One lucky little boy...

Who knew an unborn child could have such a fabulous Christmas?!?! Wil really had it made this Christmas and he's not even around to enjoy it... I guess Mommy will be the one to enjoy it this time! All I know is he's one LUCKY kid! I can only imagine what next year will be like! Check this out...

Wil received his first Badger Gear from one of my students, his first quarterback outfit from Bob and Steph, his first Tonka truck and an outfit from Great Grandma Shirley, onsies and two Brewer outfits from Grandma and Grandpa Geurts, sweet 80's T's from Auntie Kayla, new kicks from Uncle Tony (yes, his first official pair of Air Jordans with matching beenie), new books, AND an adorable caterpillar picture frame! Wow... that's all I can say!

Ok, Ok... I retract the previous statement.

So maybe all I needed was a little pep talk from Mom... maybe I'm not feeling as "done" as I mentioned in my previous entry. I realize now that my comments sounded rather negative, which is not really what I intended. I am definitely 'ready to be done' in the sense that I'm ready for our little man, but I'm not 'ready' like 'ready' to pull my hair out because I'm sick of being pregnant... well, some times are more fun than others, let's be honest.

As I sat here in good ol' Richland Center this December 23 and listenend to Wil's heartbeat and constant kicks with my Mom (thanks to my fabulous $20 Target Baby Monitor) I realized how lucky I really am. My Baby and I are healthy and happy... not to mention we are growing like weeds! I've got two great families who love and support not only me and my husband, but our unborn Baby! And great friends to share in the excitement! 'Tis the season to be merry... Happy Holidays All!

Uh-oh...

So I think I might have a little problem... as I was driving in to work today, which by the way, took me 1 hour and 5 minutes as opposed to the usual 30 due to a mere 2inches of snow on the ground, I had a thought - I'm done being pregnant. Yes folks, it's official - I'm done. I'm feeling fatter by the minute, am definitely over the thrill of feeling and watching him move inside my belly, and would REALLY like a cocktail! Is it too soon to be thinking all of this? I really just want him to come out... NOW! I'm ready all ready. I discussed my thoughts with some of my teacher friends who proceeded to laugh at me... "you've got a looong ways to go girl before you can announce that you're done". Hmmm, I thought, but I am, I really am. Is this something I can say to my Mom to which she will respond, "ok Stefani, you did great, you can be done now"? I'm thinking no.

100 days to go...

So we've reached the 26 week mark, which means 100 days to go (I guess). Quite frankly, I wouldn't know how many weeks I am if it weren't for the 'ticker' on my own blog. It's funny how once you reach that 20 week mark and the milestone of finding out your baby's gender passes, you begin to lose track of time. I get bigger with every passing second, but I know I've got a long ways to go, so I might as well stop thinking about it. Ironically, I've found that it's then when the time really flies by!

I forced Adam to take a 26 week picture for me, but after probably 10 different attempts (all failed due to my own 'size insecurities') I decided to go with this one. It sort of explains how I've been feeling. I'm really not as grumpy as I appear, but I can't seem to feel one ounce of camera-readiness these days. Every shot was followed by me saying, "wow, I look really fat from that angle, try another one" or "yuck, what's with my horrible haircut" or "ok, that's just plain ugly". Adam was getting slightly frustrated, but being the good man that he is kept telling me each one was 'fine'.

As far as a doctor update... I went yesterday and had the usual - weight, which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - blood pressure - belly measurement - and fetal heartbeat, which was as strong as ever! I also had my glucose test this month... hopefully my gestational diabetes test comes back A-OK... I might just die if I can't have my usual daily intake of sugar! All is well in baby land though! He just keeps cooking... if only I could stop him from kicking me CONSTANTLY! :) He's going to be a busy boy!

It's done... well, mostly!

So, Adam took a vacation day yesterday (Friday). Of course he had a long list of things to do. I asked him if he'd be able to finish painting the Baby's room by himself... he stated he just wasn't sure if he'd get to it. Much to my surprise (well, not really, I knew he'd do it) the room was finished when I got home from work. The walls looked great and the furniture was moved back in! We're both quite pleased with the results. Like my previous attmepts, it was tricky to get pictures of the room. Don't tell Adam, but I'm wondering if maybe we should've chosen the other (bigger) bedroom for Wil. I don't know how we're going to fit everything in...

