So What Wednesday!

It's Wednesday and that means its time to join Shannon at Life After I "Dew" and say So What!

So What if...

- We went to the grocery on Sunday then to Chili’s on Monday for dinner
- I gave 2 kittens away last night and forgot to mention we might have seen a flea. They each went to their new homes with a small baggy of food.
- One of the sales reps for a company I write for is bringing donuts in at 9 and I’m currently eating breakfast… at 7:40.
- My BFF Rachael’s bachelorette party is this Saturday and I have yet to get her sash and other supplies that I committed to bringing.
- I’m kind of irritated that the family that we were donating our old mattress/box springs too after they lost theirs to a fire doesn’t need ours anymore because someone else gave them one
- My July goals were a joke.
- I’m practically counting down the hours until our ultrasound on Thursday.

Old Wives Tales

When you're an expecting parent for the first time, every week is exciting. You experience a slew of symptoms, your bump grows (almost overnight) and there are so many things to think about for your little one. For most first time parents, the most exciting thing you experience besides meeting your little one, is finding out if the baby is a "he" or a "she." Whether its halfway through, or if you have the will power to wait until the end.

I most certainly do not have the will power to wait until the end. Danny is even worse. Last week before our 18 week appointment, Danny decided (or so we thought) how he wanted us to find out the sex of Jellybean. It was pretty original and I shouldn't have expected anything less.  He wanted the ultrasound tech to write the results in an envelope, go to a party store, have the party store fill a black balloon with blue or pink confetti/glitter, then shoot it with his gun later that night with our parents and siblings. My husband loves guns and shooting things so it was fitting. At our appointment the next day, the nurse and doctor got us all excited about the upcoming ultrasound. As we walked out of the office, Danny said "maybe we'll just have them tell us next week and we'll get a cake for everyone else." He's excited to find out, as am I.  We've decided how we are going to reveal to our families, but that can't be revealed yet since my mom could be reading this post. Hi Mom! :)

Sunday night I stumbled upon some Old Wives Tales on Pinterest so Danny and I went through them. Here are the tales and results.

1. Mother's Beauty - GIRL
this one has to do with the "glow" or presence of acne.  Girls will steal the mother's beauty, but boy's won't. I had acne like I was 13 again in the beginning. It was awful. Some facewash and the end of the first trimester later, I look like an adult again. Danny's brother has commented on my "glow" a little bit, but he's just excited there is going to be a baby.

2. Heart Rate - GIRL
Above 140 suggests the baby is a girl while below suggests boy. It's been 145-152 pretty consistently. However! My mom said my HR was always below 140 and my brothers was above 140. This one doesn't weigh very heavily for me.

3. High or Low - BOY
High means girl and low means boy. I honestly don't know for sure if I'm carrying high or low. My freaking torso seems like its all of about 6 inches long, but I think low.

4. Cravings - BOY mostly
If you're craving sweet, you're having a girl. You know, since they're made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Boys make you cravy salty and savoury foods. At first I was craving popsicles and sno cones. Then it turned to delicious things like Taco Bell and cheeseburgers.... then I bought a 2 pound container of gummy bears. But I also have to have a buffalo chicken something every now and then. So I don't know.

5. Morning Sickness - BOY
If you have morning sickness, its a girl. If not, boy. I tried to throw up once to make myself feel better and it didn't work. I haven't experienced morning sickness so boy it is.

6. Chinese Gender Chart - GIRL
 This chart compares the mother's age at the time of conception and the month of conception. If you get on Pinterest or Google and search for one, a million charts will come up. They're all the same though haha.


Its a tie, so I really don't know. Only 2 more days until we find out!! :)

18 weeks!

Another Friday, another bumpdate! I can't believe it's already time for another one. I feel like it was just yesterday I was taking the 10 week picture before our first official appointment with the doctor and that was 2 months ago! Time is flying by and I can honestly say I haven't started getting a dang thing ready.

