Ah, leadership retreat

This past weekend, we headed to Depoe Bay for the YM Leadership Retreat. We got to stay in an amazing house that featured 8 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms! Though we spent a bit of time in meetings, we (especially the boys) also enjoyed the pool table and ping pong table upstairs.

Sara Phillips, the other preggers YM leader, as well as Patrick and Mary-Frances

Keith (who can’t keep a straight rface in photos), his wife Lauri, and Matt — Our Illustrious Leaders

My belly…and some of the other leaders (I think Rachelle is doing one of her stupid human tricks.)

In the middle of an intense game of round robin ping pong.

Overall, the weekend was a lot of fun, and surprisingly, the round robin ping pong (aka Pong) was a lot of fun…and an aerobic workout.

Ah, Flagstaff

Over the second weekend of August, I flew down to Flagstaff, AZ, to visit my long-time best friend, Meagan, and her husband and cute little eight-month-old daughter, Emaline. On Friday night, we went downtown for the monthly Arts Walk. First, we ate out at a yummy Thai restaurant. I didn’t have my camera out for that part of the evening, so I’m having to steal Meagan’s pictures from her blog.

Me and Emaline preparing for Thai food

Emaline deciding what she wishes she could eat

Me and the ladies preparing to go on our walk d’ art

On Sunday, Meagan and I drove down to Sedona, which is only about 40 minutes away. On our way, we stopped at a beautiful overlook where a kind man took several pictures of us. I believe his words were, “Be ready. I’m going to take 4 or 5, so you have options.” Neither of us had ever had a volunteer picture taker offer to take more than the obligatory one.

Proving that the babe was there (this was not one of the ones taken by the kind man )

Enjoying the overlook

After that, we stopped at another overlook that has a path leading under the road’s bridge along a creek. I bet you can’t guess what the bridge is called?

Meagan enjoying the viewly wiewly under the Bridgely Widgely

Meagan in front of Cathedral Rock

Me enjoying the intense sun….and the view

And only because it was so amazing, I’ve included a picture of the house that was just below us (we were at the Cathedral of the Rock, a church partially designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that also had amazing views). You can see the edge of the roof in the bottom right-hand part of the above photo. Keep in mind when looking at this house and its ground that it is in the middle of a desert.

Yes, that’s a telescope/observatory on the roof and a pond/lagoon and a guest house and fresh sod.

And this last photo is for Dad and anyone else who wants to play Guess the Cactus. Let the games begin!

At least the strange-looking thing has a pretty flower

Ah, Disneyland!

On July 28th, we flew down to Anaheim to spend 3 full days at Disneyland since neith of us had ever been. Also, we were considering it our last big “hurrah” before the baby arrives–what some call a “baby moon”–even though we had started talking about it before we found out. We had a lot of fun, even though I couldn’t ride some of the rides, but we were both okay with that, having grown up next to Six Flags where we’d ridden plenty of scary and intense rides all of our lives. In fact, I (and I think Donnie, too) both enjoyed the kiddie park feel of all the rides.

We actually stayed at the Best Western directly across from the main entrance that you see below, which meant that whenever we wanted to leave the park because it was getting hot, or for lunch, or for a nap (for me, not Donnie), we only had to walk for about 10 minutes. It was fabulous!

And, of course, the weather was amazing. We left Oregon when it was still in the 100’s and ended up in southern California where the highs didn’t leave the mid-80’s. In fact, when we got to LAX and stood waiting for our shuttle, there was a cool ocean breeze and it was only 75! One of our friends from southern California told me that she couldn’t believe we were heading to SoCal to escape the heat!

So here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

First day!

In front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle

(Note: One of the professional Disneyland photographers offered to take this photo for us for free. Very nice!)

Ah, Texas and chins

For a few days now, I’ve thought about updating the blog and then because it requires uploading pictures, I don’t do it. But here I am doing it now!

So I spent a week and a half in Texas and loved getting to see family, especially my cousins and aunts and uncles that live up in East Texas. Of course, I forgot my camera for that mini-trip so I have no pictures of that weekend, but hopefully soon I’ll get some from my sister who was snapping photos of her kids doing cute and interesting things. But I did take photos at the Barnum & Bailey Circus! This circus is particularly special to me since it comes the same time every year, which is during the week of my birthday! So here are some photos of my rapt nieces and nephews (and Tommy’s friend) and some of the performers. And I’ve included a short video of the performers.

