Hocking Hills

Friday I got off work a little early and Jamey came to pick me up at the BWC office downtown. It was 1:00 and a beautiful fall day...so we went to Hocking Hills. He went his first year out here but I never have made it out. It was beautiful. The leaves were all changing and luckily they hadn't all fallen down. We parked our car at Old Man's Cave and hiked a couple miles to Cedar Falls. We then took another route (longer but faster) back to the car. There were no crowds, the weather was perfect with our fleeces and on our way home we ate at this BBQ place with the best cornbread I've ever had. Perfect day trip.

little one

On October 8th I was at work eating my lunch and got a text from Jamey. Wreaked havoc on my heart. He said he thought we could get into the ultrasound lab and try and find the sex of our baby in only 2.5 hours! Aahh! I got off work early, he got off work early, and we made it happen. Our baby was more accommodating than either of us anticipated and I hardly had the camera ready when Jamey was telling me the sex. Most fun day ever.

Our official appt with our doctor was just this last week (and luckily she confirmed Jamey's findings). Definitely a boy. And not a shy one. We are so excited. I have been so protective of this baby, for obvious reasons. I just really started showing this past week and today at church it was fun to be able to have others be happy with me. So I decided it's finally time to share with the rest of the world. 

We are having a baby. A little boy. He's due March 2. We couldn't be happier.

Chicago

Last month Jamey and I had a 4 day getaway to Chicago. Neither of us had ever been and it was fun to experience it all new together. I admit, I've decided the place is not for me - not to live. But, it did have some great attractions and we had a great time together. This was our first trip that we took for us and we let ourselves indulge a bit. We are typically so frugal and while we didn't go crazy, we did let ourselves be there and enjoy the city (ie we ordered appetizers and drinks at dinner, we overpaid for tourist spots, etc) and we didn't feel guilty about it at all. The motive for going was part of Jamey's Step 2 Board exams - the oral portion. he got that out of the way the first day and then it was game on!

Warning: lots of pics coming

chicago deep dish pizza. soooo much cheese

 cinnamon roll from Anne Souther's - more delicious even than it looks

slithery slimy animals that want to eat Jamey

I love seahorses

Willis Tower overlook...I got some serious vertigo stepping out onto that deck

Chicago Dog

the Bean! at Millenium Park

sunset tour on the Chicago River and out to Lake Michigan...best part of our trip

Ohio vs Michigan crossroads on the Magnificent Mile...Jamey was happy to see Ohio on top

Honeycrisp

Honeycrisp apples are about the equivalent of my heaven. I had my first one when I was on my mission in New York, pined for them when I moved back west, and they were among the first purchases I made when I moved to Ohio. Every year I look forward to them and every year I am shocked/amazed/in wonder at how absolutely delicious they really are. One of the local farms here has a honeycrisp orchard and they opened it to the public for picking this Fri, Sat, and Sun. I called first thing Saturday morning to see how they were (since I had to work on Friday, go figure) and they were gone!! All gone! But, they had some already bagged at their market that would open at 9 am (and $8 cheaper I might add). It was 8:30 and I live 30 mins away. I was out of bed and in the car and made it at 9:07. The bins were more than half empty. I got greedy and bought 2 full pecks! How could I pass them up? I looked around some more, it was a fabulous place, and by the time I got in line to pay for my goods, they were gone! There was devastation all around but I didn't relinquish any of my spoils. As soon as I got back into my car I ate one. It was crisp and crunchy with juice running all over my hands. Heaven. Worth every penny.

So this weekend I've spent dehydrating and canning. I made my first ever applesauce and it is yummy. Jamey and I were wondering if we shouldn't have used just regular apples for applesauce but after tasting it tonight...divine. And the dried apple slices are pure candy.

I love when my attempts to be domestic pan out. I love you honeycrisp apples.

Never suppress a generous thought

Crazy that I am still learning this. BUT! I learn best by example. I have a very kind friend here, her name is Amber. She read my last post and popped over with a homemade fruit fly trap! Smallest simplest thing in the world and I honestly started crying when she gave it to me. I had shared a one sentence frustration and she thought, "Hey, I can help." AND THEN SHE DID. She totally could have written it off as too small or maybe dumb (like I probably would have) but it was the best part of my day.

She took a baby food jar, put a piece of fruit inside, covered it in saran wrap with a rubberband, and poked a little hole in top. Flies go in but don't come out. It totally worked too!

She also took a few minutes to write down a few ideas to help me with my Primary class. Jamey and I teach the 4 year-olds and while they're really cute and funny, they can be a handful. She taught preschool/kindergarten and was so happy to share with me some tricks of the trade. And I was so grateful!

Service can be simple and that's when it often means the most. I love reading talks and listening to lessons at Church on Sundays, but I am most grateful for those in my life who teach by example.

Lies

Yesterday wasn't Grandma's birthday. Today is! I'm a nerd but it just let her celebrate a little longer, right?

You know something I hate? My house is never completely clean. Like completely. And I have been trying to come to terms with this for yearssssss (ie - not Jamey's fault). If I empty the trash but then wipe the counters and sweep the floors - then there's garbage in there. Once I unload the dishwasher it's time to eat lunch or dinner - and back in the dishes go. I'll do laundry but then when I get everything folded and put away, my dirty clothes from the day go straight into the hamper. Not a big deal, but always so sad to me. There is always something to wipe up, dust off, or put away. It's never done. I know I'm nuts.

Another thing - fruit flies never die!

But there are some things I really love. No matter how long I neglect my flowers, they never die. The ceiling fan in our room makes it the perfect temperature to sleep at night. Our couches are comfy and deep and I can do anything on them - sit, sleep, read, or study. Jamey doesn't mind being the one to clean out the shower drain (even though it's mostly my hair). And our windows let in a lot of natural light.

Happy Birthday my dear sweet Grandma!

Don't I have a lovely grandmother? I just love her. I called this morning and Jamey and I sang to her and then she and I just chatted...and I've been smiling ever since. I wish I was there to celebrate. We'd go shopping -window shopping and shoe shopping and look at a quite a few purses and a bit of this and that. Then we'd eat lunch. Then we'd start round 2 of shopping. If it was my birthday she'd be sure to pick up something my mother would certainly hate and insist that I must have it. She was always good like that. But it is her birthday so no good ways to make my mom roll her eyes. 

Grandma has spunk. She's feisty and quick-witted and I love hearing what comes out of her mouth. I'll giggle for days. When I was little and at their house, she and Grandpa Brown would let me drink my water or juice in the fancy wine glasses with my pinky up. She was at every dance recital, orchestra concert, and graduation (along with the numerous ones of all her other grandchildren). She makes the best tortellini soup. She is always in fashion. She enjoys road trips with her family. And she is always there.

Love you Grandma! Happy birthday!