 Baby size: Sweet Potato!
Any symptoms?  back pain is the worst. I only had 1 or 2 headaches this week but I think one was due to a cold
Cravings? Nothing really this week
Favorite part this week? Seeing everyone at the fair and them being able to notice that I'm pregnant and not just fat
Least favorite part this week? Answering the question "how are you feeling" a million times
Boy or Girl? Still feeling boy, but I also feel like I'm wrong.
Names? I'm really glad I made this a question because our ideas and thoughts towards names have changed weekly. We've basically narrowed down the boy name and the girl name. I just might reveal them next week! :)






I'm really glad my bump is starting to really show. My BFF Shelby texted me Wednesday to inform me that a girl in our sorority's bump was "killing" mine. Bitch forgot the girl was a week ahead of me. Shelby has been waiting on my bump to show since I told her I was pregnant.

This time next week, we will know if we're having a boy or girl! I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY!!! The next 7 days are going to drag ass I'm almost positive.

Finally, lets talk Kate Middleton. Princess looked stunning when she appeared on the steps of the hospital on Tuesday. I hope to God I look that good 24 hours after I give birth. I won't hold my breath though. You know people are hating on her post baby bod ALREADY?! I mean you have got to be kidding me. Give the girl some time to recover for Pete's sake! I mean, she's a princess. As far as I'm concerned she can play that card for just about anything. 

Hope you all have a great weekend. I've got another busy one in the works so we'll see how this goes.

Sh*t My Husband Says

I came up with an idea last week after my wonderful husband said something that he probably shouldn't have. I'm going to share those genius statements with you guys. I can't be the only one with a husband that sometimes doesn't think before he talks. I just can't.

I'm not doing this because I think he's an asshole or because I'm mad at him. I'm doing this because I think it is hysterical!

These statements are all pretty predictable on how they play out. 9 times out of 10, Danny will share his thought and as soon as it comes out of his mouth he is already saying, "I'm sorry, that was really dumb," we both laugh and he tries again. The other one time though. He'll say something questionable and doesn't realize what he has said so I give him a "did you really just say that? because any other woman would claw your eyes out" kind of look. He'll say it again in his head and realize what I heard. Again, we laugh and its a good time for both of us. My reaction to these statements isn't really dependent on how my day has gone. I think I could have a stressful day at work and one of Danny's lines would be just what I need to lighten my mood.

Mr. Summers is getting really good at not thinking before he talks. Sometimes it would happen when we were dating and engaged, even in the first year of our marriage. But now that I'm pregnant? I can think of 3 good ones right now, 2 of which I am going to share with you today.

Early in the pregnancy, I'd say I was about 9 or 10 weeks, I was exhausted. Not that I feel much different now! I was bitching and moaning about it and how I didn't want to do laundry. Danny proceeded to say something along the lines of "Just wait honey, you're not even that pregnant yet!" Oh, I'm not? I could of swore that when you piss on that stick and it says "positive" four times, you're pregnant. Lets not excuse the fact that I've been to the doctor twice and we've heard the heartbeat. This is one of those that required "the look" for him to realize that he was kind of an idiot.

The next one happened last week, and is what inspired me to share this lovely part of my marriage with you. I forget what day it was, but it was scorching hot outside. Danny decided to ride his bike 11 miles, which I think is nuts in that heat considering the humidity, but whatever. My husband is a badass and thats all there is too it. I got home from work and I'm sure the day wasn't a breeze, but I wasn't in a bad mood. Shortly after I get home, Danny comes in, out of breath and drenched in sweat. I was standing in the bedroom either changing clothes or folding some laundry and he comes in there. As he's walking into our room he states "You know, when the baby gets here, you're going to have a lot of catchin' up to do!" No shit? Thanks for the reminder that I've already gained back the weight that I lost and exercising has become a thing of the past. Immediately after he was done saying it, he said "That was really dumb, let me try this again!" He walked out, came back in and tried again, saying something like "I can't wait until the baby is here and you can ride your bike with me again." Much better Mr. Summers, much better!

Isn't he adorable?

Please share with me the remarkable things your husband or significant other has said!!  :)

So What Wednesday!

I just don't really have much to say these days. Things have been pretty uneventful, but pretty busy around these parts. Work is slowing down a little, but still making me want to pull my hair our somedays. I'm also still a little worthless on the housework/cooking front. Get it together, Erin!

I can always participate in So What Wednesday with Shannon from Life After I "Dew" since I tend to say "whatever" to a lot of things, especially these days! I can't add the cute little So What Wednesday picture though. My laptop is being an asshole and says "Internet Explorer has stopped working" everytime I try to add a picture. Anyone have any tips on how to get this to not happen?

