what a day...

ups and downs.

collin gave me the sweetest support and love and priesthood blessing this morning as I continue into pregnancy. I've had a pretty easy pregnancy. nausea but no vomiting. and the nausea only lasted 2 months. stretch marks, yes, but healthy me and healthy babe. fine to drive across the country 3 times, move twice, continue to be mobile etc. I've signed up at a great birth center and am excited to have a natural, exciting, loving, gentle birth. i never wanted to find out the sex, and we didn't, and it's been awesome, and i probably won't next time either. or ever. lately i've just gotten a bit overwhelmed with the weight. it's harder to move, get in and out of bed, walk, etc. I've continued to swim and do yoga, which help a lot. But I'm also so tired and take frequent naps during the day. my feet get pretty puffy too....but if I keep them up at night, they don't get too bad. so basically I have a really normal, healthy pregnancy....just some of the little things are catching up with me at 38 weeks. like insane itchiness!!!! Phew!! :) Collin's love for me and his hard work everyday inspire me to work hard and be a better woman. (i'm also trying to keep the baby in the "best position," so I try to lean over all the time....and I washed my whites in the tub today. by hand. I'll never do it again because it took forever and it wasted a lot of water. but cool. I did it. the kitties thought I was nuts.)

sadly, cs was in a small car accident today on the way to work. he's fine; the car's fine....no ticket...no fault...etc. just shaken up and had a hard frazzled day. when he came home he brought burritos from our fav place near our house. he had some cuts and bruises on his arm and hand. so sad!!!!! we spent the night snacking, playing games (I won), and watching SVU. we love SVU. but gotta stop after so many episodes...it gets in your brains....

The kitties. okay. so they play fight. it is usually fine. but sometimes they get a little carried away. today Dot was on the top of the kitty tree about to sleep and monte jumped up there and started fighting. they get aggressive on that tree. Dot let out a little cry and I jumped up to separate. monte backed down and squinted his eye like it hurt, and dot had a pierce in her cheek with a tiny blood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost started crying. I grabbed Monte and held him and hugged him and then Dot. it makes me scared and sad that they can't tell the difference of going too far right now. they spent the rest of the day apart and sleeping mostly. :( :(

my dad. goes in for heart surgery to patch the hole on Tuesday. I'll be there with my mom when he wakes up. he's going for this new procedure where they go in through a large vein in groin and go up with an umbrella type thing. it hopefully fits and can open inside and close the hole for life. If it doesn't work or the hole is too big, they will back out, wake him up and schedule open-heart surgery. I know whatever is supposed to happen will, but I'm praying for the umbrella to work.

Dot also has surgery to be spayed that day. I'm dreading it because monte had such a hard time when he went through it. plus she has to not eat the day before and has to have special litter for a week or so etc. it's really hard to do all this with two kitties when one gets to have everything normal. I am a firm believer that babies come when they are good and ready and when it's the best time for them and the mom, but that's one day I'd be nervous of little one coming. I'll still love you if you choose it though, skit.

my mom and cousin came over and helped me paint the baby's place today! it's so cute! I love it. not done yet, but when it is, there will be pictures.

okay, time for sleep. after pictures. tomorrow is the first day since we've lived here that there isn't something planned with us or work or family or something. so we're going to sleep in, eat a delicious breakfast and then discover our neighborhood shops. romantical, no?

 sun bathing. what a princess model

big cat!

AZ Science Center! Anne attacks!!

can't see ya

food digestion. anne helping.

whoa....everyone has always said that my mom and I are identical....i never 

believed, but now I do...so crazy. every other line is her then me. 

Dbacks with Collin and work people. 

totally forgot to take a picture inside or of the field.

Made mini donuts from scratch. 

with whole wheat, duh.

missionaries came and Dot was obsessed with their 

backpacks. seriously rubbing her face all over it and 

loving it and him. he was a cat-lover, himself. 

nighty.

ps. so netflix changed to the new rates. what did everyone decide? instant streaming? or DVD? or both? 

this guy is seriously incredible

http://www.jimspancakes.com/

He says he's just trying to make some cool pancakes for his daughter.

video of him trying out the golden gate bridge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPzu3Whe4xo&feature=player_embedded

There are so many creative people in this world. I want to try it all.

