Costa Rica Pics!

Here's some pictures from our little getaway. :)

One evening sitting on our patio..... it was pretty hot...

A waterfall we saw during our horseback adventure. :)

Quenton and I among some friendly mango trees...

Costa Rica!!!!

so, we did it. :) We've talked about going on a trip ever since we got married, but either didn't have the funds, or the time. We finally got all our ducks in a row, and took the plunge. :) It was so much fun! I loved spending time with Quent, just relaxing, enjoying the sunshine, and not worrying about work, school, anything at all. :) The weather was hot and humid, the water was the perfect temperature, and the wildlife was enchanting! Of course, I got sunburnt the first day, but I got it under control so it didn't ruin my week. :) We took 2 tours, one on Wednesday and the other Friday. Wednesday included horseback riding (which made my mom a little nervous), zip-lining (which I didn't do), and a nice dip in the pool. :) Quenton loved zip-lining! Even if I wasn't pregnant, I don't think I could do it! The horseback riding was fun! I had the oldest horse, who was the slowest horse. His name is Sonto, and he was my favorite! The whole day was great. It was a little exhausting, but worth it. Friday was spent beach hopping and just being relaxed. :) I'll put up pictures soon. :) Now we both feel satisfied that we don't need to take a huge trip for a while, which is good since we probably won't be able to after baby comes!
It's nice to be home and trying to get back into a routine (not that I had too much of one before), but going back to work, studying for exams, and being with the dogs has helped us adjust back. Life is good! Now that we have this trip behind us we can focus on Wendy's wedding, camping with family, and getting things ready for baby! Everything is quickly moving along, and before we know it, October will be here and life won't be the same!

lately......

well, I guess we've been pretty busy lately. :) I had my convocation from college last Friday, which was so fun! Yes, the weather was pretty crappy, but I didn't care. I had my hubby, great friends, and mom and dad with me, so nothing could have dampened my spirits! I should say, however, that I'm not finished with my program yet. I finish September 24th, but I still feel like a graduate! :) I love this program!
We also just booked our trip to Costa Rica!! We fly out on my birthday and arrive home on the 20th. We went shopping today to get somefun summer clothes (I needed to be able to cover this belly of mine!) and we were successful! I cannot wait to go on a trip with Quenton. No distractions, no work, no school, no dogs ;), just sun, sand, and my true love. :) A lady today at the maternity store said that people who take a trip before their baby is born are taking a "babymoon" (which is fine with me, since we didn't really take a honeymoon) :). How fun! Neither of us have ever been to somewhere tropical, so this will be a fun holiday.
Then, next month I'm going to Vegas. :) I know, am I ever going to just stay here? Maybe.... :) I'm going to a Deaf Expo for the experience and the exposure. It will look great in my portfolio, and I get to sign all the time! :)
The dogs are doing well, we're SLOWLY getting things organized here, and time is flying by. Life has been hectic, but in a good way. :)

is anyone there?

so, I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, or if it's just my paranoia of being pregnant, but I've been constantly thinking about this baby and wondering, "are you ok? are you there?". I haven't felt anything yet, and since it's been a lot longer between doctor visits and ultrasounds than before, I start to wonder if there's anything even there! I know, my belly isn't getting any smaller, but I'm the type of person who needs some sort of visual proof, or whatever. We have our ultrasound next week, so that will hopefully ease some of my apprehension. We were wanting to find out the gender, but if that doesn't work it's ok. I have to admit, it's a little frustrating when I talk so some people about whether I'd like a girl or a boy, and after my response the first thing they say is "well, as long as it's healthy. that's what matters." Do you think that I don't care about that? Seriously, if you want to know what I'm hoping for, give me a little credit. Of course I want a healthy baby! That should go without saying. It's mostly the "older" generation who say this, but it's still annoying.
Anyway, I just had a girl at school yesterday tell me that she didn't know that I was pregnant until she read my shirt ("a little baby grows a long way"). I didn't really know how to feel about that. :) Oh well! :)
Life has been pretty good. We finally got the livingroom organized this weekend. :) It's actually starting to feel "homey". Now all we have to do is clean out the office to make room for the nursery. :) It's a good feeling when things start to come together little by little. :)

on my mind......

so, I was debating on whether to post this, but it's something that's been on my mind for a while. I LOVE having time to myself, to just relax, rest, spend time with the dogs, you know, have a break. This break, however, has been a little too long. I hate being alone. Yes, I know, the dogs are here, and I'm not really by myself, but I can't really have a meaningful conversation when there's no response. I know that it could be as easy as just going for a walk, or calling someone up, but sometimes it's not. On top of all that, when I feel lonely, I'm not as productive as I'd like to be. I read blogs of other girls I know who are wives and moms, and I think, "wow. they are amazing wives. they are amazing moms." I don't feel like I fit that category. There's so much to do before this baby comes, and some days it's very overwhelming. BUT, having said all this, I have made a resolution to accomplish one big task (may seem small at the time) every day. Am i miles behind every other wife? Probably. Quenton might not always come home to a meal all ready cooked and dished out on a plate for him, but he knows I love him more than anything. He really is the most important person in my life. I'm sure some of you have asked yourselves how you landed such a great husband, and I fall into that same category. Why did he choose me? whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. We're starting a family soon, and I couldn't ask for a better husband and father. Wow, this post started out dreary, but it's ended on a happier note. :) Life is actually pretty good! :) I finished my communications class a couple weeks ago, so that has aleviated some stress in my life. My ASL classes are WONDERFUL, and although they keep me pretty busy, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Anyway, one thing I was thinking of starting (to be a little more domestic) is collecting some recipes from friends. I know there are emails, and some facebook sites, and a friend of mine has a blog with crafts and recipes, but if you have any fun, easy recipes you wouldn't mind sharing, I promise to make it and let you know how it turns out. :)
Thanks for listening. :)

expansion....

so, here are a couple pictures. I love my belly! I would NEVER in a MILLION years say that any other time, but it's a home to one of my favorite people right now, and that makes it worth everything. I am SO excited to meet this little one, and I still have about 162 days left! There's a lot to do before that happens, but I want to make sure I take the time to just enjoy every minute of this. I've been pretty lucky that this pregnancy has been relatively smooth. Even if it weren't, I'd be grateful. Heavenly Father has blessed Quenton and I so much, just with eachother, and I am overflowing with gratitude and joy that our little family is growing. Does He know us? Of course He does! Does He know what we need, when we need it? Absolutely. :) Life is so great, and I can't wait for what's to come.

thoughts.....

So I've been wanting to take some belly shots, but feel a little self-conscious about it. Not that I'm showing a lot, but I wasn't exactly paper thin when I got pregnant like some women so I had a bit of a belly to start with. I can't tell how much I'm showing, but Quenton says that I am, and my mom says that I am, so maybe it's true. :) So, I guess this week's project will be to take some pictures and post them. we'll see...... ;)
Quenton has been home for almost 2 weeks now, and I am LOVING it!! It's so nice to see him when he gets home from work, and to have him here on the weekends. I didn't have to go to Church alone either, so that was nice. I've been thinking a lot about how our lives are going to change in the next 5-6 months. I'm totally exhausted now, and that won't change, I'm sure. :) I welcome all the new changes, appealling or less appealing. A friend of mine had a baby recently and it got me thinking about what it will be like to know that "it's time", and to actually be in the hospital, thinking about everything. It's a little overwhelming to think about, but exciting at the same time. :)
Life is good. I'm relaxing, enjoying time with Q, and getting ready to change everything for our little bumblebee. Can't get any better than that, right?