Full of Gratitude...

I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!! Jeff and I were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with our "family away from home" again this year. We have so much fun with everyone and I just love how we all get along so well and have such a good time together. We ended up having dinner at our church again this year which seems to work out great. After dinner everyone sticks around to play games while the kids run around the gym... it's much better than cramming 20 of us into someone's house and having to worry about making a huge mess.

I find it hard sometimes to not get more wrapped up in all the good food on Thanksgiving than on all the things I have to be grateful for... which is what Thanksgiving is really all about. So I would feel ungrateful if I didn't express my gratitude for all the blessings in my life. There are so many things I am grateful for this year that I can't even begin to list them all. But to name just a few....
I am so grateful for a testimony of this gospel, to be raised in a family who has taught me so much and showed me by example the importance of the gospel in my life.
I am grateful for a loving Savior who made it all possible for us to be here today, who loves us despite our mistakes, who is ALWAYS there when we need someone to talk to, and is always there to hold our hand and help us when times are tough... and for the many many blessings He continues to give us each and every day.
I am grateful for a husband who honors his Priesthood and helps me to be a better person... for a husband who loves me despite all my imperfections... and for a husband who tries so hard to make me happy.
I am grateful that Jeff and I made the decision to move to Pittsburgh, even when it took A LOT of convincing for me to consider moving here... thank heavens for a persistent husband!
I am grateful for the many friends we have made out here and the many memories we have and will continue to make with all of them.
I am grateful to be able to move so far away from home and have the comfort of a ward family and friends who make all the difference when you don't have family to turn to.
I am especially grateful right now for our little guy that keeps growing in my belly and for the amount of love I feel for him already...it's crazy. I can't even begin to express how excited I am to start raising our little family and experience the joys of being a mother. That in and of itself is such a HUGE blessing to me.

Okay so that was a little more than a few... but trust me, the list is much longer than that. On a less cheesy note.... what is a post without a few pictures??

Jeff played in our ward "turkey bowl" this year which he just informed me today, he wishes they would do that once a week. Ha.. keep dreamin Jeff. :)

Here's a few good action shots taken by one of the wives in our ward. (I didn't want to fool you into thinking I actually got up early to go watch him play football!)


I decided it would make Thanksgiving at the church a little more "homey" if we actually decorated a little. So we went the night before and set up on the stage. Jeff will take the credit for hanging all the lights. He did a great job if I do say so myself. :)

The guys can only handle so many pictures... so the girls decided to take a few without them.


And just for you Kelli... I will post a couple of belly pics.

Me at 25 weeks

And me at 26 1/2 weeks... taken today in fact. Can't get much more accurate than that. :) Jeff claims my belly has gotten bigger in the last few days... it must be all the Thanksgiving leftovers I have been eating. Hey, it's great to be pregnant over the holidays, I don't feel near as guilty for pigging out!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!! WE SURE MISS EVERYONE BACK HOME AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL IN JUNE.... wow, that's way too far away, let's not talk about that.

2nd Annual Pie Night

Our good friends Lisa and Joseph hosted the 2nd Annual Pie Night for the 2nd year dental students. (yes we can say that now) :) It was a huge turn out with a whole bunch of delicious pies! I made a banana pie (per Jeff's request), he was hoping that he could take half the pie home, unfortunately it was gone before he could go back for seconds! I guess I'll continue the tradition of making my banana pie... at least it was a hit.


Thanks Lisa and Joseph for continuing the tradition of hosting pie night! We had a blast!

October Fun

I really don't have much to post about lately... life here is good. I am feeling MUCH better this past month, making things a little more livable around here. Although, I feel like I am getting so big, so fast! And to think I still have 4 months ahead of me!!

Jeff is doing great in school and is continuing to get awesome grades! This semester has been so much easier, and a lot more stress free than we are used to. He has only had a couple weeks where he has had some stressful tests, but other than that, it's been great. We'll take this semester over any semester last year.. any day!! We can only hope it continues this way.

October seems to have flown by and now we are nearing the end. We've been to a few halloween parties but have yet to dress up this year. I can think of a few things I'd rather be spending my money on right now than a costume. So yeah, we are kinda lame. Did I mention the fall here in Pittsburgh is SO pretty! I just can't get enough of all the colorful trees! I LOVE IT!

