (rather than the usual 6-6:15am).

I have a hair appointment and Bunco! tonight and we won't see much of each other today, so Rick suggested we have our little breakfast date this morning. I made banana bread last night and we agreed Starbucks would go perfectly with it, so our morning date was set. It was our third one since the school year started and I can already tell they are going so great for us! It's a time we actually get a chance to sit down face-to-face and talk- topics ranging from the random to the important.

When Rick gets home in the evenings, it's usually a little hectic between the kids being very excited to see him and me making dinner (and trying not to be grumpy because I'm tired and hungry...). The rest of the evening is focused on the kids... dinnertime, playing, baths, bedtime routine, and them getting to sleep. By the time they are in bed, I'm EXHAUSTED! The couch has become ridiculously uncomfortable these last few weeks of pregnancy, so I usually head to bed earlier than Rick, while he tries to get a little school work done. This leaves us very little time during the week to really focus on each other and have quality conversations. Hoorah for morning dates!

Don't tell Rick, but I'm starting to enjoy getting up at 5:30am and having time before the kids get up to relax, eat, and prepare for the day... But, most of all, I really love the breakfast dates we get once a week and the quality time I get with my amazing husband! Who knows, maybe we'll add a few more here and there...

Chicken Chalupa

Thank you so much for all of you who left comments or emailed me with new recipes to try- I can't wait to get cooking! I had several people ask specifically about the recipe for Chicken Chalupa, so here is my best effort of sharing it... I do the recipe by memory and sight when cooking it myself, so hopefully I'm able to relay it well enough for others to follow.

Ingredients:

3-4 large chicken breasts or 8-10 tenderloins- cooked and cut into chunks
2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup
Approx. 1 cup of sour cream
roughly 1/2 to 3/4 cups of milk
Approx. 10 corn tortillas- torn into quarters
Grated cheddar cheese
Optional ingredients: olives, diced chilies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and optional ingredients (I usually only add olives, but the original recipe calls for diced chilies). Add the milk in order to thin out the mixture a little bit.

Start by laying down a layer of *half* the torn up corn tortillas, covering the bottom of the pan. Spread out *half* of the cooked chicken chunks evenly on top of the corn tortillas. Spread *half* of the cream of chicken soup and sour cream mixture evenly on top of the chicken. Cover the layer with cheddar cheese. Then start over again by adding another layer of corn tortillas, then the rest of the chicken evenly, followed by the rest of the cream of chicken mixture. Finish it off by covering the entire top with a layer of cheddar cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Hope you enjoy!

Where were you?

On September 8, 2001, I was in my very good friend Maggie's wedding in Spokane. At the time, I was actually living in Phoenix, AZ and had been working as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines for 2 years. I took vacation time in early September to be in the wedding and spend some much needed time with my family and friends in the Tri-Cities. On the 9th, I drove back to my dad's house in Richland and on the 10th drove to Walla Walla to visit my grandma and grandpa for the day. I was suppose to fly to Seattle on a 6am flight from Pasco to Seattle on the morning of the 11th and then jump on a Southwest flight home to Phoenix to work a trip starting on the 13th (I wanted at least one day off in my apartment before flying out for 3 days). The night of the 10th, I was so exhausted from the day trip to Walla Walla and the previous week's activities and decided to stay at my dad's one more day and go back to Phoenix on the 12th... it turned out to be one of the best decisions ever.

I woke to the phone ringing at my dad's around 6:30am and heard muffled voices through the door and my stepmom saying something about a hijacked plane to my dad. I was so out of it, that I fell back into a deep sleep and had a dream that a plane I was actually working on was going down... I woke up startled when the phone rang again sometime around 7:45 or so and it was my stepmom saying I needed to get up and go turn on the television. I had just missed the second tower collapse... and I don't think I moved from the middle of the living room floor for the rest of the morning. I was completely glued to the television, like most of the nation. And my cell phone was ringing non-stop- friends and family asking where I was, if I was flying, and generally making sure I was OK. I remember trying to call my mom's cell phone a few times to get a hold of her and let her know to turn on the news, but her cell phone was turned off. She and my stepdad, Jim, had just moved to Hawaii a month earlier and it was only 4:45am for them when I turned on the news, so I was pretty sure they had no idea what was happening... they finally heard it on the radio when the alarm when off later in the morning. I figured out later, that I would have made the Horizon flight from Pasco to Seattle that morning and then gotten stuck in Seattle or somewhere else, because planes were grounded right about when my flight to Phoenix was scheduled to leave...

