Almost 17 weeks!

I'm starting to feel a little more pregnant...just feel a little thicker and harder down there on my belly. I've been feeling great but ready to really feel pregnant, maybe not, and I'm sure once it's here I'll be ready to have the baby!

4th of July

Check out all the boats on the ocean, kind of reminds me of Minnesota on the 4th, just not as big! (the boats and the water)

It was a great 4th. The first one Duke and I had together. We are so grateful for our free country and all the wonderful opportunities that it offers us, and for the day off!

That morning we got together with our ward for a pancake breakfast, that was an adventure in itself! We mapquested the way to get to this park and it looked like it was right off the freeway and by the airforce base. No problem! We got out there and followed the signs, until they stopped. That is when we couldn't find the road to the grove of trees in the distance. We went up and down the roads surrounding it and couldn't quite find it. We did find a cool musical highway, though, that has the vibration sections on the road that played different pitches. We were assuming it was the airforce song, pretty cool. The last road we took led to a dirt road that looked like it was only for 4-wheelers, but heck why couldn't the honda take it? Duke went for it and we found the paved road that connected to the park! We made it and loved it!

Love the drive up Malibu Canyon

We decided to take a trip to Malibu for the day, especially for the fireworks, that Duke heard were great. It was a ton of fun. We did more site seeing than anything and walked on the beach. The day was a little cold to get in the water, I thought, so we just enjoyed and relaxed. For fireworks that night, we sat on Pepperdine's hill. After we got settled the sprinklers in front of us turned on and continued up the hill section by section. We made friends with our neighbors as we ventured across the hill finding a place where the sprinkles had already been. It was pretty hilarious when a big group of people not noticing the sprinklers and everyone moving, got soaked; lots of screaming and scurrying around. We got home safe and ended the night with In-and-Out!

Enjoying the nice breeze

Comfy Cozy, waiting for the fireworks...

then the sprinklers started

waiting...

waiting...

Ready for FIREWORKS!

My poor Oregano

This afternoon when I opened my blinds to go out and water my "garden" my oregano went from bushy green to twigs sticking out of the dirt. The good news...I found the culprit. It was a caterpillar and he did it all overnight. I pruned the rest of the poor remaining plant and feel optomistic of it growing back to what it was.

One GREAT Weekend!

Mother and Son ready to relax!

This last weekend Duke's parents came to hang out and they brought little Lacey, a niece. Duke took Saturday off and we took the day to explore Southern California! We first went to the fashion district which was shopping craziness. After all of our adventure there we took off to the beach.

We went to Santa Monica and hung out by the pier. Swimming in the ocean and soaking up the sun! For dinner we went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Fabulous food... I recommend the coconut shrimp and the spinach/artichoke dip, the best I've ever had of both. I was bummed that I had to venture and try something new so I had to steal a shrimp from Bill...SCRUMPTOUS!

Me and Duke ready to hit the beach!

The crew ready for the beach before we were out of the car...shopping never can wear you out enough to skip the beach!

Me coming in off an awesome wave on my boogy board

The boys, Father-in-law and Duke, getting ready for another big wave!

Where's Duke??
Me and Duke coming in on a fabulous wave that I caught perfectly

My mom-in-law and I soakin' up the sun

So in love...checking out the pier

When the sun goes down it's time to eat!!

Mom and Dad enjoying their coconut shrimp

For the rest of the weekend it was pretty much R & R. After church we had a wonderful dinner cooked by Duke, suddenly recipes are coming out of his finger tips!

After dinner we went to meet one of Bill's sons and his family. Duke got out his basketball skills we all had a great time. What a great weekend...visitors are so much fun!

Lacey and Duke playing a card game relaxing and letting the food settle before our next outing

Me and Duke on our way to Greg's

A fabulous week on the road!

For this whole year Mom and I have been planning a trip back to Minnesota. After moving to California with Duke we still made it work, and it probably worked out better, just because we were able to see more family that way! I flew into SLC and that's where the fun began.
Alisha decided to come along and bring her two little ones...it was going to be a long trip but we were ready!

Kinbree obviously doesn't know what she got herself into

We stopped in Colorado, at Uncle Fred's, on the way there and then on up through the great state of Nebraska. Surprisingly not as boring as usual, there was a lot more to look at after all the rain everyone has had. We arrived at Richard's, in Minnesota, late Saturday night.

Cute Ryan just chillin'. He's about a month old, just a little guy.


Hey, Hottie!

The next day we went to church in the new building that was dedicated last November! It was beautiful and also fun to see the branch and all the people there. After church there just happened to be a potluck. It gave us time to catch up a little more. I can't wait to take Duke back with me! Before the day was over it was very necessary to throw in a game of Rook with the Nelson's before they took off on their new adventure...a BIG move!