So What If...
- I had a piece of cheesecake for lunch yesterday and justified it by saying I didn't feel good, which I felt like I was getting a cold.
- I also used said cold as a reason to take an hour and a half lunch so I could lay down for an hour.
- It took me a good hour to decide between an elephant ear and strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone at the fair last night.
- when I get out of bed in the morning, I cover Diesel up like a human.
- I'm just now starting to pay bills online.
- I'm going to a baby shower on Sunday and the only thing I've purchased is an outfit
- I'm contemplating another english muffin
- I haven't cooked anything since Sunday when I made chicken and noodles
- I'm kind of hoping the doctor decides to do an ultrasound tomorrow at our appointment and we can find out if Jellybean is a boy or girl.


Hope you all have a good Wednesday!

The Weekend Before Fair

I knew this weekend would be a busy one, but I didn't know it would be as relaxing as it was either.

Friday I left work early due to an absolutely awful headache. I just came home, got in bed, and watched Friends for a few hours. Danny came home and we grabbed dinner real quick so he could get a haircut then go load pigs for Saturday.

Saturday morning my farmer wannabe husband got up bright and early to go take the pigs to the fairgrounds. I tried to weed our garden while he was gone but I got one watermelon plant done and called it quits. I said last year I wouldn't wait until it was overwhelming to pull weeds, but I did. I blame pregnancy. I waltzed my ass back inside and cleaned the kitchen, did dishes, worked on the days of laundry that I have to do and lounged around waiting on Danny to get home. Once he got home he helped me move some laundry and we continued lounging. I got a burst of energy, but didnt want to clean so I made this.

Of course, I found it on Pinterest. I didn't take pics throughout because I was pretty sure it was going to result in on of those "Nailed It" failures but it didn't. I have a few more that I want to do so I will be sure to show you all how I did it. Its really super easy.
Saturday night I had dinner with a few girlfriends. One was in town to go on a family vacation and didn't tell us until she was on her way home. I'm glad it worked out!

Sunday we got up and went to church. After, Danny headed to the fairgrounds and I headed to the store to get some fruit to get me through the week and also stuff to make dinner for my mom, brother and his girlfriend.  The ever beloved Church Tent won't be at the fair this year and they were all kind of distraught. It was an icon of the 4H Fair so a lot of people are kind of confused as to what they are going to eat. Anyway, they had awesome chicken and noodles, which is what they were wanting most. Like the good daughter and sister that I am, I volunteered to make them.

After I went to the store, I headed out to the fairgrounds to watch one of our nieces and one of our nephews show in mini 4H. It was adorable. The heat got to me and I had to nap when I got home before I started cooking. Once I was rested, I began my 2 hour dinner prep. Homemade noodles take some time. They aren't hard, but they are time consuming. It was worth it though. The noodles turned out great! After dinner, I was done. I did nothing else the entire evening.

Now, fair week begins. Danny is already out there today for the pig show, and will be out there all day. I am a fair widow. I don't mind though. He lives for this week and is totally in his element. Plus, if he's out there all the time, that means I have to go out there to see him. If I have to go out there a lot, I'm bound to be hungry while I'm there. And that means fair food! :) Don't mind if I do.

17 weeks!

The bump has arrived!

I had to take a selfie (which might be the first that I've taken and posted on this little blog) because the hubs didn't get home until 10:30ish last night from getting pigs ready for the fair. He's also still in bed this morning and I didn't want to wake him up just to take my picture, although his alarm has gone off twice since I've sat down to eat breakfast and type this. Oh well. He worked hard yesterday and he can snooze all he wants. I also had to insert the picture into the post from my phone and didnt want to take the time to email myself the nice PicMonkey edited and labeled picture just to put it in here. Our laptop acts like a total jackass sometimes.



Baby size: Onion (I really wish the bump used better comparisons sometimes!)
Any symptoms?  back pain and tired. I'm also losing my mind. The constant hunger is coming back.
Cravings? I've been wanting a cheeseburger from Dairy Queen or Burger King, but have resisted.
Favorite part this week? Danny testing out names. He's been testing one per day and throwing them into casual conversation. It's adorable.
Least favorite part this week? My sleep has sucked.
Boy or Girl? Still feeling boy, but I also feel like I'm wrong.
Names? We've basically decided to wait until we see the little one after he/she arrives to settle on a name. I'd like to go into it with a couple narrowed down though and then see which fits the baby best.