Now we need to fill this room with something other than furniture and I'm not sure where to begin... it's quite overwhelming when you think of all the things this kid is going to need! Let the shopping begin! WOOHOO!

Christmas with Grandpa Fontana!

Last weekend, Adam and I traveled all the way down to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to have an early Christmas with Grandpa! We enjoyed a super-yummy dinner, gift-opening, and had a great time with the Fontana's!

It was great to see everyone, especially my cousin Brad who lives in Phoenix. I haven't seen him since our wedding and he was surprised with my rather enormous belly! At my 20 week ultrasound, the tech declared my due date as April 3 (Brad's birthday). Apparently Wil could be here any time between March 28 and April 3... not good for the planner in me! I told Brad I don't know if I can wait that long. He told me it's not a choice, he wants him to be born 26 years after him - we'll see about that!

Speaking of Wil & gift opening... Aunt Jan got Wil the most adorable onsie. His Daddy thought it was great! It's camoflauge and reads "My First ATV"!

Really?

Ok, so I know I stated previously that I was excited about my first "SNOW DAY" and as I watched the weather man predict last week's storm, I knew it was certain to happen. Who can go to school, who can go anywhere for that matter, with that much snow? I do recall saying though that I could go for a good 9 inches; 9 that is... NOT 18! Here's a view from my driveway (POST MASSIVE STORM - days after really). And yes, that's my mailbox completely buried!

Adam and I were left with 3 feet deep snowdrifts that even our snowblower couldn't take on. So, I take it back Old Man Winter. I'd rather work than have a snow day. I really would... well, I'll check back in with you regarding this matter in late January, let's just leave it at that.

The Fun Continues...

After a day of cleaning, laundry, and a trip to the dog park with Gravel, Adam decided there'd be no better day than today to get started with painting the nursery! He's not one to let a 'job' wait too long and I LOVED his enthusiasm! Adam was in charge of picking the color (per the agreement we made based on our baby's gender - if it's a boy... it's all Adam); he chose a nice shade of green I like to call "army green". It matches our bedding perfectly and will look great when it's all done.

Here's a picture of the Man in Charge! He's quite efficient with the roller! The look on his face is telling me he's getting a wee bit sick of me capturing all of these moments... Sorry, I tell him - it's for the Grandmas and Grandpas!

I will admit, I did help a little (only with floor board trim), which Adam was a little leary about. I told him a few paint fumes weren't going to hurt the little man... I compared it to the cup of coffee I drink EVERY morning. Doctors 'advise' you to stay away from such things, but it's really only a suggestion, right?!?! Besides, I think Wil likes our morning cup, it wakes him up each day on our ride to work!

We'll be excited to share pics of the finished product. Knowing Adam, a second coat will be administered tomorrow, with furniture moved back in Tuesday night! What a guy!

Getting Ready for Baby!

We've been having so much fun getting ready for our new Baby! Adam spent most of last weekend putting Wil's new furniture together while I washed bedding, cleaned and organized. So, that's his name by the way (Wil)... We aren't very good at keeping any of this process a surprise, are we?!?!? I guess we're just overly excited! I told Adam we better not tell everyone the name, just in case it changes, but Adam simply replied, "well, I don't really know what else we could think of calling him... let's just call him Wil, kay, then it's just decided". He's so good at keeping things simple for me! Besides, he knows how completely indecisive I am and probably doesn't want to make another baby name list in the near future. :)

Here's a picture of our new crib. We love the bedding! It's called Little Builder and has dump trucks, cement mixers, diggers, and tools on it!

I tried to get pictures of the room, but it was kind of tricky. We were able to get a crib, changing table, and dresser. Hopefully we'll get the matching rocker/glider soon!

Let the Countdown begin....

I love, love, love this time of year and you can blame it on all of the "Fontana Forced Family Fun" that I hated as a teenager. The holidays were full of traditions that I find myself doing now that I am an adult! (Thanks Mom and Dad).

Adam and I worked hard this weekend preparing for the Christmas season - now if it would only snow about 9 inches... even though I had a 5 day weekend, I can always go for a snow day! Any teacher would agree! HeeHeeHee

Here's a picture of Clark Griswald, I mean Adam, putting up our festive Christmas lights!