That morning, the FAA grounded ALL planes- no matter where they were, they were order to land at the closest airports. Southwest planes landed all over the country and many in cities that we don't even usually fly to. Flight attendants and pilots were sent to hotels and told to stay put until they heard more. Some chose to hang out together with other stranded pilots or flight attendants, some chose to hang out in their rooms alone watching the news- I often wonder which I would have done. They were almost all away from their own families and friends during the biggest crisis our country has seen in years and years, staying in hotels in random cities throughout the country. I was so thankful to be around family and friends over the next couple of days, rather than being stranded somewhere being so confused and scared and shocked.

My original trip I was suppose to work on the 13th was partially cancelled and changed, but I was still stuck in the Tri-Cities unable to catch a stand-by flight out of Pasco. Scheduling was extremely kind and flexible over those first few days that flights were resumed, knowing that many people were still stuck places or still too rattled to fly. I finally caught a (car) ride to Seattle on Sunday morning, the 16th, and got on a plane to Phoenix. I was scheduled to work that evening, so I was given a loaner uniform and manual so I could work my flights. The next few weeks and months flying were very different... and actually have never gone back to the way they were before that fateful day. Something that is very apparent when you step foot into an airport or onto an airplane. Our job and training as flight attendants (and pilots) changed so much, life in general changed so much.

This morning is the first 9/11 that I wasn't watching some sort of news program because I was busy getting the kids and I packed to drive back to Gresham from my mom's in Kennewick. It felt a little strange, like I wasn't "remembering" because I wasn't watching something honoring the day. But really, I will never forget today and what happened 7 years ago, no matter what.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

Frozen dinners...

With Rick back at school and our fast approaching due date, I've been trying to get a lot done around the house to prepare. Right near the top of my little To-Do List was to make and freeze a bunch of meals in order to ease the load a when Baby Thames is born (just as my mom had done with a few meals for us when Riley was born). With my limited menu of meals to make, I asked for my mom's help in the process.

I decided to pack up the kids on Tuesday morning for a quick 48 hour trip to the Tri-Cities for a day of cooking, some great family time, and probably my last little road trip as a mother of only two children! Rick has also been busy at work, so it gave him the opportunity to stay late a couple of nights to get organized and not feel guilty about not being home with us.

The kids did AMAZING on the trip down- thank goodness for the van's DVD player! :) I got a chance to listen to "Cars" and a couple of episodes of "Little Einsteins" on the way and the kids were great for both rest area stops their pregnant mommy had to make (not bad for a 3 1/2 hour trip, right?)! :) We arrived just in time for lunch on Tuesday and my incredible sister, Robyn, stopped at Bruchi's to get me my favorite chicken cheese steak so it was waiting for me at the house! We fed the kids lunch and then Robyn bought some bread to feed the geese at Columbia Park. Considering how aggressive the geese were, the kids did pretty well... well, Riley was convinced more than one of them were going to bite her, they would just rip the bread right out of the kids' hands if it wasn't thrown fast enough, and at one point I was holding both kids because they were scared... But, overall it was a fun time! Of course I had just taken the camera out of the van and got zero pictures to document the experience.

After the ducks, the kids stayed back at the house with Robyn, while mom and I were off to grocery shop for our big day of cooking today. After two big bags of frozen chicken tenderloins, five pounds of hamburger meat, three large jars of Prego, four kinds of noodles, many types of cheese, and some other random stuff, we were able to make 17 various sizes and 6 different types of meals to freeze... 17! I still can't believe how economical, easy, and fun it was to whip out so many meals that we'll be able to enjoy in the months after the new baby... I think this will be something I continue to do every few months now that I know how crazy easy it is! Here's the breakdown of what we were able to make:

2 large and 2 small pans of Lasagna
1 large and 1 small pan of Stuffed Shells and cheese
3 small-medium pans of a Spaghetti-like Goulash
2 small pans of Tuna Noodle Casserole
1 large and 1 small pan of Chicken Chalupa (a sort of chicken lasagna- one of my all-time favorites!!)
1 large and 2 small pans of Chicken Divan
and 1 Peach Crisp

The small pans equal about a 2-2 1/2 person meal (perfect for us when leftovers aren't needed) and the large pans could easily feed 6-8 people or give our little family at least a dinner and lunch the next day. And we did it all for around only $75.00!! We started cooking around 1pm and finished around 4:30pm, with a few little breaks and kids waking up from naps to tend to... not bad at all. Tomorrow morning, I will pack up the kids, all our stuff, fill a huge cooler with all the meals (and some dry ice), and hit the road back to Gresham. I can't wait to fill our garage freezer with all these yummy meals!