It's been a pretty good week and not much has happened. Next week will fly by with it being fair week. I'm probably going to gain about 20 pounds in next week alone due to the delicious friedness that lines the walkways.

That's all for now. Like I said, not much has happened this week, which is fine with me. There was too much excitement a few weeks ago for my liking, so I'll take this.

Finish the Sentence Volume I've lost count

They're baaaaaaack!! Holly and Jake thought of more sentences for us to finish, and they're kinda tough. That or my brain is just fried between pregnancy brain and actually having to work until 5 the last 2 weeks. Sometimes 6 even. For someone thats out of the office nearly everyday at 4pm, that extra hour or two is brutal.

 

 

If I had one extra hour in the day... I'd probably sleep if I'm being completely honest. Or at least lay in my bed doing absolutely nothing.
I wish my name... was in Mambo No. 5 at least one damn time.
I think anything chevron is... cute but I haven't been ballsy enough to buy anything chevron.
My last nightmare... shockingly wasn't last night. I was so sure after watching this week's Pretty Little Liars and seeing that scary Emily mask I'd be chased in a dark woods last night.
Sometimes... I wish my life were like a soap opera. The cool parts like people coming back from the dead and never having to wear the same outfit twice.
My last meal on earth would be... my Grammy's chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes and corn... all mixed together.
I would much rather be_____ than____. sipping wine out of my wine glass than Juicy Juice. (PS, I completed these last night. I don't normally drink wine before noon though I'm not opposed when not pregnant)
Mayonnaise... probably won't ever be eliminated from my diet.
10 years ago, I didn't think... all the flavors of mountain dew would ever taste like pure ass like I think the orange kind would at the age 23. Baja Blast at Taco Bell though? That is tasty. 
Selfishly... our kids are going to have chores, mostly to do housework for me and not to teach them responsibility. Danny wants a 12 year old like yesterday.
My favorite show on TV right now... is Real Housewives of New Jersey or the Bachelorette. General Hopsital always has my heart and Mistresses is pretty good. My tv addicted ass can't wait until fall shows come back on.
And, George Zimmerman... should probably just leave the country.

Pregnancy Brain

Do you ever have those days where you legit feel like you have zero brain cells? I've always had those moments. Sometimes my brain gets tired during periods of high stress. Other times its because it hasn't been challenged enough. Almost like a use it or lose it type of deal. You know what I mean?

Now though? Holy shit Batman! I feel like a true blonde. I've never loved the "dumb blonde" jokes because I know plenty of brunettes and redheads that have "blonde" moments too. Pregnancy brain is a true and real thing. It being the second busiest time of the year for me isn't doing me any favors either. 

I mentioned yesterday that I went shopping with my mom on Saturday. Danny had been telling me for weeks that next time I'm at Old Navy grab him a pair of jeans. Fine easy enough. I've been shopping him for 5 years and he's worn jeans from there for about 3. Couldn't remember what style. I narrowed it down to 2. Called him to help me pick the right one and also get his size. He's lost weight and I wanted to get his new size. He told me waist and length and I start rummaging through after I hung up the phone. Wouldn't ya know it, I forgot the damn length. Remember how I've been shopping for him for 5 years? Well when you lose weight you don't shrink or get taller. Not even a minute after hanging up I had to call him back. He was at work and I'm sure I was the laughing stock of the fire station on Saturday. His co-workers are all dads so they've been there. 

Yesterday morning was adorable though. I was making my decaf coffee (I really think the lack of caffeine is part of my problem too) and was just breezing right along with my Kuerig that I've been using since 2010... The equates to hundreds of cups of coffee, easily. I put the new k-cup in, shut it so the water compartment pops open and I ALMOST POUR MY TRUVIA PACKET IN THERE! WTF Erin?! I'm almost certain some of it fell in there. 

Looking back at last week, I think I figured out why the person who asked me if I was expecting thought he should ask if I was. It was probably because he thought I lost my damn mind. He was showing me how to do something on the computer and I was just not grasping it like I should. And homeboy's wife has popped out 5 kids. I think he can spot pregnancy brain when he sees it. 