The finished product - every year we add a little bit more. We just might add more as the month goes on... Adam is always full of ideas!

Decorating the tree, not to mention a glimpse of the 23 week bump. Reality sets in as my 3rd trimester is creeping upon us. I think this time of year will make our pregnancy fly by! Is it normal to be excited and completely terrified at the same time!?!?!

Thanksgiving... Round 2!

Adam and I traveled to Richland Center on Thanksgiving Day to spend time with my family. We met for turkey dinner at Grandma Shirley's house and as usual, we all ate our share! Unfortunately, I was too involved in conversation with my Aunts and Cousins (and Adam was too involved with football) to take pictures.... sometimes I'm really good at bringing out the old camera and other times I completely forget! Oh well. Our time together was great - it was so nice to see everyone and get caught up!

In addition to our Thanksgiving Fun, Adam and I continued our own Geurts Family Tradition that we started last year... the Christmas tree find! We headed to Schaller's Tree Farm (in Richland Center) where we ventured off, saw in hand, to pick out the perfect tree. Gravel too loves this tradition, of course we can't ever leave him behind.

We looked and looked for the perfect one.... and then, as if a golden beam shined down upon it, we see it. PERFECTION! Not too big. Not too small. Full and very green!

And then the fun begins!

Notice how efficient I am with my camera now... just as the heavy work starts! What are husbands for - mine might just be the toughest one around too!

First, Adam saws it down... apparently it had an abnormally large trunk!

Then, Adam and Gravel drag it back to the truck!

Happy Thanksgiving... Round 1

Adam and I went to DePere last weekend to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with his family. It was so great to see everyone! We spent most of the morning preparing for over 20 guests, which meant A LOT of potato peeling for me! The food was super yummy and we had a great time catching up with everyone! We were also very excited to hear the news that Chad (Adam's cousin) and his wife Randi are expecting their first baby next summer! The holidays will sure be fun next year!

We were also able to go to the Packer game on Sunday with Adam's parents. We had tons of fun and even tried our hands at the Lambeau Leap! I tried to get my enormous body up on that mat, but failed miserably... I realized too that I DO NOT need to provide you with a 22 week picture after seeing how massive I looked here. Do you think it could be the big, green sweater? Look out Mom, I told you I'd be as large as a Christmas tree this Christmas - and you just laughed. All I need is some brown pants, a string of lights and a star headband!

One last slice of excitement to top off a great weekend was when I realized the Badger Marching Band had taken a trip to Lambeau for the game. You can never have too much fun with little groups of trumpet players joining you in the stands for a quick rendition of "On Wisconsin" AND a fifth quarter celebration to boot. Aaaahhh.... memories. When did I get so old?

Sharing the NEWS has been so much fun!

Adam and I spent most of last weekend calling friends and family to let them know that Baby is officially a boy. I started the day Saturday with my Mom. We went shopping for Baby and I received one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. It was a poem entitled "My Baby Boy and Me". The poem was given to my Mom almost 23 years ago from her sister Dawn (Aunt Dawnie). Dawn had written the poem for her when my brother Tony was born. My Mom tried to explain a mother's bond with her little boy... we both teared up in the car and decided we needed to keep shopping before things got worse! We're both a little emotional these days...

We also got a wonderful gift from Grandma and Grandpa Geurts on Saturday... "It's a Boy" cookies - does Debbie know me or what?!?! We ate them up in one day!

Gravel thought this was a great gift too. We're not sure if he gets it that he's going to have a brother in 4 months, but he knew something special was happening. He's always ready to celebrate!

Of course we couldn't resist giving him a bite! We all thought they were mighty delicious!

I also had a ton of fun telling my first graders that a little boy is responsible for my growing belly. I had to leave them early on Friday to get to my appointment, so I promised to surprise them with cookies on Monday - blue if we found out we were having a boy and pink if it was a girl. Of course when they arrived today they wanted their cookies!

We started with a little survey... "Who is growing in Mrs. Geurts' belly - a boy baby or a

girl baby?"

As you can see, I had a rather high boy vote. I should tell you that I have 11 boys in my class and 6 girls - one of which was absent today, so you can imagine who voted for who! HAHA!