The greatest show on earth!

Tallest guy on stilts I've ever seen

Juggler

Ella, Joe (Tommy's friend), Tommy, Wade, Thomas, and Sara

And here’s the video of what I can only describe as bouncing acrobats. I’ve included it mostly because the bouncies look like so much fun! (This is the last little bit of their exhibition.)

I also went maternity clothes shopping with my sister Sara and then again with my mom and thanks to their generosity, I believe I am now “set” on clothes. I may end up buying another pair of pants since I will probably wear my one pair out and a heavier coat or sweater jacket of some kind for the winter. So as I post pictures of myself and my  slug, you’ll get to see the clothes, which I know everyone is dying to see.

Ah, strawberries

This past Saturday, Donnie and I ran some errands downtown which included stopping by the Farmer’s Market for strawberries. I’ve bought a few quarts from the grocery store, but really wanted to get some from the Market to freeze for smoothies. Like the fool that I am, I had completely forgotten how much better their strawberries are!! They’re so sweet!!

On Monday or Tuesday next week, I’m hoping to pick some raspberries ($1/pound) and some strawberries if I can stand all the bending. Mmmm.

And then when I get back from Texas, I’ll move on to the blueberries!

Ah, little bean

One laugh
undampened by oceans
carries me to you.

That’s the opening to a poem I wrote for Donnie back in June 2003 after our relationship started in Italy. And I don’t know why, but it seems related to what I feel for the little baby growing inside my belly–so close and yet he/she seems so far away!

Yep, that’s right! After 7 months of trying, we are 11 weeks pregnant, which means I’m due January 15 So far, we’ve had two peeks inside and have gotten two fun ultrasound pictures. In the first, the baby is 6 weeks + 5 days and is still technically an embryo, so what you’re seeing is the teeny tiny baby/fetal pole and the yolk sac (what the baby uses for food before the placenta develops). We could see the little heart flickering, which might be the cutest thing in the world, surprisingly enough

In the second, the baby is 10 weeks + 3 days and should look more babyish, but it was a quickie ultrasound so the clarity of the image wasn’t the main goal; all the doctor wanted to see was the flickering heartbeat. So what you’re seeing is a profile shot of the little babe, with the little feet kicking on the left side and the little head at the other end.

We’re not sure yet if we’ll find out the sex of the baby. A huge part of me wants it to be a surprise, partly because I like surprises and partly because if moms didn’t get to find out the sex of the baby until about 20 years ago, I figure I can wait too. Also, since we live in an apartment, we can’t really do much decorating anyway (i.e., I can’t paint murals and don’t want to pay for big holes in the wall for pictures and shelves), so not knowing the sex early on won’t affect us in that way (although we may be able to move into a house in December. We’ll see!). We’ll see how long I’m able to hold out. (Fortunately, Donnie is also ambivalent and is still open to either one.)

So far, everything has been healthy and happy with only fatigue, indigestion, and not being able to go more than 4 hours without eating being my major problems. It took a few weeks to get all that figured out, but I’m doing well now! We’re just praying that the baby continues to be safe and healthy and that we will be able to continue releasing any worries to God.

So now you can guess what I’m off to do: knit and crochet for the little bean!

Ah, busy, busy

Sorry for the silence! Ever since the last week of school, I seem to have been swept along without any blogging! So here are some updates!

My friend and fellow blogger, Joani, had her beautiful baby girl, Allison Marie, on June 5th. The following day, which apparently was the last day that I posted, we went to visit her, so here are a couple of pictures of Allison and the happy family

I have to also quickly say that Joani was the happiest and highest-energy mother immediately post-birth that I’ve yet visited! I’m sure it didn’t hurt that Allison is just so stinking cute! (Starting in August, I get to watch this little girl 3 days a week!!)

Another friend, Carri, gave birth to a little boy, Eliot Joel,  on June 9th! But we didn’t get to visit them in the hospital and so I have no cute picture to post, but he is a cutie too! You can check him out at their blog.

