38 weeks

Although this often feels like the longest pregnancy in the history of mankind, I'm kind of shocked that I'm almost 38 weeks along. It's suddenly really hitting me that this baby will be here very soon. Luke arrived at exactly 39 weeks, so I could be just a week away from having a baby! Aaaahhh!!

I am really excited to meet this little guy and I cannot wait to be done being pregnant. It is the best feeling in the world when your baby finally comes out and you can breathe and move normally. Can't wait. 

So far this pregnancy has been pretty smooth, thank goodness. I just hope everything continues to go well, and that the baby is as healthy as can be. We've had 2 NICU babies and it was incredibly stressful, so I would love to be able to bring this little one home within 48 hours of delivery. 

We still don't have a name for him, which is ridiculous. Naming boys is HARD. We have 6 or 7 names that we are considering, but I'm not sure if any of them are right. I'm hoping that we will feel some inspiration when he's born. 

This was taken at 37 weeks (last Wednesday)...

Paige's Room Makeover

For her birthday, all Paige wanted was a room makeover. I was excited because I kind of love that sort of thing. She wanted to be surprised, so I just did my best and hoped that she liked the direction I went with it.

She loves it. Phew! Unfortunately, I don't have a "before pic." Dang it. It's not the most dramatic makeover ever, but I think it's cute.

Here is how it turned out...

Her desk was worn and ugly on top, so I found some vinyl (easy peel) wallpaper on clearance at Michael's and just layed it over the top. Worked great.

I found these prints at Hobby Lobby and I just really liked them.

Paige is 9!!

For Paige's birthday this year, we decided to do a small, simple party. It may have had something to do with the fact that I was 33 weeks pregnant and exhausted. We came up with the idea to go see The BFG with some of Paige's friends. She decided a few months ago, that she doesn't really like cake or pie all that much. She does love donuts though, so that's what we had for dessert.

We love Paige so much. She's really mature and smart for her age. She always loves to be involved in adult conversations. She's a great helper and always watches out for her younger siblings. She's really strong-willed, which can be hard as a parent, but I think it will benefit her as she grows up. She's a leader, and I hope she stays that way. We love you, Paige!

Our 4th of July trip to Huntsville, UT

My mom and dad recently moved to Huntsville, Utah, which is my mom's hometown. When I was growing up, we used to drive to Huntsville almost every year for the 4th of July. The town does a fun parade in the morning, and then a carnival type thing throughout the day. So this year all of my siblings and I made the trip there for a little reunion. The kids did really well on the drive and everything went pretty smoothly. We had a good time. Here's a recap...

My parents have a really fun yard. The kids loved it!

My brother-in-law, Ryan, bought a Ferrari a few months ago, and he was nice enough to let several people drive it around town. Even Nate, if you can imagine that.

Our first day in Utah, we went to the This is the Place Heritage Park in SLC. I thought it was really cool and worth checking out. It was super hot though, which is always rough for me. But still a neat place!

All the kids got to be a part of the parade in Huntsville. The girls rode with Ryan in the Ferrari and the boys rode bikes and scooters. My girls felt pretty special.

 Luke didn't really know what was going on, but he was along for the ride with his little cousin, Miguel.

Nate didn't exactly want to be part of the parade. Luckily, Melanie and Miguel pulled the kids for us.

Fun times with the Carver family! Thanks for a fun weekend, Mom and Dad!

Picking cherries at Green Bluff

We drive up to the Green Bluff farms a couple times each year. It's a beautiful, fun area. We love to pick cherries in the summer and pumpkins in fall. We picked about 15 lbs of cherries this year (mostly Rainier). So good!

I'm not sure why Kate is absent from the pictures. I think I remember her chasing a dog and then watching a goat the entire time.

Halle is 4!!

Halle turned 4 on May 2nd. She talked about having a princess party for months before her birthday. She was so excited to have friends over and feel like a princess for the day. I think they all had a great time. We have so many great families around us here in Liberty Lake. Such a blessing. 

Our trip to San Diego

In early April we took a week-long trip to San Diego. It was spring break and we wanted to go somewhere sunny and fun. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't so sunny there. It was warmer and sunnier here in Spokane that week, which never happens in April.

My sisters and their kids all joined us for two of the days, which was fun! We had a good trip, but I will just add that it was one of the most exhausting experiences we've had as parents. Traveling with young kids is just hard, no matter what.

Here's what we did...

The Mormon Battalion museum was interesting, but a lot shorter than we thought it would be. It was a super rainy day and we thought it would take up more time. It's worth checking out though. I had never heard the stories they told there.

Sea World:

The kids enjoyed Sea World and it definitely wore them out. Nate and I agreed that it was definitely overpriced though. It cost us several hundred dollars for the day and wow... that's a lot for what you get. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, unless you find an amazing deal or something.

So, this is when I tried to take Paige and Kate on a ride that I thought was fine for pregnant women. When I was about to get on the ride (after waiting in a long line), the worker pulled me aside and asked if I was pregnant and told me it's not safe. There were like 50 people watching. Awkward. I felt really dumb.

Yep, we were all exhausted at the end of the day.

The Lego Store:

We needed to kill some time before picking up my sister from the airport so went to this Lego store and the kids really liked it.

Pacific Beach:

We all ate at a Mexican restaurant one night and it was a little nuts with all the kids. :) Glad we got some pics though. It was fun to have all the grandkids together.

San Diego Zoo:

Totally worth it. It's huge and well-kept and beautiful. So skip Sea World, and just go to the zoo.

Sprinkles Cupcakes:

We went here 3 times and I don't regret it one bit. It's the first cupcake shop ever (they have other locations) and I've always wanted to go. WE LOVED IT SO MUCH. Yum.

San Diego Temple:

Great Wolf Lodge in L.A.:

Because the weather was disappointing in San Diego, we decided to drive up to L.A. and stay at the Great Wolf Lodge one night. It was a good choice. It's a really nice, fun place. We all loved it. It's a hotel and indoor waterpark and it's perfect for kids.

Pacific Beach:

On the plane ride home...