As I showed them the container of cookies I had made, a loud shriek could be heard from miles around followed by many "Woohoos" and "We Wons!" from my boys... of course, they made it into a competition. I asked them what they had won and their response was, "boys are always right!" Us girls just giggled and I gave them their cookies last, "haha boys", we said!

The excitement lasted all day! Here they all stand with blue frosted and sprinkled sugar cookies in their hands.

Mmmmm! Tasty!

It's a Boy!

So, it's official... the Baby that has been growing for the last few months is a healthy baby boy! I am realizing that I am quickly becoming out-numbered in this family! All kidding aside though, Adam and I couldn't be happier! We're pleased to report that all looked well on the ultrasound too - all major organs accounted for, 2 arms and 2 legs, a visible brain (always important), and apparently a rather distinctive baby penis, which I couldn't see all that well, but Adam saw for certain! We couldn't be more excited with the news and Adam has already planned to buy him a 4-wheeler and build him some jumps in his parents' back yard... Oh God, what have I gotten myself into? I asked if maybe he could just play the trumpet and join Glee Club... Adam had no response, just a look of disgust. Look out folks... Adam officially has a son!

A Gift for Daddy...

So Baby and I have been talking and decided Daddy needed something speical... just for him! We are feeling a little guilty that he's not as involved as the two of us - he can't feel him/her moving and kicking inside my tummy and he hasn't even heard the heart beating yet. We thought and thought and came up with the most precious gift of all - a Build-A-Bear. Now this just isn't any Build-A-Bear... no ma'am, not for this Daddy to be! Our Build-A-Bear is complete with an actual sound recording of our Baby's heart beating!

I took the recording device to my doctor appointment on Wednesday, recorded the heart beat while my doctor listened along (she thought it was the coolest idea ever) and then drove to Build-A-Bear workshop to pick out my bear, place the recording device in the paw, and stuff!

Now, whenever Adam is feeling like listening to his Baby, he can grab the bear and squeeze it's paw! It's pretty cool and worked great! Adam was thrilled! He listened to it over and over again... notice how he's holding it too - he's a natural!

20 Weeks... We're Half-Way There!

Here I am at 20 weeks! I can't believe we're half-way there; time has started to fly by! The 20 week mark also means another week of doctor appointments. On Wednesday, I'll meet with Dr. Scladzien where we'll do the norm - weight gain (ugh), blood pressure, fetal heart rate, etc. I've been writing a list of questions to ask this time - my 4 month appointment lasted all of 15 minutes... even though I consider myself fairly well-read in regards to this pregnancy, I still think it's important to ask lots of questions. :) The thing is, being pregnant has been so easy thus far, I don't have many things to discuss. Now that things are speeding up and feeling A LOT more real, my questions are becoming more frequent, so I'm looking forward to seeing my doctor again. I always need a little piece of mind to get through the next month.

So, that's Wednesday... Friday is where it's at, and let me tell you, it cannot come quick enough. Adam and I are excited for our 20 week ultrasound where we'll find out how Baby is growing/developing AND if he/she cooperates, we'll find out if our little bundle is a boy or a girl! The suspense is killing me! I won't sleep a wink Thursday, I'm just sure of it! As always, we'll keep you posted... whether you want to know or not! (hehehe)

To make the excitement even more intense, I was finally able to 'drag' Adam to 2 baby stores today, where he was surprisingly really into picking out possible bedding for Baby! We've actaully narrowed it down to a definite choice for each (boy and girl). I know I won't be able to wait much longer before I start buying things, especially once we find out what we're having. This pregnancy thing gets more fun each day!

Happy Halloween!

Adam and I traveled up north to DePere this weekend to help Kayla move into her beautiful new home and to celebrate a family wedding. The wedding was on Halloween, so it was a costume party! I must admit... it's been a while since I've dressed up. My days of making 'naughty' costumes to tromp around State Street in are surely over. I've traded those days in for a large, potato-sack-like outfit that allows me to stuff my face with yummy chicken and potatoes.

Adam and I found this hilarious 'plug and outlet' couples number online & were happy to find it at a local Halloween shop. It was rather bland, so both of us tried to jazz it up a bit!

