I'm too excited to sleep

30 weeks already. I can't believe it.

I remember reading blogs or having friends announce their pregnancies and I felt like the nine months would fly by so quickly!! All of a sudden they would be announcing the birth and I would think, "are you sure? Has it really been nine months, already?"  That is how I feel with my own pregnancy! When I stop and think back six months ago to when I told Michael, it seems like it was so long ago. But when I think of how many weeks I have left, I can't believe I am here already! I am so excited to meet this sweet little baby, I can hardly stand it!

There have been weeks where I've felt like it's taking forever and I just want my little girl to hurry and get here. And then there are days where I think "I only have how many weeks left? But I am not ready!" and then I have a mild panic attack. 

I think the move was a good distraction from counting down the seconds. I've been so busy house hunting, packing, moving and then unpacking, that it's been too crazy to even think about how far along I am! But it's also brought a lot of anxiety and stress. You wouldn't believe the ridiculousness I've been through with doctors and midwives and birth centers and hospitals, oh my! If I sit on hold one more time, I might officially go mad! I never thought it would be so hard to schedule and appointment with an OB/GYN. Seriously California. Not cool.

But now that we are here and I've been trying to find someone to birth this baby, I feel like she will be here way too soon. I need more time! But at the same time I am so ready to have her here, it's like waiting for Christmas! I think I'll be more ready when I know where I'll be birthing and who will be helping me deliver. -Oh the delivery. Oh the pain. Oh my gosh.
Yeah on second thought,  let's keep this baby INside as long as possible.
 Please & thank you.

a little update

It was Mike's birthday this last Friday so  we decided to go out for BBQ. We have both been wanting some good BBQ and were really excited when we saw a joint right up the road from us! It was terrible! Haha! We will never eat there again!

Apparently there aren't any good BBQ places here. We have searched the internet and asked people. Unless you want Chinese BBQ... There is a lot of that! Good thing we got Mike a new Grill for his birthday :) I can't wait to try it out!

^^New Ping Pong paddle = one happy birthday boy^^

We found a grocery store up the road from us that sells really good brownies in their bakery. So after our bad dinner, we went over there and rented an equally bad redbox movie, and then picked up a package of chocolatey good-ness. I'm just glad we got those brownies. After the bad dinner and terrible movie, they saved the night. haha.

We went to Downtown Niles on Saturday and went to all the little antique shops. It was so fun, and to top it off, we shared a delicious banana split to continue the birthday celebrating.

We also picked up these fun buttons. Have you taken a steak break today?

We are slowly figuring out this new city, and trying to make it feel more like home. It's been a hard couple of weeks, but each day gets better and better.

We went in to San Francisco the Saturday before last and froze our tails off! We had so much fun and made our way to Ghirardelli  square for some hot cocoa and a hot fudge brownie. We were so cold, and I kept stopping to rest because of my contractions, and Mike kept telling me "we can just come back later" but NOTHING gets in the way of this mamma and her Ghirardelli! I had my eye on the prize. That Hot Fudge brownie was calling to me and it was totally worth it!

The community here is very different, and the city itself is so different from home, but we are warming up to it. It's going to take some time, and it's hard, but it'll happen. Mike LOVES his job. He's doing really well, and I'm so proud of him!

So there's your update. Sorry it's not more exciting!

baby bump

My sweet husband puts up with me and my crazy ideas. 

I have tried to take pictures of my growing belly every couple of weeks, but they never really turn out. You know, never Pinterest worthy. I always end up looking like a dork. And then crying or getting grumpy. I'm pregnant, okay?! 

I would love to have a professional photographer taking my pictures every week for me, but you know, that's not going to happen. So I have my professional photographer husband doing them for me.   

With my iPhone. 

Oh I love that man. 

I may look like a dork and be in funny poses 99% of the time, but at least I'm getting some pictures. In this particular bunch my hands looked funny and I had a goof face.. this is where a professional would be nice. But I kept the photos anyway, because posed or not, it's fun to see my belly growing with baby girl inside. 

