Aaron's dedication and first Mother's Day

We found out that they were having baby dedications on Mother's Day. How perfect was that!

Jenny was going to be home that weekend and so we invited mom and dad and Jenny to go to church with us. Jeremy and I stood up front with a sleeping Aaron and three other couples to have Pastor Dave let the congregation know we were dedicating our children and vowing to raise them in Christ. We also received a certificate we can show Aaron later.

Aaron did great throughout the rest of the service and afterwards we stood around and visited with Ron and Lori and their kids. Then as a treat we went to La Palma for lunch and it was delicous.

After lunch we came back to our house and had a very relaxing afternoon. We opened cards and gifts and Jeremy opened some gifts early for his birthday.

It was a wonderful first Mother's Day!

Pregnancy pictures

Before I delivered I wanted to get some cute pictures of my pregnant belly and of Jeremy and I.

My friend Barbara came over and the pictures turned out perfect!

36 week pregnant belly

1st Anniversary, 10/10/2010

First anniversary:

- 5 months pregnant

-our anniversary gift to each other was buying a crib for our new baby boy coming

- Oregon Ducks game at WSU

- spent night at Couer d'Alene resort

- spent time with mother-in-law Carla -great laid back anniversary

First prenatal appt

Our first prenatal appt was on July 30th and I was almost 11 weeks along. I was able to get off work early and Jeremy met me at the hospital. We walked down to my doctors office and got right in.

The doctor did an ultrasound on me and Jeremy got to see the baby for the first time! I heard him gasp a little bit and lean forward to get a closer look. The baby was an inch and a half long and you could see the head and arms and legs. The doctor printed off a picture for us and right away Jeremy took a picture of it with his phone and started sending it to everyone!

So far everything is looking good. Doctor said we were moving right along. I haven't gained any weight yet but I'm sure that will soon change!

We were able to have a question and answer time with the doctor. I had written down a bunch of things I wanted clarification on and it was a big help. We were given some goodies and paperwork to read through. She gave us a big book from the Mayo Clinic all about pregnancy and the babies first year. All my appts were scheduled ahead of time for me and I got some magazines and a packet of paperwork that would be helpful. After that it was off to the lab to have blood drawn.

It was a great first appt and I can't wait to see the changes that will be happening!

Telling parents about baby

Now the deliberation began on how and when we would tell our family. I kind of wanted to wait until I was further along and I had been to the doctor but my first appt wasn't for another 6 weeks and that was way too long to wait.

Finally after talking it over we decided that we were too excited and wanted to be able to tell people. Jeremy had a softball tournament coming up that Saturday after finding out and he started cooking up a plan.

He was able to get his mom and stepdad Jerry to come down for the day on Saturday to watch him play softball and then come to the house for dinner after I got off work. My parents made it down to watch a couple of games and then came back that night for dinner.

Since it was the day before Father's Day, we gave the dad's cards and then put the giftbag with the baby bib in front of my dad. One of the best parts was that the moms weren't suspecting anything since the focus was on the dads. My dad opened up the bag and slowly unwrapped the bib from the tissue paper. When he finally saw what it was, he immediately looked up at me and said, "Are you serious?!" Now that got the moms attention and they asked what was going on. I burst out in a huge smile and said, "Yep I am pregnant!"

Carla, my mother-in-law started crying and my mom just turned and stared at me like she didn't believe it was really happening. Jerry looked pretty excited about a new baby in the family too.

Then my dad took a picture of the bib on his cell phone and sent it to my sister. She was really stoked about the baby and becoming an aunt!

The rest of the night flew by with everyone visiting and talking nonstop about the new baby.

I am PREGNANT!!!

This day started out so normal but ended anything but...