At this point, I think it's hysterical and I'm getting a lot of entertainment out of my pregnancy brain. 

I think in the near future there will be a post on pregnancy hormones. Danny so kindly reminded me of the evening a few weeks ago where he walked in and I was standing at the sink just crying. Why? I honestly think it was over the damn dishwasher being an ass causing a sink overflowing with dishes. Be on the lookout. 

All you mamas out there, what are some of your most proud moments. By proud I mean you really can't believe you were capable of something that silly. I'd love to hear them! 

The weekend

Do the weekends zip by for everyone? I'm almost certain I'm not alone in this. For me, the entire week flew by. That really doesn't bother me since our ultrasound to find out if Jellybean is a boy or girl is August 1st.

Anywho, my weekend. 

Friday I got home from work and was wiped out. When I got home I realized Diesel was at my mother-in-law's house. (Danny and I both were working all day and she loves having him come over so she came and picked him up that morning. She rocks) I didn't even both to go get him. I changed into my shorts and tank top and crawled in bed... For about 15 minutes, then Danny's mom called. She was bringing Diesel home. My peace and quiet was over. We waited for Danny to get home. We ordered take out from the Mexican place and were in bed by 10:30. Sooooo cool. 

Saturday morning I went and met my mom for some shopping. Car shopping for her and we needed a bridal shower gift for my BFF Rachael. We had lunch at Olive Garden and it was delicious of course. On my way home I had to stop by Target, Kohls and Hobby Lobby. Lets just say my back was screaming before I stopped at those places. I was close to miserable by the time I got home. This pregnant lady can't run around like she use too. Saturday night was full of General Hospital episodes from the whole week and Pretty Little Liars, both quality programming. 

Sunday was bridal shower day. When I woke up to pee foe the second time at 5am, my back was still hurting pretty badly. I made the decision I wasn't going to church. Just thinking about the standing, sitting, standing, sitting, kneeling, standing, and kneeling made me want to cry. I wanted to make sure I felt good enough to enjoy the shower and be able to lend a hand. Shower time came and I made it work. The Maid of Honor and her mom pretty much had everything taken care of. I just showed up with some notecards for guests to share date night ideas. Oh and a veil that I put these tacky flowers on. We played a game the whole shower that I found on Pinterest. Shocking I know. Whenever someone said the bride or grooms name, they had to wear the veil. It was a beautiful shower and I couldn't be happier for my Rachy Poo. 

Me and the lovely bride-to-be! (My dress is from Kiki La Rue and I got lots of compliments!)

Maid of Honor, Bride and myself.

After the shower I was beat. Danny and I ordered a pizza and watched Identity Thief. It was hilarious! More than worth the $1.28 and drive to redbox. 

As you can see, my energy level is still terrible. I thought I was feeling more energized but I was wrong. Hopefully that changes soon though. I'm tired of feeling like a lazy bum every day! 

Now it's time to get on with the week! 

If I Won The Lotto

This link up is too good to pass up. My husband talks almost daily about how he would spend his millions. This conversation usually evolves from him talking about one major thing he wants to buy (mini cows, boats, guns, trucks) then he lists the entire shopping list. Now it is my turn! :)

 

 

1. All the normal shit would happen first... pay off debt, donate some to the church which would also be our children's school K-8th grade, some to the high school, we'd donate enough to 4H to have the show arena named after my husband as well as my business, and the kids' colleges would be paid for. Just because their mommy is rich as hell doesn't mean they get to free load forever. I won, not them.

 

2. I'd buy a new Chevy Tahoe with all the bells and whistles. Like it would practically drive itself, if not fly. I'd also need some cute little sports car, convertible of course, to piddle around town in. Danny would get a new diesel truck. My mom would get a new car too.

 

3. The room addition of our master bed bath and closet would happen, stat. I wouldn't want a new house. I like our little hidden gem. I'd just make this one completely badass. I'd have a walk in closet that Bethenny Frankel would envy. Thats the main key to a good bedroom.

 

4. I'd buy boats. Yes, 2. A pontoon for when we were feeling like partying and a speed boat for when I was feeling sporty. We would need a couple lake houses as well. One in Michigan and one in Tennesee.

