mo state fair 2012

We visited the Missouri State Fair today. We have both lived in Missouri most of our lives yet we had never been to the state fair so we decided we needed to today!

So. Much. Fun.

new yarn

Yesterday was my husband & I's 4th anniversary. He surprised me with a trip to Osage Beach to a wonderful Bed & Breakfast. It is the same one we stayed at on our honeymoon! It's so wonderful!

Today we visited the yarn shop here called The Yarn Basket. I bought a couple very pretty yarns that I can't wait to start working with! First is a skein of Knit One Crochet Too 18 Karat. The blue is so beautiful! The second skein is Manos del Uruguay Maxima. I think I may try to knit some fingerless gloves with the wool for the fall.


beautiful aren't they?

duct tape bag

Seth had been at camp all week but when he came home this afternoon he surprised me with an adorable duct tape bag that he had made at camp. How adorable is that? I love it when my husband is crafty! And the mustaches..... too cute! He's the best!

paper heart garland

I was needing something to kick some inspiration into my decorating our living room. I was having a hard time making it feel like a fun cozy space.

Luckily, Seth has a good eye for finding furniture for super cheap. He found this little credenza for $2 yesterday and it was just the perfect piece to put on a wall I couldn't figure out what to do with! It could use a little TLC but I love it and the price was pretty sweet too!

Adding this credenza in our living room inspired me to create this paper heart garland last night at 10:30 while watching me some Conan! - It seems like I tend to do a lot of crafting while watching Conan. He is just so funny & that makes for some good crafting when you are laughing and having a good time!

I used this video on youtube to learn the basic of making this garland. I added one more layer then she does in her tutorial plus a strip in the middle with a hole punch to string onto the twine.

ukelele

Seth gave me my mother's day gift early this year... a ukelele! I told him that I wanted to learn to play not thinking I would ever get the chance but he found this ukelele really cheap on ebay. It's nothing fancy but I can begin to learn and if I decide I like it we can get a better one. I am so excited!
 

recently finished project

Seth modeled the first adult hat that I knitted. I made this for my brother-in-law for Christmas. I knitted it on straight needles & it only took 1 skein of Lion Brand's Hometown USA. I really want to learn to knit on circular needles now!

33 weeks & seth's first half marathon

I never got around to doing a 32 week photo so I did one this week. Days where I actually take a shower and wear decent clothes are becoming more rare. Lately I have been more likely to wear shorts and one of Seth's shirts. Not really picture-worthy! ha!





Today Seth finished his first half marathon. His goal was to finish before the 3 hour mark and he did! I'm super proud of him! He wore his Germany sweat band for Zach since he & Zach didn't get to run together for their first half.

nursery decorating

This past week has been tough on me. My back is always hurting and my tummy feels like it can't stretch more. On top of that my allergies have been worse than ever! I had been dreading the fast approaching due date because of fear of giving birth but I think after this week I'm feeling a peace about it. I really felt a peace about it after our friends, Tonya & Dana, had their baby yesterday. We went right to the hospital as soon as they texted us that she had the baby. She looked so good and happy and that really eased some fears. Their precious little girl was so adorable! I totally started bawling when I held her. It just made everything feel so real!

When we got home Seth went into nesting mode like crazy. He immediately started working on the nursery. We finally got the glider! That was the one thing I knew I absolutely wanted. He organized Baby T's clothes & toys and arranged the furniture in a better way while I took a nap. Then he wanted to add a little more decor on the walls. We have a cute hot air balloon painting above the crib we got a few years ago. Seth felt like the walls needed a little more. I told him I had seen some vintage hot air balloon hooks but Seth wanted to make our own. So he cut out some balloon shapes and bought some paint and we each painted a balloon. I painted the red one and Seth did the green one.






My favorite detail though is the love notes on the back from each of us. It just makes my heart happy!


I can't wait to meet the little guy!!

the yummiest oatmeal cookies recipe

Seth was kind enough to make dinner last night because my energy has been low lately but after dinner I thought I would treat him by making some oatmeal cookies. I have tried a few different recipes for oatmeal cookies but I have never been satisfied with any of them. I found a real simple one in a local recipe book (those kinds are my favorite). I think they turned out amazing! Seth loved them. Here is the recipe if you would like to try them yourself!

The yummiest oatmeal cookies

1 c. Shortening
1 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon
3 c. Quick Cooking Oatmeal
1 c. Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 c. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, & vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, & nutmeg. Mix well. Add oatmeal. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Let me know if you try these. They are delicious!!

vacation recap

This past week we took a vacation to Hot Springs, Arkansas. We were able to rent a vacation home from a friend of ours. It was a very nice house! Our goal for this vacation was to just relax since this will be our last one before the baby arrives. We did just that! We had no plans - just to do what we felt like doing.