25 weeks

An update and the beginning of blogging.. Again!

I haven't sat down and written an actual blog post in over a year! My goal is to start it up again and stick to it. (I will be posting over here on the new blog, and working on making it look better) I have recently decided this would be a good idea, because there are so many scary and exciting changes happening over here in Kramerville, so I am going to quickly fill ya'll in. 
Mike had a series of difficult interviews and at the end of them all, he landed the job! I am so very proud of him and am amazed by him every single day. He is so incredible, and brave. 

So while we are all very excited for this new job opportunity, we are also a little sad, because we will be moving all the way to California! We are excited, but it's a little hard to pick up and move. They want him to start very soon, on July 21st! So we have a lot to get done in only a few weeks. This includes finding somewhere to live! I am packing and sorting while Mike finishes his weeks at his current job, and then we are out of here! It's all happening so fast!! 

On top of the move, I am trying to find new doctors, and plan my birth and the arrival of our sweet baby, GIRL! It's true, I'M PREGNANT!
We are over the moon excited over here. She is very healthy and apparently she is very squished. I'm not sure if that means she is going to be tall like her daddy, or if I'm just too small for her to be comfortable, lol! But I can't stop looking at her sweet ultrasound picture. She is perfect and we love her already. 

We have been enjoying the summer as we do best, by camping and spending time together and with friends. We will miss going up the Canyon on the weekends, but I'm sure we'll find a new spot to explore near our new home in California.

We went to Moon Lake this last weekend and it was beautiful! This weekend we will be at a family reunion, and then two weeks after that, we will be in California, ready or not!
 

I had a fun birthday weekend, and got a new birthday present from Kramer, that is going to be even better in California! He didn't know we would be moving there when he bought it for me, and it made us laugh. He got really sick the day before my birthday though, bummer! We were going to go up to Idaho that day because it was also Father's Day! We didn't make it up there, but we still had a lot of fun here!

Anyway, there is the update! All the important things at least. I may not blog a lot in the next few weeks, as I am going to be very busy apartment hunting and packing. But as soon as I can, I will sit down and update everyone on what is happening. And maybe it'll be from a real computer and not my phone!  Hopefully this will be a good way to keep family up to date on our lives in California and a way for me to document the things that are happening in our little family.  We are going to miss everyone so much! So you all better come visit us!!!

DIY Anywhere Chair

Hello! It's been a long time since last I posted.. but here I am, hoping to start this blog up for reals this time guys. Seriously.
So I truely stink at tutorials. Infact, I'm really not the best at sewing either, but that doesnt stop me from pretending I can! Haha
So over memorial Day weekend, I decided to try making a new little find. I was with my cute mom, so obviouslywe ended up at the craft store! And I found this fabric and had to get it for this project! 

So today I bring you the "Anywhere Chair"
One hour- One chair- Two different ways to sit!

SUPPLIES:1/2 yrd fabric

1/2 yrd. contrasting fabric

1/2 yrd. batting

Velcro
Scissors

Pins
Machine

 ASSEMBLY

The seat
Lay right sides facing each other and cut 18 3/4 long x 11 1/4 wide
The waist strap
Fabric still facing right sides together, cut 36 3/4 long x 6 1/2 wide
The connecting piece
With the extra piece, cut 4 1/2 long x 3 wide

Now pin the batting to your pieces, and trim to shape
Sew pieces up, leaving an openeing at the bottom of your seat to pull rightside out. This will be the opening where you will sew in your connecting piece
Next do the same to the waist strap, leaving that opening to attatch the connecting piece

Sew the sides of the connecting piece, flip rightside out, and attatch everything together!

Voila! Easy peasy rice and cheesy!

A yard of fabric can actually make two seats, and two connector pieces, but not two waist straps. 

