January Snow

Why has my facebook exploded with angry comments about all the beautiful snow we have received the past two days? Seriously, on Tuesday I almost flipped out at every status I read about how "annoying this snow is" and "okay Utah, enough." (okay, so I didn't "almost" flip out, I did flip out...in my head and in conversations to my husband mind you. Good thing I couldn't find my camera chord until today and have had some time to calm down). 

I just want the world to know that snow in January is NORMAL. It should be snowing in January! It's supposed to happen. If you don't like it, move south for goodness sake. Why can't we just enjoy the beauty of it. Everyone gets so excited for that first snow fall and after that...poor snow...he's hated on terribly and all anyone can talk about is when they can put their flip-flops and capris on. Happens every year. I don't mind if you start complaining come April, I'll even give you March to start anticipating the drives with the windows down, the sun shining bright and kids selling lemonade on the street, but AT LEAST wait until March. 

"Can't wait till WE get to pull out our golf clubs and start playing in the sun," the weather man said the other day. Ugh, PUHLEASE. There are four seasons. Let's enjoy them. I understand the dangers of driving in the snow, sometimes even walking in the snow. The sicknesses that go around. I get it. But isn't the snow beautiful! And all the great wintery things that come with it. Hot oatmeal in the morning. Frothy hot chocolate in the afternoon. Steamy chili in the evening. Bubble baths, candles, sledding, snow fights, gorgeous Utah mountains. Definitely not as enjoyable without the snow. 

I'll stop there. I just felt the need to tell everyone that I might have been one of the few people that enjoyed the snow we received on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I wouldn't start complaining if we got more next week. There, now you know. Now I can sleep at night (just kidding! shouts the baby).

Click here for AWESOME DELICIOUS Chili recipe that I am addicted to!

Happy Snow Days!

Gift Card + Free Massage + Temple = WONDERFUL

I've decided that one of the best present that anyone could give us is a restaurant gift card. Before being married I probably would have just said to give me money because I can use it however I want. However, nowadays, if people give me money I feel the need to put it into our savings account or pay our gas bill with it. Now that's no fun for a birthday present.

When Anna moved back to PA she left us a gift card to Red Robin and ticket vouchers for the movie theater. That was when I realized that "date night" gifts are the best gifts. 

We sat there in Red Robin, enjoying burgers and fries and I didn't have to stress or feel guilty about it one bit because: I didn't have to pay for it! It was a beautiful evening.

It's probably not a surprise that when Christmas came around and A.J. sent us a gift card to Olive Garden, I was EXCITED. (Not only did I not have to pay for a date night with the boy, I LOVE OLIVE GARDEN!). Olive Garden has special meaning to us. Darin took me there for my birthday way back when in August of 2010, the night that he kissed me for the first time. We also went there for our honeymoon (thank you wedding present gift card!). Then last weekend we decided to use A.J.'s gift card in what could quite possible be our last romantic date of our lives. (Yeah right! But maybe the last one for a little while since the baby is coming so soon and that might just change some things).

           

(Check out that Olive Garden comparison. Little itty bitty newlywed Brillante and big massive almost newly mother Brillante. Identical leftovers).

Let's go back to Saturday afternoon. My friend Melissa is currently in massage therapy school and has been taking a pregnancy class. She needed someone to work on this weekend and I was MORE than happy to let her practice on me. Kind of the same idea as the gift card, anything you get to do for free seems to be MUCH more enjoyable. It was great. Thank you Melissa for choosing me to be your pregnant model.

After the massage we decided to hit up a new temple while we were up North and decided on the River Jordan temple. Beautiful temple. 

Who knows what "date night" will be like after the little guy makes his appearance. It might take a little while to figure it out, but we'll figure it out. I love my date nights with Darin and strongly believe that date nights help keep a strong marriage. Whether those date nights are going out to a restaurant and movie, going for a run and then getting a Jamba Juice Smoothie, staying home and watching old tv shows or something as simple as playing a game of chess, they're important to me and keep the spark alive in our quickly changing partnership. 

Good Morning Sunshine

Check out this beauty that I have the pleasure of waking up next to every day. 

I know, I know. H-O-T. Stand down ladies, he's all mine. 

38 Weeks

That's right. 3-8. I've been pregnant for 38 weeks. That's kind of a long time if you really think about it. Thankfully, it hasn't felt as long as I'm sure it does for those amazing women who suffer sicknesses and complications through their pregnancies. My biggest issue the past week has been numbness in my fingers/hand. It's been driving me C-R-A-Z-Y. But I keep telling myself that things could be much MUCH worst. I can handle the numbness (thank you to my everything for swelling up on me these last few weeks and pinching my nerves!)

At work, missionaries keep asking me why I'm still working and then go on to tell me that in their countries the women have to go on paid maternity leave after 6 months. Yep, it's decided, for the next baby, we're moving to Finland.

I always hoped that I'd have a cute belly that really sticks out . Not so much. I mean, it sticks out alright, but it's really been growing horizontally as of late. It's pretty wide and lately I've been feeling the baby really far into my right side. It's almost like he's trying to push his way around to my backside. I should have expected that, given the shorty pants torso that I have.

My belly button still hasn't popped out. I'm starting to think it won't and I will never look like a "real" pregnant woman. How inny can a belly button really be!?

I get incredibly hot...ALWAYS. I think the other women at church don't like me much because they turn on the heat and I stand up to turn it back off five minutes later. But seriously, you can put your coat back on, I can't take anything else off. And when I do get hot, like, really hot, everything swells even worst than it already is. Darin and I just like to look at my fingers and laugh about how round they are.

Being pregnant sure is an adventure. A pretty fun one. I only have a couple more weeks to enjoy it and enjoy I shall. 

37 weeks

37 weeks

38 weeks

Baseball Tracker

Tracking all of the temples we've been to made me want to track all the baseball stadiums we've been to as well. Two things we love and will plan our vacations around for the rest of our lives: temples and baseball. 

Together

Arthur W. Perdue--Delmarva Shorebirds (Salisbury, MD)

Medlar Field--State College Spikes (PA)

Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore, MD)

Nationals Park (Washington D.C.)

Orem Owlz

Salt Lake Bees

BYU Cougars

Brillante:

Angel Stadium of Anaheim (CA)

Chase Field--Arizona Diamondbacks (Phoenix, AZ)

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum--Oakand A's

 

Darin:

AT&T Park--San Francisco Giants (CA)