 

5. Speaking of houses, I'd need one in Orange Beach, Alabama. A condo would be fine too. I'd also rent it out when we were using it just so I can turn my lotto winnings into more money.

 

6. I'd quit working. Its not that I don't love my job, I just would love not working more.

 

7. There would be a lazy river in my back yard that surrounded the self-cleaning pool. Who doesn't want a lazy river? Those things are about the only reason I ever want to go to a water park.

 

8. Everyone in my immediate family would have a 4-wheeler and we'd have 2 to spare for friends. We would ride these bitches on the 200+ acres I bought that has a wooded area, a pond for fishing and a cute little log cabin.

 

9. I'd put some money aside specifcally for some "work" aka plastic sugery. Get a couple things tucked and lifted after I'm done having babies.

 

10. Diesel would have his own room. We would turn the shed into his Doggy Dreamhouse that had an unlimited amount of bullysticks.

 

11. I'd go on 3 7-10 day vacations a year. I'd go to the Horsehoe in Southern Indiana so much that they name a floor after me in the casino. And they rename Paula Deen's buffet after me. I'm sure thats up for grabs.

 

 

Alright, thats all I got for now. Its time for me to get my ass on the road and go meet with customers. Here's to hoping I don't get lost again today like I did yesterday when Google Maps AND my iPhone both failed me.

The Tale of a Pregnant Bridesmaid

I was going to do a recap of our weekend, but other than going to Symphony on the Prairie, a music show they have at this place about 45 minutes away that had a 4th of July themed Symphony, there wasn't much. We had a great time. Packed a picnic dinner, Danny enjoyed a couple brewskies (you can bring your own or buy them there. Quite the place!) and I had some Dippin' Dots :) Here are some pics from the evening.

Oh, and Danny's family reunion on Sunday, where one of his aunts convinced her family that we are legit, 100% naming this baby Jellybean. Now Danny's extended family thinks I am off my rocker. I'd be out of my mind to suggest that name and I'd be just as out of my mind to agree to that. Regardless of who would decide on that name, be it Danny or me, it would make us both crazy. (if you or someone you know has named their child Jellybean, I'm not sorry for offending you. I am sorry for said child.) I also won a scratch off in a drawing, which I won $2 on. Big money!

So, my BFF Rachael is getting married at the end of August and I am a bridesmaid. Back in January the bride, her mom, the maid of honor, another bridesmaid and myself went bridesmaid dress shopping. I was in the prime of my work out stage and also the most stressed out I have ever been in my entire life. Basically I was lookin fine, and ended up walking out with this sexy little number.

Its form fitting, showed off my newly discovered curves and I was workin it. Then I got pregnant.

I tried the dress on in May and it still fit. Stuck my stomach out as far as I could and there was A LOT of give. Since there was room for a growing stomach, I had no worries. Oh so wrong, Erin.

Tried that bitch on Saturday night and it had about an inch left unzipped. My damn boobs have outgrown the dress. The rib area was pretty snug too. Awesome. Texted the bride, slightly freaked and called my mom. I decided to call Davids Bridal the next day and see what happened. The lady on the phone was of no help and said "lead time is 8 weeks on most things" and you'll need to talk to a manager. The wedding is 7 weeks from this past Saturday.

The bride and I went to Davids Bridal last night and were in and out in under 30 minutes. The manager saw us walking in with a dress in hand and greeted us at the door. I told her in January I wasn't pregnant, now I am, and the girls are too big. She got 2 bigger sizes off the rack and left us to go about our business. The next size up already doesn't fit, but 2 sizes up was more than big enough and had room to grow in the bust area. AND there were 17 of them in stock in the warehouse. We figured there would be like 2 or 5, no. 17. Luck was on our side. Plus, I don't think I could have made a better decision to accomadate my pregnant self. The other dresses hit right at the ribs or at the very top of my stomach, which would be bad news bears come August.

