Our Krazy Kona Trip!

Last week, we got an opportunity to go to HAWAII!! It was so exciting. We have both never been and that is one of the places we both have wanted to go to for a long time. It was kind of a last minute trip with a couple of our very generous friends who had invited us to go with them so we could split expenses. It also came at a great time for us, as I was now 20 weeks and feeling much better than I did in my 1st trimester. We felt like this was our last Hoorah, before our little Bean comes. And what a great Hoorah it was! We went to the "Big Island" of Kona, Hawaii and stayed for 4 days and 5 nights. We had a blast with out friends and with each other, just enjoying being away from it all, taking in the many sights, and relaxing. When we flew into the open-air airport (just lovely, by the way!) it was a beautiful sunny day in Kona.

We had so much fun! Here are some pics of some of our adventures!

On top of the Jagger Museum lookout over Mount Kilauea, there was an extreme amount of CO2 gas being emitted at the time (NOT good for me or baby) so we took a few pics and left, most of the park was closed off because of this - bummer! (although we did get to see the glow of lava in the crater at night!)

Bekah & Ryan underneath an amazing tree where the roots would grow back into the tree system! It was huge!

Me, enjoying a locally grown banana, delish!

Mike & I at some tide pools on the Hilo side of the island, water was a little too cold for snorkeling that day, but they were pretty cool to see.

Mike relaxing after enjoying the waves at Hapuna beach.

**Fun fact! ; The Island of Kona has lots of different colored sand: Black, green, salt & pepper, and white. However, all the white sand was brought to Kona on barges transported from Mexico and California.

Ha! Ok this picture will always make me laugh because we were walking along and were just going to take a quick snap shot of ourselves, when this total island, surfer dude was like "hey I'll take your picture!" I was a little leery letting a complete stranger hold my camera, but all his surfing gear was there so we were ok with it. Mike gave him the camera and he kept taking a lot of pics and having us move one way or another. He kept saying crazy things and was just a little bit too happy...., when Mike went to get our camera, he got a whiff of whatever the guy had been smoking. Our suspicions were confirmed. Definately a laid-back local. It was hilarious.

Mike & I got to go on this amazing snorkel adventure on our last night in Kona. We went out on this boat at sunset to swim with giant MANTA RAYS! They were so beautiful, we got to see like 4 or 5 different manta rays. We went with other snorkelers and divers. The guides gave us underwater flashlights which we used to attract plankton, which manta rays eat. Then they would come and do flips and barrel rolls right in front of your face! It was intense! They were so beautiful and amazing! The biggest one wat probably 9-10 feet across their wings! We tried not to touch them (it can hurt them) but one touched Mike's leg and another my stomach. Definately one of the coolest things we did in Kona!

We also got to go visit the grounds of the Kona Hawaii temple, we went at night and then again before we went to the airport, it was so beautiful and lovely!

Out for a walk on a lovely day in Kona.

We found some coconuts along the sides of the road in Hilo.

We had just finished a little hike through a lava tube cave. Very cool, although I did see a couple of bats, that was a little creepy.

We had just hiked to the top of this waterfall, it was so fun, but very wet! The path was not paved, it was just a jungle path, with moss, branches, and mud. Yikes, my poncho was in shreds by the time we got back to the car. I think I got more wet wearing it, than not. I wish I would have taken a picture of it!

After a long day of sightseeing the volcano, waterfalls, and the lava tube, we tried some local cuisine. Moco Loco is the name of this interesting dish. It is rice, a hamburger patty, brown gravy, & an egg on top. I was skeptical, but it was actually really good!

I always wanted to swing on a vine!

Rainbow falls - one of the beautiful waterfalls we saw on our trip.

It's a BOY!!

This Wednesday, we found out that our little Bean is a boy! We are so excited and couldn't be happier about this new addition to out little family!

I wish I would have taken a picture of Mike's face when the ultrasound tech announced to us that our baby was a boy! He was literally beaming!

Our little guys is not shy either! As soon as the tech started the ultrasound, within 15 seconds, she said, "OK, looks like you have a little boy!" Wow. That was fast!

Our little guy is healthy and everything looks good. It was so fun to see him squirming around in there. I loved it when we got to see his little feet and he kept putting his hands and arms up in front of his face.

I actually have to have another ultrasound next month when I go in for my checkup, because our little man was moving around too much that they couldn't get clear enough pictures to complete the checkup.

I just look at it as another opportunity to see my little guy!

We don't have a specific name picked out as of yet, we actually have quite a few that we have been thinking about, but I think we both like the idea of waiting until we meet out little guy to name him officially.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Well, I think it's about time to update the ol' blog. I know we have been neglecting our little blog but in our defense, we have had a lot of work and projects in the mix. Pretty much our new house has taken control of our lives! So far, we love it though, we get to spend our weekends together tackling the endless list of projects. And somehow, we still can't seem to make a dent in the work that needs to be done. We have a lot of fun though and could never have done a lot of this without some help from our families. Just a little shout-out to basically everyone that's related to us: "THANK YOU! WE LOVE YOU" (And because we love my mom soooooo much we will be helping HER move once they close on their new house!)