We walked around some shops. I visited this really nice shop called "The Bath Factory" and found out the owner also has an etsy shop by the same name. She was really friendly and we talked about etsy & crochet. If you are interested in amazing bath products you must check out her shop!


We found the biggest marshmallows ever at Walmart for $1 so we enjoyed them this week.


We had a nice picnic at one of the lakes near the vacation house.




We played some mini golf. I thought I had a chance at finally beating Seth at mini golf but I stumbled at the end and lost by 1 point! Next time!


I found an Olive Garden gift card that I didn't even know I had in my wallet so we used that for a nice dinner. So delicious! I got to enjoy my tiramisu that I get to enjoy about once a year... uuugghhh sooo good!


And because we wanted to relax this vacation there was plenty of time for some crocheting. I got a good start on a blanket. It was so nice being able to crochet without worrying about having to do other things instead.

We accomplished our goal of enjoying a relaxing vacation. The only thing not relaxing about it was the last night we were there, a big lightning storm passed through. The thunder was so loud it knocked a towel rack off the wall & a few minutes later we heard a really loud pop and half the electricity was out. I'm pretty sure the house got struck. I'm so glad we had just unplugged the computer before that. It would have fried it for sure!

Now we are back home and the youth are back in school which means lots of activities & events going on! It's going to get busy I'm afraid! But school means autumn is coming and that is my absolutly favorite season!!

cravings

I haven't had many crazy cravings because of pregnancy but one thing I seem to really really want lately is york peppermint patties. I can't get enough of them! My friend, Amy, found a box of 175 york peppermint patties on Amazon for $19.42.... so tempting!! But I may get a bag of them from Wal-Mart next time I'm there... :)


Also what is a post without my cats doing something funny or cute right? The cats had to stay the night at the vet the other night so when we went to pick them up yesterday I walked over to the window and found them cuddling in the litter box. What proud cat owners we are! Seth said one day we will probably find our child sitting in the toilet. I love my family. :)

afternoon in the park

We've been enjoying some cooler weather lately. 80-90 degrees. Perfect! So we decided to take advantage of this beautiful weather and go to the park this afternoon. I took a blanket & some yarn and Seth took his metal detector. I found a shady place and enjoyed a relaxing time.









Perfect way to spend the afternoon!

3 years!

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversery! The past 3 years have been amazing because I married the greatest man on earth! He really is my best friend & I couldn't have asked for a better husband!



I'm looking forward to the years to come raising our family together!

building the crib

Last week while my mom was in town she bought us a crib set that included the crib, dresser & changing table. We finally cleaned out the room last night & Seth put together the furniture. It is so exciting seeing it all put together! I haven't gotten any pictures of everything put together yet but I have a couple in progress photos!





Batman was always in the middle of everything supervising Seth as he worked :)

Thank you Mom & Dad!!

Hopefully I get around to getting photos of everything put together & maybe I will get some belly photos. I am 26 weeks tomorrow! I can't believe how fast everything is going now! Every morning I look in the mirror and I am shocked how fast my belly has grown!

Today was our August check-up & I had my glucose test today. I had heard some friends had to fast before this test so I called the doctor's office to make sure I needed to because I couldn't remember my dr telling me to do so. The lady told me to not eat or drink anything after midnight - which is horrible for me now... my appetite is insane now! So I went all night and morning without eating anything. I was a huge grouch all morning. We went to our appointment & when the doctor found out I had fasted he seemed pretty upset at the new receptionist who has only been there for 3 days so far. I felt really horrible. I hope she didn't get into trouble.

So I fasted for no reason... I better have passed the test. That sugary drink was yucky on an empty stomach!

last week

Last week was pretty busy with birthdays & getting Seth ready for NYR. Friday was Seth's 28th birthday but since he was going to be on the road all day on his birthday so we decided to celebrate his birthday early. It was also another NYR sponsor's birthday on Friday we got together on Wednesday & had a joint birthday celebration in Kansas City. We went to BD Mongolian for dinner. It was our first time going there. They have a buffet of raw meat & vegetables and you fill your bowl with all the meat & vegetables you could want and then you pick out the sauces & spices and they grill it all on their grill. So delicious!

Then we went to the Royals game & had a great time despite the heat. It was just a great night spending it with great friends, good food & a baseball game!


The cats were desperately needing baths. This is a once a year event because they don't particularly enjoy it. But I love how soft & clean smelling they are afterwards!





We took this photo before this horrible heat wave & drought killed off all our plants. I can't even remember the last time it rained here. We need it bad. I think we may possibly be getting some rain tonight. *crossing fingers*



I got to spend some quality time with my grandmother this weekend. It was really nice having her visit. My mother is also coming this week to keep me company while Seth is in Colorado. I'm really looking forward to spending time with her as well.

Hope everyone's week is wonderful!