I added some glitter (always a necessity for Halloween), shock bolts, leggings, and gold gloves. Adam, on other hand, was REALLY inspired; you can tell if you know Adam at all - he rarely gets overly excited about much of anything and NEVER wants to draw attention to himself.

Adam's costume was merely a plug (to-be-inserted into my outlet of course... hehehe), but Adam was determined to be a lamp. His Dad and him worked hard on the Wal-Mart lamp shade we purchased. The lamp shade was actually hot-glued to a red hard hat (you never know what you'll find in Andy Geurts' garage)! He then glued two small flashlights inside the lamp so he could light up when he was "plugged in"! He completed the look with a black long underwear set and Hallween socks from Auntie Tina! I can honestly say I've never been more proud of his bravery! I could tell he was extremely uncomfortable (he did need 5 beers upon arrival before he was comfortable greeting anyone)...but he did it!

Stay tuned for more costumes that were captured on Halloween Night...

UPDATE!

It's official... those strange bubble feelings I've been getting are the baby! I'm sure of it now! I've been feeling them every night before I fall asleep. Some are stronger than others, but it's definitely Baby! I even felt him or her today while I was at the dentist! I promsied I'd keep you posted - so there it is!

Baby Movement or Gas Bubble? That is the question!

So my doctor asked me at my 4 month check up if I had felt any fetal movement. "Fetal movement," I asked, in a slight panic, "I don't know... should I be?" She responded, in her relaxed monotone voice that makes me crazy, "well, not necessarily, but some women (particularly those who have been pregnant before) begin to feel the baby move as early as 16 weeks... So, this is something you can begin to look forward to". Look forward to or become thouroughly obsessed with? That's what I was wondering.

Like all things related to this pregnancy, I've learned that this is something I can't worry about. IT will happen when it happens! Well... I think it has! I THINK, that is. I never have had a 6 inch person inside my belly before, so nothing is for sure right now. But, last night while watching So You Think You Can Dance, I felt something strange. If I had to describe it, I would say it felt like someone blew a bubble in there. "Hmm, that was strange," I thought. But then I felt it again, and again... like 6 different times at least! I ran upstairs to tell Adam the news! I expained that it felt like a bubble in my stomach to which he responded, "are you sure you don't have to fart?" I thought for a moment, "No. I don't actually. It's too low in my belly for that anyways."

So, that's where we're at in the fetal movement department. Possible baby, possible gas. I will, however, keep you posted if such experience happens again! I think it's the baby... I really do!

Life Is Good.

* Hunting all day Saturday with your ever-faithful dog and best bud Lance - $28
* Taking your wife - who isn't kicking and screaming - (and great friends) to dinner at Hooter's for the first time Saturday night. Not to mention sharing 50 of the best chicken wings ever made - $50.

* Returning from day 2 of hunting Sunday, just in time for the Packer Game - PRICELESS...

* Sitting still while your Mom and Dad pull 20+ deer ticks from your head - annoying!

* Patiently pulling burr after burr from your hairy belly - frustrating!

* Spending an entire weekend in the great outdoors with your two favorite guys (Dad and Lance) - PRICELESS...

18 Week Picture... a few weeks late!

OK, so I really had every intention of adding weekly belly pics to my blog, but to be honest I've just been too busy to keep up. Also, I don't feel a lot of progress being made in the growth department... which isn't necessarily a bad thing - maybe I won't reach 300 pounds after all!

So, here's the picture. It has been 3 weeks and I think you can really tell! Who knew one could look that much bigger in just 20 days...

Another interesting tidbit about 18 weeks... it officially marks the first day that I am wearing maternity jeans! YUCK! I am able to pull off wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans (ok, only 2 pairs really fit) most of the time. I also broke down and bought a pair that are a size bigger than what I normally wear and those work sometimes. However, I am noticing that these choices are quickly becoming super uncomfortable! Particularly if I do a lot of sitting. I feel like I'm placing a permanent indentation of jean waste band into my uterus!