In the afternoon Jeremy and I drove to Umatilla High School together. I was helping my friend Tamera in the concession stand. Tamera is Scott's wife that is one of Jeremy's best friends and who he coachs basketball with. She was almost not going to come because she had a nasty cold and was losing her voice, but she decided at the last minute to come and hang out with me. During the course of the night we talked about all different things. Someone else came to relieve us, but Jeremy and I had come in the same car and I had no way to get home. So we decided I would get a ride with Tam over to her house and we could hang out until the boys came home.

Tam and I continued our chatting at the house and somehow we started talking about the headaches, cramps and need for blizzards I had been having. She knew we had been trying and all of a sudden realized she had an extra pregnancy test she wasn't going to use. It happened to be a day before I was supposed to start my period and I was skeptical that anything would show up that early. She however became very excited and got me a cup to pee in and the test and directed me towards the bathroom. I was watching the test while washing my hands and couldn't believe that faint positive line showing up. I was a little in shock when I walked out of the bathroom to show Tam. She came right over, took one look at the test and started screaming!

She immediately grabbed her purse and said we had to go to Walmart to get another test for me to take since the first one had been from the dollar store. Both of us were so excited and not thinking clearly that she forgot to lock the front door of the house and we both forgot to buckle Alyssa into her carseat. Thank goodness we hadn't even pulled out of the driveway yet!

We get to Walmart and go stand in front of the pregnancy tests. We look at all of them and try to figure out what ones would be good. Randomly Tam asks if I have an extra one at home and in the moment I had forgotten I did. So we get back in the car and head to my house. Thank goodness I had an extra house key in my purse since I had given Jeremy my set of keys so he could drive the car. As I am unlocking the house, I couldn't remember if we set the alarm or not and I didn't have the remote to turn it off. I'm was scared to open the door and finally Tam just pushed it open. No alarm thank goodness!

I run into the bathroom and get the test out. I don't know if it was my nerves or that I hadn't had much to drink that I couldn't get a big enough sample for the test. I thought it would be sufficient until I took the test out to the kitchen and realized it wasn't working no matter how many times I stared at it. I told Tam I don't think I had enough pee and she busted up laughing. So back in the car and headed to Walmart for the second time.

We stand in front of the tests again and deliberate. We don't want to buy too many of them and have them expire. We also don't want to buy the cheapest or most expensive. Finally we decide to get a two pack of the Clear Blue Easy digital tests. We felt it was a special enough occasion to spurlge a little! As we were walking to the register I was trying to conceal the test but to Tam it looked like I was trying to hide it in my jacket sleeve. I didn't want to run into anyone I knew and have them be curious. Also before we had left home I had grabbed a bottle of water and was making sure I had plenty of liquids in me.

On the way back to the house Tam told me she wanted to see the test as soon as possible even if my pants were barely on. So I went straight to the bathroom and had plenty of pee this time!! I barely had one button done and ran out to the living room to give it to Tam. While the test is working it has a flashing hourglass and then will flash the word pregnant or not pregnant. I handed the test off to her and went to the kitchen sink to wash my hands. Before I could even turn the water on she was already yelling, "Oh my gosh!" She came running in to show me that it said pregnant and had flashed that within 2 seconds of me giving it to her. I think I was still in shock but she started jumping up and down and getting very excited. It's almost like I didn't think it was real yet.

Then she got online and started looking up cute ways to tell your husband and family you are pregnant. She suggested I take pictures of the tests so I could have them for memories and boy did I take a lot! Tam told Alyssa what we were so excited about and she kept saying, "Baby in her tummy!" Since it was going to be short notice telling Jeremy we couldn't get too creative. So we headed back to Walmart for the third time.

Perfect timing that Father's Day was that coming sunday and I was able to find Jeremy a card for a father-to-be. Then we found a baby bib that said, "I Love Daddy" and wrapped that up in tissue paper and put it in a gift bag.

If the boys asked why we were in Hermiston, we had to come up with a good reason that they wouldn't suspect. We knew they would be hungry and said we came into town to get food for them and they took right to the idea. We headed back to Tam's with the food and got there before the boys. I was starting to get nervous about telling Jeremy and not giving something away when he walked in.

