Hello from the South

It has been quite some time since I have made a blog post, sorry. I thought I might want to catch everyone up on what is going on in our lives. There have been a lot of changes and they just keep comin'. I can't seem to wrap my head around it all quite yet.

1. We have officially moved to Texas for Micah's job and are loving it so far. We have made many friends, who feel like family, since we have been here. Not too long after we got settled in, our friends hosted a mystery dinner with an Italian theme. If any of you know Micah, he was stoked about this. I think he likes to believe he is half Italian ;). We had a night filled with laughter and debating back and forth to find the killer.

2. Apart from moving and Micah starting his new job, we found out our family would be growing by two little feet. This happened faster than we had expected but are ecstatic for a new chapter in our lives.  Micah composed a song that we sang to our families over Skype announcing the big news. It turned out really good and everyone was very excited. We have decided it will be an adventure with no close family around, but the ladies in our ward have really come to the rescue letting me ask any questions I can think of. The end of September will be an exciting time for us.

3. In December Micah walked for graduation. Mostly because I told him he had too. There was no way  we were going to leave Rexburg without cheering him across the stage. He was a good sport and said later he was glad that he did. We had fun celebrating with family then. He officially graduated in April, and it is strange not to have him doing homework all the time. I am very proud of him and the huge accomplishment he has achieved.

4. Now that school is no longer a major part of our lives, we have been finding different interests and hobbies. A couple of wards are putting together a Broadway Musical Review show. We decided to participate and it has been a blast. I will be singing a song from Seussical the Musical and Lullaby of Broadway. Micah will be singing songs from Scarlet Pimpernel, Legally blonde the Musical, How to Succeed in Business and Civil War. More pictures to come on that later.

5. One of my best friends was married in February. I was sad that we would be in Texas at the time, but Micah worked it out so that I could visit for the wedding. I was so excited! We have been friends since the 1st grade and have so many good memories together. She has found such a good husband who will take very good care of her. I felt okay giving up my spot as best friend and becoming the second best friend. It was a beautiful reception and I wish them all the best!

6. I completed a Dental Assisting Program in March and became a Registered Dental Assistant. I have always loved the dental field and have missed being in an a dental office. I enjoyed the course a lot and hopefully will be able to find a job. It gets a little tricky since there isn't very much time before the baby comes.

7. We celebrated Micah's birthday. His birthday fell during the turnaround for his company. So he headed off to work at 5:30 a.m. and didn't come home until about 7:00 p.m. I would then have about an hour or two with him and then it was off to bed for the next day. Needless to say it was difficult to throw a party. Micah didn't want to wait all through work before opening his presents so we had an very early morning celebration. In the picture you can kind of see the soda cake I created (found the idea on pinterest). Micah does not like cake or chocolate so I have to get a little creative when it comes to birthday treats. Later in the week our good friends made an ice cream sandwich cake for him which was a lot of fun!

8. We found out we will be having a  . . . . GIRL! We have had always felt like a girl would come first in our family, but of course would be excited either way. About three weeks before our official appointment, my OBGYN said that  it might be a boy but that it wasn't the best picture. I was getting into the mind set to prepare for a boy, and was a little shocked when it was clearly a girl. This means another girl for my side of the family (which they are excited about), but for Micah's side it has been almost 14 years since they have had a niece. They are excited to be making dresses and bows for her. In September we will be welcoming Baby Clara to our little family. It is starting to feel more real now.

9. Last but not least, we were able to take a small vacation to Galveston. Micah had just completed almost 21 straight days of 12 hour shifts, and the company gave him a couple of extra days off. We took advantage of the time to go and celebrate a long list of things: graduations, finishing turnaround, expecting a baby, expecting a baby girl, and Micah's birthday. We stayed at the San Luis Resort which was amazing. I wish I had a picture of the pool area, but it had a slide for kids, a swim up bar (which we didn't really use), and private cabanas you could use. We enjoyed playing on the beach and getting some sun. Although, I found out just how sensitive you are to the sun while pregnant. I will be wearing a hat from now on :). I ate one of the best hamburgers I have ever had at The Spot, and we made sure to buy a frisbee to throw around on the beach. We also watched the sunrise while eating Kolaches for breakfast (Micah's new obsession). It was beautiful!

10. I will be visiting family again soon. Another one of my best friends is getting married and I can't wait to be there.

Hopefully from now on, the updates will come more often.