Some of the things that we've accomplished are (Brace yourself, it is a bit long):
-Replace every stinking last icky-almond-loose outlet and light switch in the place, let me tell you, so time consuming, but well worth it! At least I know where every outlet in every room is now!
-Paint
-Paint some more!
-Spray-painted from Gaudy Gold to a nice black: the Pendant light in the entry, the Chandelier over the dining table and, get this, the Gas fireplace! Mike thought I was crazy for that last one, but they have heat-resistant spray paint and it worked like a charm. That's right babe, who's laughing NOW?! :)
-Had new carpet installed, I'm pretty sure the carpet was original to the house, which wouldn't be so bad except the house was built in 1989!!! Yeah, I'm not going to describe the grossness there, use your imagination.
-Started installing new baseboard trim
-Replace the Huge-Spotlight-disguised-as-track lights for some nice simple USEFUL track lights


-And while we're in the kitchen, (promise not to laugh at the mess someone left - I swear it wasn't me!) I guess I could show you the work we did there! We installed all the appliances (Thank you, Craigslist!), refinished the cabinets to a nice Walnut stain and added some drawer pulls. I guess I didn't take a picture of the whole kitchen, but it wraps around to a bar as well.


-We have installed new blinds in all the windows

-One of the biggest projects we (that term "We" is used very loosely, it was pretty much my dear, loving, awesome Mike, who did this project. I tried to help, honest! But I think I just got in the way and made more work for him...So I just stuck with getting him food and water when needed) undertook was installing this beautiful Bamboo Hardwood Floor on our main floor, all 550 square feet of it! It definitely was a daunting task, and I'm pretty sure Mike would rather die than do it again, but he sure did a great job, didn't he?? (I make sure to try and tell him that at LEAST once a day!)

-Did I mention that we painted? A LOT? We painted every room in the house, (well except the bathrooms and laundry room, but you just wait my pretties!) but we didn't stop there! Every door in the place was this awful orangey-gold brown color that stepped right out of the 80s. So, we painted them a lovely creamy white. I was thinking, "Man that's a lot of money to replace 12 doors all at once, I KNOW we can paint them, it will be SO much cheaper." In retrospect, yes, much cheaper, however, what a big pain in the tushy. I do kind of wish Mike could have talked me out of that one... (Don't tell him I said that, he'd be down to Home Depot to replace them before I could blink!)

Now our latest and greatest project wasn't on our original To-Do list, but, well we take em' as they come!

Yep, it's true, after waiting, and waiting, and then waiting some more, we are finally PREGNANT!

(And by "we" of course, I mean "me")

It's kind of funny we were so busy at the end of 2009, (New house, vacation to Scotland, Weddings, Holidays, etc.) that we weren't even focused on having a baby. I guess in the end that's what we needed, a break!

As of today I am officially 13 weeks and holding strong! I had an ultrasound at 6 weeks because my doctor wanted to be sure it was a "viable fetus" (doesn't that sound terrible and cold?? I prefer a "Cute little bean with a good heartbeat!") before we got too excited, due to my history.
I can tell you right now, that until we saw that little heart beating away, Mike and I were probably both blue in the face from holding our breaths!

But it's a keeper! I already can't wear my pants without a bellyband, but am not big enough to hold up maternity pants.

I have actually not been feeling too bad, a little nausea, a little heartburn here and there, and a WHOLE lot of tiredness, but thankfully that is now receding.

Mike and I are thrilled to become parents and welcome a beautiful little spirit into our home.

Although, I don't think Mike is so thrilled about the "Nursery To-Do List" that I have started to create!

We'll keep you updated!

At Last!

Well, it is official! We have FINALLY closed on our very first home! We are so excited to start this new chapter in our lives, where we can have our own space and where the work never ends. We have already started painting and are actually moving today! More pics to come, as she is a beauty, but a little rough around the edges. With a little love and a lot of paint, I think she will shine!

"Everything's Bigger in Texas!" - San Antonio Trip

So we have been long neglecting our blog (again) due to the fact that I really wanted to go back and "back-blog" about everything that has been going on, but I figure it is now or never and I need to just dive in and backblog when I get the chance!!! (I think this is why I was never good with conventional journals either,...hmm.....)

For Memorial Day weekend, we got to take a little extended vaca down to San Antonio, Texas to spend some time soaking in the sun with our Cousin's Seth & Linsey and their kids Kade & Kenzi (little shout out to them... BEST HOSTS/TOURGUIDES EVER!!!! Thanks again you guys!)

Here we are at the airport waiting for our flight to San Antonio after our crazy red-eye flight!