So, that dress that my in progress hot bod was rockin' will still be sexy on the bump. I am a happy mama :)

4th of July

Hiiiiiii. Long time no see. I am slowly getting back to real life after an extra long weekend. It was a good one, I must say. 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. Its laid back, its fun, no stress, no family drama, doesn't require dozens of shopping trips for gifts. Its easy. Its especially easy for me because Danny usually has to work, at least he did this year and 2 years before that. Danny use to volunteer for the fire department that puts on the best fireworks show within 30-45 minutes of us. Volunteering for that department meant he helped put on the show. He would suit up in his turnout gear and light those massive fireworks every year. He LOVED it. Last year was his first time, in quite a a few years, that he got to watch the show. He was very uneasy the whole time... its just better for him if he works on the 4th. My family has gone to that same fireworks show ever since I can remember going to fireworks. My dad would take our old orange and white truck up there the morning of to get a good spot, we'd go to a cookout or watch my brother play baseball, then head back up to watch the show. Now, my brother, mom and me still carry on the tradition.

The morning of the 4th, I treated myself to a delicous nutrientless breakfast, which is shown below and worth every bite. Its been a while since I've had a good donut.

There may have been a third

Around noon I followed my brother up to take his truck (Old Orange is now a lawn ornament). We didnt get our normal spot (and were tempted to fight for it) but we were close. I lounged around on the couch for a couple more hours then finally got ready for the evening. My mom, brother, and a couple good friends of the family (jordan who looks like Drew and me ans Drews bff Zach) were coming over to eat and go to fireworks with us. 

This "cookout" was thrown together Wednesday afternoon. I committed to pasta salad, mom said she would bring buns andwe both figured Drew had hot dogs since he said he wanted brats as well. Wrong. Everyone arrives and we have buns, pasta salad and chips. Didn't realize this until an hour after people got to my house. Oh and Drew forgot paper plates. Drew's girlfriend (she was here too) went and got everything and Drew fired up the grill. We eat, it starts pouring and they all drink beer while I enjoy my crystal light repeating "this rain better quit!"

Jordan on the left, Drew on the right. People at school legit thought
Jordan and I were twins if they didn't already know us.

 

Drew's girlfriend and I. We made these shirts last year for a Toby Keith
concert. We decided to whip them out again.



 The rain quit and we decided to head up to the fireworks.  Since I was the DD, I put my foot down and made everyone stop at the gas station so I could get a slushie. I needed to at least feel like I was drinking rum punch since I couldn't. We get done at the gas station, get about 1/4 mile down the road and Drew says he doesn't have the keys to the truck so someone can drive it home after the fireworks. We drive BACK to my house, get the keys, Mom has to pee again, Drew and Zach need a picture taken, and we try again. Finally making it up there.

This fireworks show is always kind of an emotional roller coaster, but even more so this year. They start off with upbeat music and a few shots (fireworks people), then they did a tribute to a fire chief that died during a fire in TN that was from the town these fireworks were in. Played music, shot more fireworks. The next tribute was for all lines of the military. They play each of the songs and have ground displays. Then they do a "Last Call" for all fallen firefighters. This one gets to me. Hearing those bagpipes is gut wrenching for a firefighters family and it puts a lump in your throat. It was especially tough to hear after the 19 firefighters died in Arizona last week and Danny's department fought a house fire the next day that took hours to put out. They next did a tribute to the Arizona firefighters. They lit 19 lanterns and let them go into the sky. I thought it was pretty cool. They played more music, lit more fireworks. The final tribute for the last 5 years has been for that department's fire chief's daughter. She passed away 5 years ago after fighting a fire and they always play a special song, light a ground display and her dad says a few words. Thats the last of the sadness and they end with an awesome finale. See what I mean by emotional roller coaster? Its rough, but I wouldn't want to watch fireworks anywhere else on the 4th. And I don't ever plan on it either.

 

I had a great 4th of July. All day long I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that next year I will have a 6 month old to deck out in red, white and blue and tote along with me. Its so hard to believe and I can't wait!

I'll get to the rest of my weekend tomorrow since my 4th of July is novel length.

July Goals

I am completely baffled by the fact that it is July. Where did January-June go?!

With a new month comes new goals. I think it helped me accomplish a couple of them putting them in writing, so we're doing it again folks.

First, I want to recap June goals and see how the month turned out.

1. Walk 4x's a week - Didn't happen, but it pretty much can't happen because of the current state of my baby making parts, which I explained in my 14 week bumpdate.