The boys started eating and I put the card down in front of Jeremy and told him I had found a card for him while at Walmart. He finished eating what he had in his hand while Tam and I were staring him down! Scott thought we were acting funny but didn't know why. Finally he opened the card and read it twice before it registered. All of a sudden he looked up and said, "I'm going to be a dad!" Scott's head shot up and he was totally surprised and said, "Wow, that's cool!" Then Jeremy opened the bib and I showed him the tests I had taken.

He finished eating in a daze and Tam and I got online right away. We first looked up what the approximate due date would be and it said February 20, 2011.

Mother's Day with Mom, Jenny and I

Jenny had a chance to be in town the week before Mother's Day and so we decided to celebrate a week early. Mom picked Olive Garden for lunch and we had a wonderful time! We gave her the facial certificate and she loved it!

After lunch we went to see G-ma Doris and got some great pictures with her. It was nice for us three girls to hang out and spend time together. Those times seem few and far between.

I'm glad we could honor mom and thank her for everything she does for us.

Valentine's Day

This year Valentine's Day sure came with a bang!


Mom and dad decided to come down for the afternoon to hang out and work on some things around the house. At one point mom and I had to go to Walmart for something last minute. We brought back coffee drinks for all of us to have.


Event #1:

Dad had poured his drink into another glass with a straw. He had been sipping on the drink carrying it with him from room to room. All of a sudden...the cup slipped out of his fingers and he watched it fall in slow motion to the floor. It landed with a thud, spilling most of its contents on the floor and spraying it on the wall as well. He was horrified and just stood there not knowing what to do until all of a sudden he realized he needed to pick up the cup. I grabbed towels and carpet cleaner right away and started scrubbing. I wasn't worried about it and knew it would come out. There I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the carpet when Jeremy came home from work.

Event #2:

Since Jeremy and I were getting a new dining room table, mom was helping arrange the dining room so the new table would fit. First her and I moved G-ma's china hutch to one side of the room and then decided to move it to the other side instead. It was slow going since I hadn't taken anything out and it was heavy. Jeremy finished helping mom move it into a corner and right at the end, mom's knee slipped and hit the glass. Oops! Right away I was worried she was cut but she said she was fine. The hutch didn't fair so well. The bottom part of the panel of glass had broken, yet nothing broke inside. Phew!

It was a very exciting holiday just for different reasons! Mom and dad ordered new glass for the hutch and we did allow them back to the house, even after all that!

My birthday

Birthday Highlights:

• Surprise morning gift from Jeremy


• yummy breakfast at Roy and Venita's in Hermiston


• buying songs on itunes with new gift card


• watching Jeremy bowl for a charity event


• spending time with family


• having dinner at my parents


• getting a new Laptop computer from Jeremy and my parents


• splurging on angel food cake, real whipped topping and strawberries...mmmmmm!!!

Honeymoon in Vegas!!!

Figuring out where you want to go on your honeymoon can be a very tough choice. Jeremy and I hemmed and hawed for months. I really wanted to go somewhere tropical and warm like Hawaii. I researched and met with a travel agent, but things were too expensive and we didn't have a full week off to enjoy it. Somehow Las Vegas was mentioned and we really started thinking about it. I had never been before and what better time to experience it for the first time then with your new husband!
We planned it out so we didn't fly out until 6:30pm the next night after the wedding so we could relax and not rush around trying to get to an early flight. It was great looking out the window of the plane and seeing the Strip all lit up. We finally arrived at our hotel, The Mirage and got checked in. It was 10:30pm but that's when the Vegas night life begins!!! We dropped our bags off, freshened up and decided to go out on the town.
Before I forget, something that was really cool was that Karen, one of my bridesmaids had given us a $150 gift card to use at the Mirage. We could use it at restaurants and any stores within the hotel. Every morning we slept in and woke up too late to have breakfast. We did decide to make getting coffee from Starbucks a priority! There was a Starbucks in our hotel and so using our card made it that much nicer. We even treated ourselves to a very fancy and expensive dinner with our card.

