Fun Fall Things

Well, these pictures are a tad out of order, but that's alright. Here's a little of what we've been up to this month...

My father-in-law, Mike, celebtrated his 60th birthday -- with all the grandkids!

(sorry, this one is a little fuzzy because no one can sit still...)

At a recent Lone Peak game, where we watched Hannah and the

Chevaliers perform at half-time!

We brought along our favorite little friend, Ruby, who enjoyed searching for the Starburst Danny had hidden in his coat pockets...


They are friends :)



Again, blurry, but this was a terrific show!

Isn't she darling?

Danny and his parents and siblings. I love them.

Yes, I took this prego picture of myself, in my mirror. No one else was home to do it for me ... But anyway, check out my baby bump! Getting bigger everyday. My belly button is about to pop inside out!

We bought a hutch for our kitchen that we absolutely LOVE! Adds so much warmth, not to mention storage space!

Our favorite nephew, Carter, and Grandpa at the birthday party.

My honey and me at Wheeler Farm a few weekends ago...

Life is good.

Anywhere you go, let me go too

The other night while working on homework Danny was playing some piano classics over the speakers. One of these on the album was Phantom of the Opera's "That's All I Ask of You," one of my all-time favorite love songs. It's been stuck in my head since, and while I don't think of myself as a very cheesy, sappy sort of person (most of the time), I just really love the words:

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you
Say you need me with you, here, beside you
Anywhere you go let me go too
Love me - that's all I ask of you

I am very thankful for my sweetheart, this week and always. We met two years ago last month, and so we spent a good deal of time over the last few weeks reminiscing about those giddy early days of our relationship. I am thrilled to say I only love him more with everyday that I know him... marriage will do that to ya if you let it. I would follow him anywhere. And I am catching glimpses of the wonderful daddy he will be. We watched the recording of the ultrasound together the other night, and Danny kept saying things about how cute the baby is and how much he can't wait to meet him. It was all I could ever want to hear :) Speaking of the ultrasound (drum roll, please), who wants to see pictures? I happen to have a few...

Leg and foot...

Spine (toward the top you can see an arm, and at the bottom is his tailbone and leg -- he is sort of curled in a ball)

Best of all, his face. Isn't he darling?

We love him already and can't wait until he's here.
I am grateful for my growing little family!

It's a BOY!

Yessiree! You've probably heard the news via Facebook by now, but in case you haven't... We are having a little boy! The ultrasound went wonderfully well, my doctor made a thorough inspection of baby's whole body (and I am happy to report that our little man is free of everything from spina bifida to a clubbed foot to a cleft lip), and Danny is beaming: he is so proud to be having a son! We loved the time spent viewing the ultrasound images. We got to look at his brain, his heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, legs and arms, hands and feet, his back and bum and other boy parts -- Dr. Melendez put it, "He is definitely a boy!" -- Danny loved that, as you can imagine, and best of all, his little face. I will post pictures soon (again, when my Internet is up... or maybe I'll just have to put the pics on Danny's computer), but I just wanted to mention that seeing his face was so neat because we got to look at it from a few different sides, and I just kept thinking how much I could see Danny and me in his little nose and chin and lips. It was wonderful! He looks like a little angel. Well, okay, so, Danny and I were both hellions as children... but maybe that will skip a generation?

Shortly after the appointment we took the news to our families, and everyone's reaction seemed to be, "I knew it would be a boy!" Since then, I've spent most of my brain energy coming up with nursery decorating ideas and picking colors and designs. And my fantastic mom has gone to work doing the same. It will be a thrilling project, that's for sure! I will take and post pictures as we go.

I will write more later, but I just wanted to report on the events of the last few days. (I find myself needing to write down special things like this before my pregnant brain forgets the details.) I am very thankful for what appears to be a healthy little boy (he certainly FEELS healthy... very squirmy and wiggly and throwing kicks when I least expect it. I tell Danny it feels like I'm being tickled from the inside out), and for a most loving, supportive husband and family. Not to mention, this may sound strange, but Danny and I are grateful to have another way by which our lives can be tied tighter to Brianna and Carter, Mark's wife and son. Carter will be less than two years older than our boy, and we hope they will be lifelong little buddies. Somehow we take a lot of comfort in that. Miss you, Mark.


Talk to you all again, soon! Goodnight!

Countdown to ultrasound!

