MARCH MADNESS

March Madness is upon our household...bets have been made, teams have been picked, and now we must sit back and watch it all fall apart. There is nothing better than feeling like you have picked perfectly...It's only when the games begin that March really turns to MADness!! If you are curious as to how Ellie and I picked click on our pictures below to view our brackets!!

We Love Brown Grass!

Today is a momentous day! ALL of our snow has officially melted! We were the last on the block to lose it, but now, on display in our front yard is BEAUTIFUL, BROWN, SOGGY GRASS!!! We are so thrilled.

...THIRTY...

Today is the official mark of WEEK 30 of pregnancy! We've made it past the twenty-somethings! It seems as though I've been asking Jeff..."We're at week 27 now, right?"...for the last decade. I think we'll throw a party. Thirty is good.

Fast-Food Slow-Down...

So February Fitness has come and gone...turned out it was actually gluttony month. I must have missed the memo!! So this month "WE" have decided after gorging ourselves eating out last month to set out to not eat at restaurants for the month of March. This feat has not come easy thus far. It has become quite clear that many times eating out is something we do socially with others and we quite enjoy this time!! We also have never really been ones to make extravagant meals at home. We get home from work and are looking for an easy way get fed. Now, it must be made clear that both of us are decent cooks, but neither of us really enjoy spending the evening in the kitchen...or so we thought!! "Still Golden" has provided recipes for many-a-meal over the past two weeks. We have bought extravagant ingredients like ginger root and shitaki mushrooms, and have enjoyed the smell of sauteed garlic and red peppers. IT HAS BEEN GREAT!! And to tie it all together I (Jeff) am reading the book "Fast Food Nation" in the hopes that after this fast-food slow down is over on March 30th, I will not be tempted to return to the processed meat and grease that have clogged my arteries with cottage cheese. Let's be honest...there is nothing like keeping a great streak alive!!

The 3 AM Club

I just found out that our newspaper arrives at 4 AM--I've always wondered about this mysterious delivery. I'm sitting on the couch at this early hour because I cannot sleep. I still have 3 months to go in pregnancy...so I'm thinking that this God's way of preparing parents for having a newborn...

Bull Moose Lodge

We spent the weekend with Jeff's family at a cabin outside of Leavenworth. It was a great weekend to relax with family--and to snowshoe for the first time (for me, anyway). Jeff had his first Weinerschnitzel, many a wedding detail was planned, Scott found his calling as a XBox 360 racecar driver, Annie's parents beat everyone in pool, and we went to our first ever WINE TASTING. (Well, Jeff tasted, we both went). Here is our last pic as we left on Sunday--Jeff and I, Drew and Annie, Scott and Colleen, and Annie's parents, Tom and Linda. Oh, and of course Brodie and Lilly, the faithful and entertaining canines.

My Birthday WEEK!!!

So I guess we know how to stretch out a good thing--birthDAYS turn into birthWEEKS around here! I have been blessed to be the birthday queen over the last few days...

CELEBRATING AT THE FARM--the birthweek kickoff--was filled with family, delicious meatloaf (I got to pick my b-day dinner!), WSU basketball, sweet nieces with strong imaginations, looking through my baby book (will our baby have fat cheeks like I did? light hair?), birthday boxes, Mamma Mia musical tickets, huckleberry-lemon cake, more stars to decorate our house, adorable baby clothes, and snow doing its best to melt.

CELEBRATING AT THE LOCHHEAD'S--filled with family stories and updates, Papa Murphy's pizza, silly cards, baby literature (Everybody Poops!) and drool-wear, dozens of pictures of Niece Janie, G'ma Dorothy's Huckleberry Pound Cake (catching the cravings pattern?), and a cool memory-box for our baby--ladybuggish, reading "My Life So Far..."

CELEBRATING AT WORK--filled with "love notes" from 10-year olds declaring that I'm the meanest teacher ever (I love this!), flowers and coffee (decaf--don't freak out) from co-workers, an updated computer from the tech guy (it just so happened to be my turn!)...

CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS--So many phone messages and emails and cards from my dear friends! I was overwhelmed with their thoughtfulness.

CELEBRATING AT HOME--Jeff spoiled me with presents all week long! He had little presents for me each morning...books, CDs, flowers, car-wash coupons... Sweet, sweet husband!

It's been on our minds that the next birthday in our home will be in May or June...PLEASE be May!!!...and with her will come even greater celebrating! :)

Gone, Baby, Gone

Last night I stayed up entirely too late to watch the movie Gone, Baby, Gone. I didn't expect it consume my thoughts for the next 24 hours. I don't want to give anything away in this emotionally charged drama about the abduction of a four year old girl, but I would highly recommend this movie!! I will make it known that the movie takes place in rough neighborhood in Boston, and thus contains a onslaught of vulgar language with a wicked dialect. Gone, Baby, Gone is not a family film, but quite a think piece about the ethical issues surrounding neglectful parenting.

Mancation 2008

It has been a week since I was knee deep steak sauce, video games, and some of the best conversations about being a husband that I have experienced with friends. As I reflect on the weekend, here are a few moments that have risen to the forefront of my thoughts...getting to hold Troy's son Caleb for the first time (a future next-generation mancator), swapping high school stories with Robert on the chairlift after the backside of Steven's Pass humbled us, starting a movie after midnight with Joel (just like old times), pitching rocks to Johnny on the beach, and most importantly sharing and praying for one-another in our marriages and Joel's marriage-to-be. Needless to say, the 1st annual Mancation was a success!!

Girls' Weekend

Jeff has been gone this long weekend--he and a few friends are having a MANcation (which includes--but is not limited to--skiing, eating steaks, playing video games, and other manly sorts of activities). While he's been gone, it's been a GIRLS' WEEKEND here! My mom and my sister and her almost-4-year-old daughter Abby came to visit me overnight. Abby was so excited to have a sleepover at Aunt Ellie's house--and to be the only-child for 48 hours! (Brooke had a sledding party over the weekend and little Megan had to hold down the fort with dad).

The girls in my family brought lots of needed energy--we shopped and ate out and watched movies and stayed up late visiting (when we should have been sleeping). It was so fun! Included in our purchases over the weekend was our crib set that Jeff and I finally decided on--ladybugs are the focus of the pink, white, light green, and red set. And little ABBY loves to shop! She had us in stitches trying on bathing suits in the dressing room of Kohl's--each suit complete once the selected sunglasses were in place and a dance was performed in front of the mirror. She is a crack-up! I'll never forget her asking the Papa John's pizza delivery lady if she worked for Papa MURPHY'S--and then saying good-bye and "I love you" as she left. How's that for a tip?!? Such a fun time with them.

I was also blessed to have some girl time with my friend Rachel--more eating out and shopping--and I was able to have coffee with friends Cassie and Debbie. Saturday I got to celebrate our friend Sarabeth--who is marrying our friend Joel in April--at her bridal shower held at the Hits House!! Oh, and MORE fun playing Catan with Julie, Heidi, Rachel, and Matt (who was the token male, but said that it was okay if it was short-term, that it kind of reminded him of days living in Warren Hall). Needless to say, I'm resting today. :) (And though the weekend was fun, I am VERY excited to have my sweet husband back!)