Now for those of you who have never seen maternity jeans, let alone wore them AND for those of you that it's been a while for... let me explain. The jeans themselves are quite comfortable. Adam's friend Lance said he'd love a pair for Thanksgiving dinner! The 9 inch elastic waste band is quite expandable for nights when you'd really like to chow down. On the other hand, they are equally uncomfortable! Imagine wearing really low-waisted jeans (that have NO belt loops). I felt like I was constantly pulling them up for fear that everyone could see said elastic waste band! It was awful! I hope I'll get use to them soon - it's only going to get worse. The best part was showing them off to my closest friends - particularly the guys. All of the men in my life are quickly realizing that being pregnant is not at all sexy!

Happy Fall!

The Geurts Family took a trip to a pumpkin patch this weekend. We got some great decorations for the house! It was a beautiful day!








We got pumpkins for everyone in the family. Now, if we can only keep Gravel from pulling them around by the stems!

Gravel Turns 2!

A package arrived in the mail today! Woohoo! It's from Grandma and Grandpa Geurts! I know it'll be good! It's birthday time (I'm glad they remembered, Mom and Dad sure didn't).

There's gotta be something in here... come on, focus, pull, you can do it!

I can see it! It's really in there! It's fabulous! Mom, Dad, somebody help a guy out!

Success! The world's greatest frisbee! Mom, Dad, I'll be back in an hour.

Home Sweet Home

I may have already told you, but Adam and I spend a lot of time working on our house - painting, decorating, organizing, etc. It seems like the work never ends... it also seems like my husband continually adds more and more to our list. Anyways, I thought I'd provide you with an example.

First, let me prephase with this. Adam painted our garage floor a few weekends ago. OK, ok... it's not really paint, it's called EPOXI (I think) apparently it's super-great for your garage floor - to me, it's rather strange! However, like usual, Adam (and I) were very pleased with the outcome. You can imagine my surprise though when early, early one Saturday morning, I open my garage door to find this:

Adam is using the Swifter Wet Jet on the garage floor! Gravel was also a bit perplexed.

Now, this isn't THAT strange. Adam is known for using the Shop-Vac on the garage floor quite often. He also hangs scented trees around the garage for a lovely, woodsy aroma. EVERYTHING in the garage is organized like a fully-stocked Fleet Farm shelf as well.

I wanted to share this pic for one reason - to show all of you what a new house means to us! I must admit, I love this about Adam. He does everything perfectly! He's always so proud of his work too. He takes such good care of me... even down to the garage floor! What a guy! I am one lucky girl!

So, my Mom says it's time... the 15 week picture.

I must admit, I was a little nervous about posting pictures of my growing belly on my sacred blog. My Mom encouraged me that it was time - apparently I'm beginning to POP! I could've told you that! I feel bigger every day! I know it's normal and all; of course we want our baby to grow. But, I feel like I might be the biggest 15- week-pregnant-lady ever to live. One of my dearest friends who just had her second baby (Congratulations Betsy, Patrick and Big Sister Katelyn) wasn't this big until week 20... or maybe even later. I know, I know, everyone is different and I will suck it up! It will be fun to watch I'm sure. I couldn't wait for my friends to post their latest belly pics! I will try to post every week so that we can see the progress. If I continue like this though, I may be pushing 300 when it's all said and done... just kidding :) The Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunt and Uncle will appreciate it for sure.



On a sweeter and more adorable note... here's the first baby gift we ever received, little slippers for when Baby Geurts arrives. Look how small they are compared to Daddy's hand! I can't believe that soon enough, we'll have two little feet to put in these little slips...

Camping Fun!

Well, the Geurts' went camping in early August way, way, way up to Michigan - Bark River that is! It's a family tradition that I'm slowly getting use to. Not the camping so much, that's a blast, it's the truck races that are interesting. It's something I never new existed! You go to a big dirt track and watch 4x4 trucks race around and around in the mud. Surprisingly, it's pretty cool! I wasn't brave enough to take my NEW camera to the tracks (too many drunks and too much dirt), but I did get some photos of our camping. I know it was Michigan, but notice what we're wearing in August! Wow!
The loooong trip up north! We look tired, but Gravel is totally excited. He loves camping, especially if he can swim in the lake! You may be asking yourself, "what is that big red scab on your dog's nose?" Well, Gravel is very smart - he can do lots of tricks and is a great listener. However, he's quite curious (and a little dumb) and finds himself in situations where he often gets hurt, usually it's the big nose that gets the beating. He's wacked it on small windmills at Grandma Geurts', bonked it on corners of counters, doors, and car bumpers, but this particular time, he got slugged by a large walkway paver as Adam was laying it on the ground (he was making our walkway). Just another day in the life of our dog!