It's really a simple sewing project if your sewing machine doesn't jam, and the lady at the fabric store can cut straight! We had a good laugh making these. We made about six over the weekend, and maybe should have stopped after the first... but we kept going, because thery really are just so fun to whip up! And now I'm here trying to post a tutorial, like I know how to do these things! I know you love me! I also made these, so they are reversable. All you do for this, is make the fabric on the back, look cute with the fabric on the front, and sew velcro on BOTH sides. Also, making the seat a little longer, would allow a padded head rest, and a covering over a shopping cart handle, were one to use it whilst shopping. Yes I brought it to the store to try it out. Don't judge!

Pumpkin cookies!

Fall is finally here! If only it could stick around longer.

I decided I needed to make some pumpkin cookies!
 I cannot take credit for this recipe, I found it online and made my own variation. I am so happy with how they turned out!
They were so delicious that I had to share!

I decided to go with a cream cheese frosting instead of the one it suggested. Cream cheese frosting was made for Pumpkin Cookies, I'm tellin' ya. 

Also, I really think some mini Chocolate Chips would taste heavenly in these cookies. I just placed them on top of the cookies after they were frosted, because I didn't think to add them until later. 

These cookies are just the right amount of gooey. They are so good, guys. You have to make them.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened 

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder 

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

2 eggs 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 15-ounce can pumpkin 

4 cups all-purpose flour

I put in a little extra Pumpkin and spices, when I made mine, and they turned out just great. I also found that these cookies are pretty heavy if you make them too large. So I made them bite size and then just ate about 3 at a time instead... Because that makes sense!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a big bowl beat the 2 cups of butter with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin and then add in the flour. It will become very thick and heavy. 

2. Drop dough by teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool and then frost!

I found that these cookies really tasted better after being covered and let to sit for a while. They become very moist and delicious. How many times can I use that word in this post? A LOT. Because that's just how delicious they are.

 THEY'RE SO GOOD!

Thread Letter tutorial

This is a pretty simple project. You probably don't even need a tutorial for it, but you're getting a little one anyway!

We have a wall in our house, that had only a clock hanging on it. the clock seemed out of place to me, and I knew something had to be done about it. So after finding some inspiration on Pinterest, I took down the clock, and made myself a "Thread Letter" 

source

THREAD LETTER TUTORIAL

I still think the wall might need a little more, but I am loving the letter.

Also, so sorry for the horrible phone pics! Next time I'll pull out the good camera so you don't hurt your eyes balls.

What you will need:

Spool of thread (how much depends on size of letter and how bold you want it)

Straight Pins
Scissors

Paper
Tape
And maybe a measuring tape.. I probably should have used one of those..

Begin by drawing/cutting out desired size letter on some paper.

I wanted mine big, so I cut mine out of a roll of Printer paper. If you want a large Letter too, but don't have a large roll of paper, the back side of wrapping paper will probably do the trick!

Next,  Tape it to the wall where you want your letter to be. Once you start "threading", their is no moving it around! So make sure it is nice a straight! Not like mine..

Trace around the paper letter with small Straight pins. Do this by hammering them in to the wall.

I hammered them in pretty far, as they pull out a little while you are wrapping the thread around them. This is something you will want to keep an eye on while you are working! 

After you have done this, remove the paper letter, so all you have is an outline of pins.

Now you can start wrapping the thread!

I started by making a slipknot and pulling it tightly around the first pin.
 After some trial an error, I found that tracing the outside of the letter first, is the best way to do this.
Wrap the thread carefully around each pin, until you can clearly make out the shape of the letter.

The next thing you will want to do, is hammer more pins inside of the letter.

I placed them around randomly. This helps to make center points for the thread, on the inside of the letter. This is just something you can do if you would like to. It creates more pattern inside the Letter. Creating a filler.

Once you have done this, without cutting the thread, make another slipknot and start having fun filling in the inside of the letter!

I liked to make more slipknots and loop them around a pin (just like in step 4) every so often, just in case the thread slips off. That way you don't have to start all over. Just back at the last place you made a knot.Continue doing this, until it looks the way you want it to!

Pretty simple, right! :)

Have fun!