We went to two shows while we were there, The Blue Man group and The Beatles Love, a Cirque de Soleil show. The Beatles show was in our hotel and we saw that monday night. We had a great view though we both thought it would have been even better closer to the stage. The acrobatics were astounding and we found ourselves singing along to the music the whole time. We actually bought the tickets for the Blue Man group on our flight to Vegas. That show was held at the Venetian and was awesome! I laughed hysterically and the show was very audience interactive. I would have loved to go to another show called The Reve at the Wynn but maybe next time.

Most every night we were out until 2am walking, looking at the sights, people watching or doing some gambling. In the time we were there, we walked from one end of the strip to the other. We went down to the Luxor and walked around inside and then decided to go to the Body Exhibit they were holding there. We ate at Margaritaville where Jeremy ordered a huge thing of ribs and we had delicious drinks. The atmosphere was really fun inside and they had great music playing. We walked through the M&M store and were overwhelmed with all the things and didn't even make it through all four floors. We walked through numerous casinos/hotels that included Caesar's Palace, the Wynn, the Venetian, the Palazzo, the MGM Grand, the Luxor, New York, New York, Paris, Treasure Island, the Riviera, the Flamingo, the Bellagio and Excalibur.

We discovered our favorite gambling machine, Wheel of Fortune at the Wynn. We had a blast sitting there together playing. At one point we had our money up quite a bit and then we decided to take chances and lost it. We didn't care because we were having a good time. We went back to this same machine 3 or 4 times during our week there.

My two favorite things we did were riding in the gondola at the Venetian and going up in the Eiffel Tower at Paris. The Venetian is so fun to walk through because they have made it look like there is blue sky and clouds above you and you are walking outside, all while inside. The atmosphere is amazing and the music floating through makes you really feel like you are walking down the streets in Italy. The gondolas were very romantic especially when your boatman sang a song in Italian for you as you lazily floated down the river. My next favorite thing was going up in the Eiffel Tower. We went up while it was still light but the sunlight started to fade while we were up there. The best part aside from the view was watching the fountains at the Bellagio dance to music. We got some great pictures! Then to top it off after coming down we went over to the fountains and watched them again and got a completely different experience.

We had a wonderful time but didn't even come close to seeing everything that Vegas had to offer. We will make plans in the future to go back for more!

My Wedding!!!

The minute I woke up, I immediately started getting excited! Today was my wedding day, the day I have looked forward to forever!

The morning was very laid back and we took our time getting showers done and getting everything ready to take with us. We had to make sure that nothing was forgotten. Jenny and I were a little late getting to our hair appointment and both Karen and Andrea met us there. My hair dresser Becky and a fellow worker were all ready to work on our hair and make us beautiful.

Becky started working on my hair first so she could spend her time getting it perfect. Since Jeremy loves my hair long and straight we decided to leave most of it down with just the sides up. She came up with the idea to tease my hair on top and create a bump that the veil comb could go in so it would stay. It's amazing how much you can get hair to do what you want with tons of hair gel and hairspray. She twisted several bunches of hair back on either side and secured them with bobby pins. The veil fit perfectly and looked great.

After I was done, I began putting my makeup on. Of course the one thing you dread is getting a zit for your wedding day. I had been fighting it for a couple of days and it wasn't quite gone. Becky gave me some special cover-up for it and you couldn't even see it on my chin. After my makeup was on I walked around talking with the girls and taking pictures as they had their hair done. As the morning wore on Jenny noticed I was getting a little bit antsy about the time. It was getting close to 1pm and we still hadn't eaten lunch. Jenny and I took off to get some sandwiches at Subway and then on to the church. I must have been quite the sight sitting in the car at Subway with my veil on waiting for Jenny. People would walk by and do a double take. Haha! I wanted to be at the church between 1 and 1:30pm so I could start getting ready and have time to take care of any last minute things.