2. Start working out - Nope. See above.

3. Finish bedroom collage - Did this! On the last day of the month. I basically did it because I remembered I wrote it as one of my goals and had to get it done. 

4. Get the baby's room cleared out - Didn't even start. Ugh.

5. Evaluate our budget - I did this and I am happy to report that we did okay. I've got some ideas on how to make it more efficient though. I'll let you know how it goes when we get it done. 

6. Have a pool day with my mom - We had one planned for this past Saturday. It ended up being like 78, cloudy and rainy. We went shopping instead.

Results = 2/6. Yuck.

 

 

Here are my July goals.. being written so maybe I will be held accountable.

1. Clean out baby's room - This really needs to happen. We find out what JellyBean is on August 1st and I know that as soon as we know what we are having I'm going to want to start buying furniture, bedding, decor, etc. Along with my mom and Danny's mom.

2. Figure out craft supplies situation -  My craft and scrapbook supplies are in 2 plastic sets of drawers in the baby's room. I could just move the drawers to the dining room, but I want to put them in something. Whether it be another Closetmaid cubicle system or something else. Something that will look nice as part of our house decor.

3. Eat lunch out 1-2 times per week - I've gotten out of control, but I'm giving myself some flexibility with this because of the time of year. Its another busy season and I will be on the road a lot (hopefully) next week and the week after. Given that its July, it would be hard for me to pack a lunch or snacks(which is mostly fruit these days) to leave in the car for an hour or 2 while I meet with a customer.

4. Go swimming - I love love love just relaxing in a pool, or even by a pool. Hopefully my mom and I can reschedule that pool day for some time this month.

5. Plan a couple creative dates - Like a lot of couples do, we are in a date night rut. I want to do something other than dinner out. I've already got something in the works for this Friday and I'm pretty exctied about it.

6. Walk 1-2 times per week - My doctor gave me the O.K. to walk, but aiming for 4 times a week is a little ambitious. I think 1-2 times can be done though.

 

Hopefully these July goals don't crash and burn like my June goals. 

 

Do you have your goals for the month lined up?

Weekend Recap

 

Hey all!

 

I hope you had a great weekend just like I did. It certainly didn't last long enough, especially with all of this "relaxing" and "resting" that I'm supposed to be doing.

 

Saturday morning I treated myself to McD's breakfast. Yep, a real treat giving myself a massive amount of calories for breakfast. Whatever. It was delicous so I don't really care. After I watched a tv for a little bit, I got ready to meet my mom for lunch and some shopping. I figured I would enlist her on my quest for some maternity clothes. By maternity clothes, right now I just mean bigger clothes. Which is great since all of the stores I've been too... Target, Old Navy, Gap, Kohls... have about 2 racks of maternity, if they even have a maternity section (Gap, I'm talkin to to you). I did pick up a pair of maternity capris from Kohls. They are khaki and will be nice for work her in a few months. That was the only "maternity" piece I got. I also left Kohls with a jean jacket and 2 shirts. I got a dress and shirt from Old Navy, a dress from JCPenney's, and some Sperry's flip flops from Macys. If you like Sperry's, do your feet a favor and GO GET SOME TODAY! I changed into them at the register while I was checking out.

 

So back to Old Navy. The place was a freakin madhouse. I knew it was $1 flip flop day but I didn't realize how serious the day was until I saw this...

 

This was at 2pm. Just wiped out. I don't even really love Old Navy flip flops. I have a couple pairs that I got last summer, maybe even the summer before, that look brand new.

 

 

Anywho, onto Sunday. Danny is off of his Sunday rotation for a while now so we were able to make it to church. I don't like to go without him. After church we got breakfast, and I hate to admit this, at McDonalds. I am disgusting I know. Honestly though, it was that or donuts. We have very few options here in this town. After breakfast, I napped off and on for a few hours in between us doing laundry. Beacuse of the previa, laundry is now a 2 person job. Yesterday afternoon I finally got the collage done for our bedroom and it turned out pretty good. I can't wait until Danny gets it hung up in our room.

 

 



We had burgers on the grill for dinner and I made potatoes in the oven. After that, I was done for the night.

It was a pretty good weekend and kind of relaxed. I enjoyed that part since this week is pretty busy.

Have a good Monday!! :)