We (mainly I) have made some pretty fun baby purchases lately! We found a great deal off craigs list for a crib and changing table when I was only like 9 weeks along. We may have been jumping the gun a bit, but hey we thought it was a great deal so we got it. We just recently bought the bedding for our crib and of course I have purchased some cute little outfits for our little guy. It's so hard to resist!!

Jeff and I just recently got called to the cub scouts as the new Webelo's leaders. I am absolutely clueless about scouts, so this will be interesting for me and a great refresher for Jeff! We are in the process of getting released as Sunbeam teachers... I think they want us to stick it out until after the primary program, but we will sure miss teaching the little sunbeams, they are so full of positive energy and they make us laugh every Sunday! I think teaching the 10 year old boys will be a true test of our patience... seriously! :)

Some awesome friends hooked us up with tickets to Circue de Soleil! Even better we got to be in a suite! The show was awesome, but we weren't allowed to take pictures... sorry. Thanks Tiffany and Darren!

Halloween Party and the Grant's... we got a picture of most of the kids all dressed up! Oh, and Nicole. :)

I love baby shoes! They are so fun to buy! Jeff and I found these shoes for a great deal at a second hand baby store but they look like they have never been worn! So cute!

And last but not least... a belly pic. This is me at 21 weeks. Time sure is flying by! Before we know it we are going to have a little toddler running around! So help me!!!

The Results are In!!!

Well, It's official.....


Looks like we are having a................................








Drum Roll Please............................










BOY!!!!

(Sorry for the bad quality, but this is his profile, his legs are up on my stomach.)

Not what we were expecting but we are way excited and can't wait to start buying cute little boy outfits! Okay, I can't wait to start buying cute little outfits!

These are pictures of a picture so they are kinda hard to see... but, doesn't it look like he is sucking his thumb??? So cute!

If you can tell that is the profile of his head on the right and his little hand is making a little fist into his mouth.

Oh and did I mention we are accepting suggestions for boy names!! We can't agree on anything!

And here is an official 181/2 week belly pic. I feel like I have doubled in size in the past week! (I bet my family would agree!)


Aside from our exciting news... here's some pics of a few of the things we've been doing since we got home from Utah.

We had some friends invite us over for Bunco night. If you get bunco you have to wear the funny outfit Devin is currently wearing. It's not so easy to roll the dice with a baseball glove and an oven mit! (My husband did NOT quit early to watch the BYU vs. USU game) ha.. yeah right, he looks like a little boy in front of the TV.


I love conference weekend... and the only thing that could make it better was a nice big Sunday breakfast!! Thanks for planning it Nicole and Tyler!


These are just a few of the wives... we almost had ALL of the second year LDS students come... we had a full house!


HAPPY OCTOBER EVERYONE!!!

UTAH and Wedding

Jeff and I were able to go home to Utah for my little sisters wedding... it was so good to go home and see everyone again! Let me give you a quick recap... or more like a quick photothon.

I flew in Saturday night. (Jeff couldn't come until Tuesday because of school) My mom and sister and her two kids greeted me at the airport. It is always so fun to see my neice and nephew and how much they have grown! Although, it makes me a little sad...


My friends threw me a baby shower while I was home, (even though I was hardly showing and didn't even know the sex) I have the best friends ever!





This is my friend Dani... our due dates are one day apart!
A few of us got together afterwards and went to Chelsea's... we always have such a good time together!

We got to go through the temple with Ashlee for her first time. They make such a cute couple!


Of course I have to throw in a couple more of my niece and nephew... they are so stinkin cute! This was at my cousin Alex's high school football game.


Awww....

We went to Firehouse (which I have been craving and still continue to crave) with some of Jeff's friends and their wives...


My little sister decided she didn't want a reception so they ended up having a casual wedding dinner the night before the wedding... he surprised her with a carriage ride to the dinner.



And now for the wedding. They got married in the Bountiful Temple. What a pretty temple.... and an even prettier bride.

It's tough work trying to entertain two little ones while you are waiting for the bride and groom to come out!


Here they come!!



The whole fam-damly...

The sisters... and sister-in-law




I just couldn't resist posting this video. My sister doesn't blog so I guess she'll just have to start making copies of mine!




I feel bad I didn't get any pics with Jeff's family... I promise we spent time with them!!

Well we sure had a great time visiting family and friends and hope we can come home again soon! But it just may not be until we have the baby.... :(