The photographer got there around 2pm and started taking pictures of the boys getting ready. I had made sure to have so much time that I was actually getting bored and really antsy! Jeremy had decided early on that he didn't want to see me before the ceremony. This meant that we had to take individual pictures of the guys and girls and the together and family pictures after the ceremony. It was pretty funny to watch how our coordinator scouted out to make sure Jeremy was no where to be seen when it was my turn to take pictures.

When pictures were finished, the wedding party minus Jeremy got situated in our room and waited. We were able to wait in the "cry" room which has windows that are one way so we could see out but people couldn't see in. It was great to look out and see the guests arriving and knowing they couldn't see you. I was very excited and kept pacing back and forth because I wanted to get the show on the road! Everything looked so beautiful and the music was perfect. I'm even getting excited as I am writing this!

When it was just my dad and I left in the room he probably thought I was nuts. I was watching Jeremy escort my mom and his mom down the aisle to seat them. It was the first time I had seen him that day and the first time seeing him in a tux. He looked so cute and I kept jumping up and down wanting to be out there so bad! Finally it was my turn!!! Jenny, our coordinator had come up with the idea for closing the doors behind the bridal party and then opening them back up for me and giving me a grand entrance. I loved the idea and it worked out perfect. I was all smiles walking down the aisle and watching Jeremy's face and seeing his reaction.

The ceremony was beautiful and we both were able to say our lines without messing up and the rings slipped on our fingers without a hitch. I had found our vows online and loved what they said. We had my parents unity candle burning but decided to have communion instead just between Jeremy, me and Dick(the officiant).

After the ceremony we went to sign the marriage license right away. While we were finishing taking pictures, the guests headed into the reception where they were able to go through the tortilla/salsa bar and have special coffees made while waiting for us. Pictures didn't last very long and then we made our grand entrance. We got started right away on going through the buffet line and eating that yummy mexican food!
Next thing on the agenda was dancing, one of my favorite things. Jeremy and I had a great time talking and laughing during our dance. Then my dad and I got up there and had a blast dancing to Creedence Clearwater Revival. Jeremy and his mom also danced and had to stop early because Carla, his mom started tearing up.

The cake and toasts were next and I wasn't sure how we would do the cake feeding since we hadn't talked about it yet. When it was time, Jeremy surprised me and smeared it all over my face! It was pretty funny and he did help me clean it off. My dad and Jeremy both said a little something and thanked everyone for coming. My sister started crying part way through and had to turn around facing the other direction to finish. Ron, Jeremy's best man made up a rhyming poem that was awesome.
After that Jeremy and I walked around to the different tables saying hi and thanking people for coming. Then we got our groove on and started dancing and letting loose. Jeremy had said he might not dance much because it wasn't his thing, however I was very surprised and impressed how often he came out to dance with me. I had a blast doing the Cotton Eyed Joe song and even the YMCA.
As time passed, I started getting excited about what we were leaving the reception in. My family had been very secretive and wouldn't tell us at all. Both of us left to change clothes and get our bags together. When it was time, the guests who were left had sparklers for us to run through and waiting for us was a 1930's vintage limo. Our driver had champagne and old love songs playing for us. The car was great and really fun to ride in. He drove us to our hotel, the Hampton Inn where we were staying the night.

The room was great with a see through fireplace and a jacuzzi tub. The first thing I noticed after walking in was the most gorgeous bouquet of red roses for me! Jeremy had ordered them the day before and made sure they were in the room for me to find. We had a relaxing night of watching tv, opening up cards and....ok I think that is about all you are going to hear about the rest of the night!
It was a wonderful day and everything went exactly as planned. One of the best days of my life!!!