As the days came an went we were able to see a few great friends and spend time with the family.

The kids loving the sun, for a moment, and enjoying their popsicles

If you look closely you can see the lake in the upper left corner, through the trees!


Raegan not being to lovey dovey, but definitely curious

Giving Ryan a "Raegan hug."
-No arms necessary-

So what could I use these for?

Now that's precious

Miss Kinbree would hold Ryan anytime. She would just sit at out her arms out, "My turn!"

Happy Grandma! #17

Mason was sick of the rain and had to find adventure somewhere. It's a good thing it's not Grandma's house anymore!

Pretty Momma with her look alike. Raegan got sick but was still a trooper.

Isn't she pretty?!

Girls love the phones and boys...well anything to keep them busy

On the way home we stopped to see Mary in Rapid City. We had a picnic so the kids would have something to do while we did our little bit of chatting. As our journey continued, we stayed at Richelle's in Montana and hung out with them. All these kids are growing and growing and getting as cute as can be. We dropped Alisha off, the next afternoon, and that's where their trip ended. We saw Karissa ready to have a crazy dating weekend, busy as ever! Then Mom and me made our way back to SLC.

Garrett and Morgan having a fun day with Grandma

That night after getting back home we were able to go to the Ohquirr Mountain Temple Openhouse. Absolutely beautiful. Nice way to end our long trip. The next day I flew back, only to connect again with my hunny.

Making Do

When Duke and I moved here to California for the summer we decided to only take the neccesities. Duke said it was like we were going camping. Well, we packed just like it. When we got here we didn't have any furniture so we made a make shift bed on the floor and went to the store for some basics. We needed a shower curtain for Duke to shower before work the next day. Until the next morning we didn't realize we forgot the shower rings, and so we definitely did a make-shift project.

Our make-shift shower curtain with a hair tie and bobby pin as the first and the others with strips of theraband.

For breakfast we had IHOP since we didn't have a fridge. That night our furniture came including a microwave, we had decided to be radiation free by only using a stove but I was grateful. Throughout the weeks we have bee here we have collected our tupperware from yogurt containers and our pitchers for juice from juice containers. It's definitely been an experience.

This last weekend I got home from trip with my mom and Duke apparently really missed me. He got me flowers and made me dinner with Martinelli's to drink, it's our new special occasion drink (for as many special occasions as we can come up with). Well, those bottles became our vases for these flowers and a Dad's rootbeer can for the two that wouldn't fit!

We also have started our first garden!! Pretty fun out on the balcony. It's just some herbs and actually cost more than what I thought it would...this way we don't have to buy seasonings! We are doing good with our plants and salt, pepper, and some seasoning salt.

It actually has grown since we planted them, quite a bit. Some sweet basil, rosemary, and oregano

For the exciting news...

The results are in, and we have...PREGNANT! This week I will be 14 weeks and I have been feeling great. We found out after the period that was going to come, no doubt about it... but then it didn't, and that was the third week of April. For the previous 3 months I had "for sure pregnant" symtoms that never turned out, and this month everything was good, and I really didn't want a baby in December anyway. Well, we are going to and it will definitely be a Christmas one. It's due date is actually what my due date was (December 22) but I was born on the 15th. Hopefully that's the case here, but I won't get my hopes up.

The weekend we found out was rather interesting. My mom was visiting and it was Stake Conference, which turned out to be a good thing. Duke and I had gone to the adult session and then ran to the store to get a test before Mom came and we'd see how long we could keep it from her. While we were at the store Duke was pacing up and down the aisles and kept saying things like, "What have we done," and, "I don't think I should have done that..." It was pretty funny, and I don't think I had ever seen him so scared.

The next morning I got up, Duke was already up and probably had already eaten, I went into the bathroom did my thing and the instant I flushed the toilet Duke was down at my side wanting to see the results. I hadn't even turned around to see myself. Lo and behold, there it was...two distinct lines blaring in our faces.

The rest of the day was a little bit of a shock, mostly for Duke. In church he kept looking at me randomly saying, "Are you sure we're ready for this," "I'm so scared," and "Are we surrounded by crying babies and noisy kids, or is it just me?" It took about a week until he was coming up with names and guaranteeing it would be a boy. We were in RC Willey and Transformers was all over the screens so we decided to call our "little boy" Optimus, after Optimus Prime... just for now... but I definitely like calling our baby that rather than "it". So we are now ready, or as "ready" as we will be, for our new little addition in December!!