The highlight of the camping trip was a toy that Adam's cousin Chad (pictured) is known for making... a sand digger! All of the boys took turns and dug in the sand. Notice Lake Michigan behind them... and notice my dog is absolutely soaked. He loved racing toward the water and diving in!

While we ventured off to the races, Gravel and his best friend aka his cousin Harley (Kayla's puggle) were left behind in their kennels. They look sad, but they were absolutely exhausted.

Honeymoon pictures!

Adam and I traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in mid June for our honeymoon. We stayed in a fabulous, all-inclusive hotel right on the Pacific Ocean. We had an amazing time! We loved eating, drinking (a bit too much on day one), taking excursions, and swimming in the ocean. Take a look at some of our pics along the way!







Here's a picture of the view from our room! We stayed on the seventh floor in an awesome suite where we could watch all the action below and listen to the waves roll in. To the left is the 'adults only' pool complete with swim-up bar... if you know Adam and I, you can imagine how often we visited this spot. Did you know that all-inclusive means FREE? OK, not really free, but already paid for via your credit card months before free! It was great!










This picture is a view from the walkway that lead from the hotel, straight to the ocean. On both sides of this walkway were restaurants and a stage where you could watch some exciting shows... it was more like going to a high school show choir competition. As you can imagine, I thought it was super fun - we saw Grease LIVE on stage. Adam thought it was ridiculously painful!


In additon to our eating, drinking at the swim-up bar, and swimming in the Pacific. Adam and I decided we'd only be on our Honeymoon once, so we'd better take advantage of it... thus came the three excursions we decided to take. The first (being the good wife that I am) involved 4-wheeling throughout the countryside of Puerto Vallarta. Although this isn't necessarily "my cup of tea" (I'd much rather be laying in the sun) it was quite amazing to say the least... but first, can I preface the following pictures with this. We were totally pumped to try new things and planned this trip on DAY 2... I mentioned previously that everything at our hotel was free (not technically, but it felt like it at the time). Let me just say that I competely over-indulged at said swim- up bar the ENTIRE DAY before this trip. That's right folks, I am completely hung-over, but yet again, being the good wife that I am, I decided to pull through and let Adam experience 4-wheeling Mexico style!

We started by traveling caravan style throughout the countryside. We had a 'guide', who drove like a maniac by the way, and a guy who followed with a camera. We traveled through small villages and way up into the mountains. It was a great way to see the real Mexico.


Now those of you who know me will agree that I am lacking the 'athletic gene'... some of the gals were brave enough to drive. I, however, decided that I would be better holding on in the back. So, Adam was in charge of the actual 4-wheeling while on held on for my life! Thank god Adam didn't try to 'pop a wheelie', which he is know for!


Our travels eventually took us up into the mountains to this tequila distilery (however you spell that). We were 'encouraged' to try a variety of tequilas, which we could purchase. Think of it this way, you hear of people going to a wine tasting, well, this was a tequila tasting party. Did I mention I was hung over?!?!?






Our final excursions were boat trips out to sea, which were pretty amazing! My idea of 'experiencing' Mexico involved snorkeling and ocean fun. We went via boat to a far-off island in the middle of the Pacific where we were basically pushed off into choppy water to snorkel the reefs and explore giant caves. Not necessarily my idea of fun... when you were done snorkeling, you would drag your big 'ol body back aboard the boat to eat, listen to music and what else, drink. It wasn't incredibly relaxing, but the scenery was great!


My favorite day, by far, in Mexico was when we took a boat to a private island! We were let off at 11:00 (after an hour long boat ride) and given the entire afternoon to explore the island, snorkel, sea kayak, and lay in the sun. It was our first day of full sun all week too! In addition to our island freedom and sun-loving relaxation time, we were fed the most delicious food here too! Adam enjoyed searching for crabs with two little girls while I laid on an inner-tube and got completely fried! Aahh, the beauty of being close to the equator! This day somes up our trip in general!

I secretly love this picture... even though Adam is smoking in it. It was really fun to share this trip together. We had an amazing time!