Highlights.

My mother and brother, Sandy and Joseph Money came last week for their spring break. It was excellent. I love them so much. I've missed them so badly. We just hung out and were together. It was wonderful.

They had a very interesting start to the trip as their plane wing flaps malfunctioned and they had to make an emergency landing using the breaks only, FREAKY! haha, but they survived. THEN on the way home we got a flat tire! Sheesh! Collin and Joe put on the spare and once again, our trip continued.

 This was us in the Planetarium watching BLACK HOLES! It was pretty freaky and awesome to virtually go into space and through a black hole. Space is nuts, man. NUTS.

Our tour of the birth center. Loved it.

Probably the highlight of the week: visiting Mount Vernon:

George Washington's home.

We loved being there; it was so peaceful! We

loved learning about Washington and his family.

He had an incredible life and was such a humble man! 

It was pretty inspiring.

The tour of his mansion was AMAZING. 

We couldn't take pictures, and this was the only 

room I got to sneak a shot of. None of the walls 

were white. ALL color and all picked out by 

Washington himself. He would love our decorating! :)

But back to the tour...it was so intimate. 

We were right there in the rooms. They were just so cool. 

And even though it was pretty crowded, everyone

was really quiet & respectful, and I could feel an 

amazing spirit there. 

One of the greatest gifts that George Washington gave 

this country was to give up his power after after two terms,

establishing this from that point on so that no man would gain too 

much power. What a great man.

"I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord, he

that liveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall

he live' and whosoever liveth and believeth in me

shall never die." -Inscription from St John above

George and Martha Washington's tombs.

So peaceful.

It was St. Patrick's day and we went to 

lunch in downtown Alexandria at an Irish pub.

Fish and chips there were AMAZING. The 4

of us shared one and were stuffed!

 Then some shopping, and shamrock shakes 

(tradition for Joseph and me)

and home after a great long day.

Love you, Mom and Joseph. Collin, Monte and I had the best time with you and we miss you.
See you in June!!!

Blue + Weekend

Collin dancing at our favorite Friday Bollywood Curry-oke.

good conversation with the Tolleys and Ryan

Watching JAWS with little Mad!!! I love that movie.

This is what I do every Sunday. Hang out, bubbles, lesson about Jesus, and learn from these little guys.

Awesome squirrel. This week I'm going to get good.

A Tour

It is insanely gorgeous in DC today. The WINDOWS are open! NO A/C! ZERO humidity!!! How is this possible!? Either way, I'm grateful because the family from Arizona is here. I was afraid they were all going to die because of how humid it's been. (And I've gotten used to it. This is my home now.)

But they are all sleeping soundly in our house. Collin is at his temp job, and I'm awake because it's 9:30, and I can't sleep past 7:30 these days. So I'll read my scriptures, make tons of lists for food shopping this week, upcoming bachelorette parties, etc, and I'll post pictures of our place.

We cleaned and organized a lot the past week or two. We still have to hang just a few things and paint a couple of spots, but here it is, for your enjoyment. We painted every wall ourselves. The photos are all darkish because it was nighttime. We wanted to get pictures before the tornado of family hit.

Entry way from door

Egon & music corner

This is the game room.

This room's called the library, though the book shelves got moved all around the house. These Peacock walls are my absolute favorite thing about the place.

All ready for a Dad/America celebration.

Kitchen

The Beast. Red Room in Harmony. Matisse.

Below is the hallway. To the left: bathroom, right: our room, straight ahead, extra room.

Somebody was in the shower...

Schiele, towels, and TP closet below

Travel room--will have all our maps, masks, posters and photos from distant lands.

Our room. Vintage dresser.


Look at all those fans. We usually have to use these! Plus A/C! Plus overhead fan! Not now, yay!

True story

PS. Joseph is gigantic. He is going to be 12 in 2 months and he's almost as tall as me. How could I go 6 months without seeing my baby brother? And how is it that he was once a little baby--big blue eyes, goofy smile, bald head??

PPS. We will be doing much for the next 10 days INCLUDING Hershey Park (Collin's first time!) and joining the MASSES at the National Mall/US Capitol for the 4th of July. Everyone around here says we're crazy. I'm excited.