I've been meaning (and wanting) to get on and post again for awhile, but Danny temporarily sabotaged my Internet on my laptop at home (he built -- yes, built -- himself a new computer and stole my wireless for his... it won't last though, we just need a new... cable... something or other, of some kind. Anyway...). So here I am sneaking in a few minutes of blog time while he is still at school. It's hard to find a chance to get on his computer because, yes, electrical engineering students spend just about all their free time doing homework (he is wonderful, isn't he? Such dedication). Just wanted to give a quick update!


Tomorrow is the big day: My 21-week ultrasound! Hooray! I can't express how excited I am. We can't wait to see our baby -- even if it is just on "video." Not to mention, I feel like I'm about to be unleashed into a new fun world of being able to pick names and decorate (finally!) and start building a little world for our new little one. Anyone want to place bets on what the gender will be? Just let me know :) I'm also open to name suggestions, should you feel the need to give your input.

Well, you'll be hearing from me again after tomorrow I'm sure. And just as soon as I can get my own computer up and running again I do have pictures, believe it or not, that I want to post. I realized the other day that other people's blogs have so many pictures and mine has so much.... writing. Boring! Just kidding, I love to write. And I would love to share more pictures with the blogging world... but they are, after all, on my computer, which, yes, has no Internet by which I can upload them. Ah well.

One final thing, I just wanted to mention today how dearly I love the Richards family, my family. Danny's brother Mark passed away two months ago, on July 24th, and the family has been on my mind all day. Danny misses his best friend, and I am grateful everyday to know we will see him again and we will be a family forever. And in a season where life is lost, I am thankful to be getting ready to welcome new life into the world.

Talk to you soon, all! Enjoy the Office tonight!

God Bless BYU Football

I always know it's Fall when college football becomes the talk of our house. Most of the time I sort of smile and nod and just wait out the weeks before the Utah Jazz season is underway, but yesterday I wholeheartedly enjoyed watching the BYU-Oklahoma season-opener. It was intense a game as there ever was... injuries (a part of me almost felt bad for Sam Bradford's shoulder sprain... it really looked like it hurt), flags everywhere, and oh so much excitement in the air (Danny was yelling and swearing and clapping his hands and calling plays almost the whole time... I'm quite sure he thinks they could hear him). Anyway, the boys in blue pulled it off, 14-13, in a beautiful Cougar victory. And for a good two hours post-game, honks and shouts could be heard ALL up and down University Avenue (we live right in the middle of Cougartown, thank you very much... at eleven o'clock last night I was finally ready for all the pandemonium to cease). It was quite the experience. Danny, Sarah, and I shared it with pizza and chips and ice cream way too much candy :)

We had a busy week last week. School started, work was busy, and we spent much of the week working on little odds and ends that needed to be addressed at our rental condo. It's always an exhausting time of the year, filling the place, replacing things that are broken, collecting and returning deposits. Thankfully, it usually only lasts about a month and then the place just takes care of itself for the rest of the school year. It's a business experience, I tell you what. I'm picking it up slowly.

I had a dream the other night that I was waiting at my OB appointment to find out the sex of our baby, and for one reason or another, the doctor kept telling me I had to wait and return the next week before I could know. It was so exasperating that when I woke up yesterday I almost got in the car and drove to the mall to where they have ultrasound techs who do those "fetal photos." I told myself it wouldn't hurt to wait just a couple more weeks, but it sure does feel like forever! I am so excited to feel like our little guy or girl really has more of an identity (i.e., a gender). I think it'll start to feel more like they are part of the family.

Trying to be patient and get things done aside, all else is well around here. I love this time of year when I know I have all the holidays and family time to look forward to. It's really the highlight of my life. Tomorrow is Labor Day, and I will love just getting to sleep in with Danny for an extra hour or two. Speaking of which, I am so proud of him and excited for his next few semesters of school. These next months will be busy ones, but I think as long as we can tackle them as a team, it will be a great ride! As I posted on my Facebook a few days ago, I sure love my baby's daddy!

Well, have a Happy Sunday, all!

As Promised...

Here are some pictures from our lovely California trip in late June!

I talked Danny into growing some scruff for the week... kinda fun!

My parents are cute as ever :) Right Mom? Hehe. I know you're reading this.


Gals.

All the "kids."


My bestest pal and me.

The whole gang!

Sarah and Hannah get more and more beautiful all the time.

And more and more grown up. What is going on? Really.

Dad and his girls.

It was a beautiful place and a beautiful getaway!

P.S.

I forgot to mention (although I'm sure you noticed) I finally picked a blog background I like! Hooray!