Since then, we’ve gone to a graduation cook-out for our friend, Daniel Morse, who received his PhD in something to do with fluid dynamics (I’m just happy that I know that much!), have helped our friends the Phillips and Smith-Chins move into a shared house (the wives are sisters, which explains how sharing a house could even be a slight possibility), and helped organize and set-up a Clothing/Accessories/Media Swap this past Monday night at the Pynns’ summer mansion (the Kappa Delta sorority house where they are the house parents). All this amidst babysitting, cleaning, organizing, etc…. So I’ve at least felt busy.

And I’ve also been knitting! Not to give away any secrets, but I’m currently making a toy for my dear nephew, Jackson, and a different toy for Meagan’s little girl, Emaline, who I will get to see in early August at their home in Flagstaff. Oh and check out the hat and booties I made for Joani for Father’s Day (photo courtesy of Joani; she added the ribbons after the fact):

Ah, Jerry

(Down, chin, down!)

On Friday, May 22nd, Donnie and I drove up to Portland to see Jerry Seinfeld!! He was hilarious as expected and by the end, we were both laughing very hard It was my second time to see him live, but it was Donnie’s first, so it was particularly fun for him. And we had good enough seats that we could actually see his face, which always helps with the humor.

Because it takes about an hour and a half to drive to Portland and the show itself is an hour and a half, we decided to stay the night in Portland. Friday night also happened to the night for the Portland Rose Festival’s firework show and our hotel was right on the river where the show was happening. But because I didn’t feel so hot, we didn’t go watch them (our room was on the backside of the hotel), but we definitely heard them.

The next morning, we drove to the Portland Rose Garden, which is an international test garden for roses. We’d been before in the Fall, but were hoping this time to actually see the roses in bloom. A few of them were, but it seemed we were about a week too early. However, the large rhododendron bushes that bordered the terraces were spectacular. All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend an hour before heading back to Corvallis.

In front of a huge rhododendron

Ah, wrapping up

So there are only two and a half weeks left in the term (not including finals week), and I cannot wait for them to end. But at the same time, it’s going to be bittersweet since by the middle of June, I will be moved out of my office in Moreland and will have to officially say goodbye to that building and all the former professors and MFA compadres within it. Plus, I’ll have to figure out a place to put all of the books and miscellany I’ve stored in there. Ugh.

I am looking forward to this summer though, since it will bring travel to friends and family, and will also bring them to me! Donnie and I are also planning a 5-year anniversary trip to Disneyland. Southwest currently has super-cheap flights to LA that we’re going to try to take advantage of. I’ve never been to either Disney park, so it will be fun to go to a theme park that isn’t Six Flags!

I could continue musing, and rambling, but I actually need to be grading. My self-imposed rule of getting essays back to students within a week doesn’t always work so well, but I have to try!

I’ll try to post later with some pictures of recent events (baby showers, strange creatures in the nearby wetland–you know, the usual stuff.)

Ah, the haircoloring saga

So during the Mexican Potluck last Saturday, Hannah and I agreed to color each other’s hair. Initially I thought I was just agreeing to help her dye her hair, but after I agreed so enthusiastically, Hannah said, “So what color will you dye yours?” And at that point, Hannah wouldn’t let me back out. So, on Sunday we picked out our colors and then Monday night we colored our hair with the help of Sara Phillips.

Hannah and I picked out the same color but one shade apart. So she chose Light Golden Brown and I chose Dark Golden Brown. Since she was starting with darker hair and I was starting with lighter, we ended up with almost the exact same shade It’s a little redder than I expected, but I really like it.

Sexy "before" Photo

Sara Phillips' dying creation

Dream Hair Team! (nevermind the obligatory one-taking-the-picture double chin )

Monday night, Sara also showed me how to make my naturally wavy hair look more “finished”. I’ve always had to blow dry my hair and possibly straighten it for smoothness. If I don’t blow dry it, then it’s frizzy with strange kinks and waves.  So with a little Herbal Essences “Totally Twisted,” here’s the final product. (Warning: My hair looks redder in these photos than it actually is… or so I’m told)

"Curly" hair!