The first place we went to after gettting in was a little town called Fredricksburg. It's a little tourist trap with all sorts of cool little shops, antique stores and the like, (which turned out to be good because San Antonio had a crazy little spat of a Thundershower!) We found this awesome little store called Rustlin Robs Gourmet food. They had samples of everything they sold, it was pretty sweet. They had odd combinations like jalepeno peanut butter and chipotle honey mustard, but almost everything was delicious!Here is Mike sampling the goods

We also found this random store with lots of crazy hats, you know...your everyday hamburger and pizza hats...etc.

Next we went to the San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden

It was really beautiful there, it was like stepping into a tropical oasis.

Our lovely hosts!
Just a glimpse of the scenery

Kenzi spent some time looking for bugs on the flowers...

While Kade just um...well, got dirty(that was kind of his theme :)

The next day we went down to Corpus Christi to go to the beach, it was awesome, a little bit of a drive, but the warm salty water and waves were a blast, Mike and I even got to work on our tans a little (that is of course after they turned tan from the burn we got!!!)

Kenzi getting buried in the sand!

Alas, the beach was too short lived as another Texan Thunderstorm rolled in!
For dinner we stopped at a seafood joint called "Snoopy's" right on the water, pretty good (Side note for Seth & Linsey: we will show you what REAL Fish n' Chips is when you come to Seattle!)

And then right next door was an ice cream parlor called..."Scoopy's!" Clever.


Kade got a little carried away with his none-other-than extremely blue ice-cream!

Yeah, that's right. It DID get up his nose!!! :)

Kenzi was slightly more careful with hers as she sipped it from the cup.

The next day, Mike and I went to Six Flags to enjoy a day full of sun, coasters, and swimming. We had so much fun! We got there right when it opened and were able to go on a ton of rides with very few lines. Needless to say, our brains felt a little scrambled by the end of the day. Afterwords, Seth and Linsey took us to a local BBQ, which was absolutely delicious!! I don't know how we did it (actually, I do, can anyone say caffeine??), but afterwords we stayed up all night playing games just like the good ol' days!

The free hanging coaster!

Mike is plotting our next thrill.

We got completely soaked on the water rafting ride (which we didn't mind, it was about 1:00 and in the high 90's!!)

On our last day in San Antonio, we went downtown to do some more sightseeing. Our first stop was the Alamo. It was beautiful and amazing to see how much it has been restored and preserved after all it has been through. We couldn't take pictures inside but they had lots of historical artifacts from the soldiers, time period, and even some personal effects owned by Davey Crockett

The courtyard of the Alamo were also wonderful filled beautiful gardens.

They also had this ginormous tree that had been transplanted back in the early 1900s, it is now so big it has to be held up with cables and poles!!

Huge!!!

Next stop was the River Walk Boat tours. We had the best tour guide, he knew not only about all the history and architectures, but also little random facts, and all about the plant and animal life along the Rio San Antonio

Kade got a little tuckered out along the way

The tower of America from the San Antonio World's Fair, one of the many buildings we saw along the way.

For lunch, we went to an awesome local restaurant called "Chris Madrid's". It was a little hole-in-the-wall Burger/Mexican restaurant, but was not to be taken lightly....

The burgers were as big as your head (big enough for Mike to share with me) and were probably one of the best burgers we had ever had!

Check out the cheese action on this burger!!! Go, Seth, go!!!

Mike looks pretty happy about his Tostada burger and he hasn't even tasted it yet!

I couldn't help but post a couple of Texan Pride pics from our trip... :)

The Texas flag was everywhere and always HUGE!

I couldn't help but laugh at this "Texas Edition" Ford F-150 pickup truck! How stereotypical!

We even saw a house painted like their flag!!! I wanted to get a picture so bad but we were on the highway and drove by too fast.

We were so glad we went and had a lot of fun!

Chris and Lindsay come to visit

So back before Thanksgiving, Chris and Lindsay were able to come over to Washington for a visit. We excited to see them and of course get to see our little nephew Parker who we had not yet met. He is very cute and I think he looks just like his mom!

He was a happy little guy!

See the resemblance? (actually, I think Parker looks a little freaked out!)

I got to hold him quite a bit and get to know him for a couple of days, he's such a good baby. It made him very easy to love!

Awww, poor little neglected blog...

I know, I know, I (actually, WE, this is supposed to be MIKE and my blog, however I seem to do more of the actual blogging, hmm, fancy that! Sorry, bitter diatribe, I will get back to the actual post now.) have long since posted on our beloved family blog. I haven't quite recovered from all of the crazy-going-ons that have taken place over the last few months.
However, I am making a promise to myself to try and post at least one new post a week to try and play catch up with all of the things that have done since....hmm, Thanksgiving! Wow, that does make me sound pathetic.

I really do enjoy writing about the things that we do and I have found that I remember more in the future when I can write at least a little about it and try and collect those thoughts in some form.
So, here goes post one!