My only question now would be- Does anyone have a good recipe or two they would be willing to share for a meal that freezes well and/or is extremely EASY to make?? I would love to add new recipes to the mix every couple of months. Keep in mind that I'm a very visual person who has a difficult time following recipes unless I've seen them done before. :)

Thank you mom for all the hard work you did today to help me cross this biggie off of my pre-baby To-Do List!! I appreciate all of your time, patience, and instructions! Now I'm off to bed to get some much needed rest for our trip home in the morning... here's hoping the kids do just as well for the car ride home!

Crazy pregnant lady moment

Rick suggested one of my favorite places for breakfast this morning, Jazzy Bagels in downtown Gresham. It's so simple, but I love a great bagel with cream cheese and strawberry preserves... anyways, not the point of the story! Afterward, I was having a huge craving for a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks (a huge favorite of mine in the fall season) so we made our way to Gresham Station for a little Starbucks treat. Rick parked and he started talking about where we should go next, needing to buy colored duct tape, and something about composition notebooks his students were getting... and all I could think about was all the people who were parking around us, walking in and getting in line in front of him, and who were going to get their yummy Starbucks drink before me. (first crazy thought...)

Then (as Rick is still talking), I zoned out and a funny scene from a "Friends" episode popped into my head, when Rachel was pregnant and uncomfortable and getting really grumpy about not having the baby yet. Phoebe was trying to tell her some story and without remembering the line exactly, Rachel basically told her "yeah, yeah, yeah... great story Phoebe, but could tell it to me while you get a me a muffin" or something along those lines. And I found myself thinking the same thing- WOW, this amazing story about composition notebooks would be a lot better if I was sipping my Pumpkin Spice Latte! (second crazy thought)

At this point, I actually started laughing out loud over my crazy pregnant lady train of thought! Rick, of course, wanted to know what I was laughing about and I explained to him the whole crazy thought process ("Friends" scene and all)... Luckily, he thought it was funny too (the amazing man that he is) and paused his story for a quick trip inside. And, I have to say, the story was so much better with my wonderful fall favorite in hand... seven weeks to go and I'm sure this isn't the last crazy pregnant lady moment I will have between now and then. Poor Rick...

Cute things Riley has said lately...

Yesterday, when Rick came home from a long day at work, the kids both ran to him with a very enthusiastic "Daddy! Daddy!" After a big hug, Rick asked Riley, "How are you?"- to which she replied, "I two!"... It took us only a second to realize she thought he'd asked, "How old are you?" Can you tell one of the things we've been trying to teach her lately??

Tonight, Riley and I were reading a story before bedtime and waiting for Rick to come and join us. I called his name to see how much longer it would be, but he had just stepped out in the garage and couldn't hear me. Then Riley started calling out too... but instead of calling to "Daddy!", she decided to call for "Rick! Rick!". I actually couldn't tell what she was saying at first, but once I put it together, I was laughing so hard. It's the first (and certainly not the last) time she has called one of us by our first names... a sad, sad day! :)

1 year ago today...

...I completed my first half-marathon!


It was the Champoeg Half-Marathon and it happened to be held at Champoeg State Park the same weekend we were there camping at the all-church camp-out. I decided to run it only 2 weeks beforehand- I'd been running regularly, but certainly not at half-marathon training level, but I had SO much fun doing it! Rick and the kids were there at the starting line, the 2 mile water station, and the finish line- what great motivation knowing my loving family would be there to cheer me on in the final stretch. The only downer to the whole experience was when Rick's iPod died 2 miles into the 13.1 mile run... talk about a boring 11 miles, I was actually singing songs in my head to stay motivated! Also, sleeping in a tent on an air mattress the night before wasn't the greatest pre-race night's sleep I could have gotten.

A few weeks later, I participated in the Portland Komen Race for the Cure. It was only a 5K, but what and who I was running for made it a wonderful experience. I only wish I were able to run it again this year in a couple of weeks! I already have my shortlist of races and fun-runs I want to participate in when I am no longer pregnant. The big one is the Portland Marathon next October and a fun one is Pints to Pasta, a 10K starting at Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. and ending at the Old Spaghetti Factory with beer and pasta at the finish line... that's pretty good motivation too! I find myself completely jealous when I drive by people out pounding the pavement or watch them from my front window. Soon, very soon, it will be my turn...

Riley-ism

I rarely wear my glasses, only just before bed when I take my contacts out and maybe for a few minutes in the morning before putting my contacts back in. Rick is pretty much the only person who sees me in them... This morning, we got the kids up before I had a chance to put my contacts in. While sitting in the bathroom with Riley this morning, she looked at me with my glasses on and said, "Mommy, it's not bright. You can take your sunglasses off!" This made me smile- especially coming from the girl who wears her sunglasses anywhere and anytime! When I hadn't taken them off by breakfast, she told me again I could take my sunglasses off because it "wasn't sunny out!" I love her!