Seattle!

Ahh...Seattle. The city that holds one of my favorite people on the planet...my beloved sister!! I went out to visit Katie, John, & Luca right before Thanksgiving and had a marvelous time with everyone. I even got to see my Dad! He was visiting them to help after Luca's surgery and our visits overlapped one day...it was very special!

We took walks, drank tea, cooked yummy food (pasta bolognese one day, potatoes au gratin another day) and of course no visit to Seattle is quite complete until there is an almond croissant involved. :) Yum yum yum. Oh and this year Katie took me to a little German grocery/deli and we got fresh pretzel rolls, Gouda cheese, and Christmas spice cookies!! It was such a treat!!

This visit was also unique in that Katie LOADED me with amazing baby items to use when baby Sophia Grace arrives! Let me put it this way...I checked a suitcase on my way home (nothing I came with went in there) and it weighed 49.9 pounds. We hit up a really fun consignment store, Katie had already stocked up on sweet girl clothes/shoes, and she is graciously letting us borrow some of Luca's items that he isn't using anymore (pack n' play, nursing pump, bath wraps, onesies, and on and on). Even Katie's friends blessed us with a beautiful diaper bag, preggo pics (another post coming on this one), and swaddling blanket - Thank you Jess & Alicia!

One of my favorite take-aways from the visit is Luca's obsession with my belly button (which is doing funky things as it stretches!) and big belly being called "Phia" (short for Sophia). Apparently he has continued to call Katie's belly (FLAT belly) Phia as well so maybe we confused the poor guy on what exactly is going on. Either he thinks every girl is pregnant with a baby Sophia in there or Phia is the new word for belly. :) In any case, his little voice couldn't be sweeter as he says his cousin's name. Can't wait for them to meet, hopefully one day soon.

Katie, how did we get so few photos together?? Happens every time...too busy enjoying every moment spending time with you! Love you!!

Michigan visit

Well once again, I don't know where to start. So much happens so quickly, I fall behind in the blogging world, and feel defeated to ever catch up...it's cyclical. But then I decide to not go down without a fight! so here I am, trying to document the past two months. Let's see where it takes us...

During mid-October, I had the pleasure and privilege to go visit Chris in his new med-school world...which happens to be in East Lansing, MI (at MSU). It was so much fun!!! The weather was GORGEOUS, fall leaves at their peak, and we found the perfect balance of activity and rest. On Saturday, we went to an apple orchard where they had fresh donuts and apple cider (groan! so so good), a fun corn maize, and fruit flinging. What is fruit flinging you might ask? Well take an old, bruised apple and fling it at a target...voila. I watched this event (which happened to be the most popular activity among the crowds) and it was more fun than I anticipated! We also made a bunch of meals for Chris to eat throughout the week and now he has beef stew & chicken casserole added to his cooking repertoire! Periodic rest was welcomed as I had many braxton-hicks contractions throughout the weekend...they created the perfect opportunity to lay down, take a walk, watch some "Office" reruns, while Chris dutifully studied and kept up with his class work. It was very cool to see him so acclimated, getting the rhythm of med school down in order to be successful...makes me proud of him! Keep up the good work, Chris! Thanks for such a great visit!!

Here is Chris, fruit flinging those apples! Notice the face guard, this is a dangerous sport, people!

The orchard building that had doughnuts and cider...look at what a beautiful day it was!

At the start of our corn maize...first one I had ever been in! :)

Chris with meals for the week - way to go! :)

Baby Shilling is a...

GIRL!!!! This is not "new" news to most, but I realized I never did post it officially! We could not be more thrilled about a little girl coming soon! Secretly, I hope she gets her daddy's dark features...tan skin and deep brown eyes. :) We shall see!

As you can tell...she (aka my BELLY) is growing! It is surreal to feel all her jabs, kicks, and rolls...I couldn't love it more!

Braxton-Hicks have started a couple of weeks ago - they don't hurt at all thankfully. I'm glad to know my uterus is practicing for the big day ahead...just so long as it doesn't go overboard - it needs to keep baby girl cozy and growing in there for at least 11-12 more weeks! Crazy thing is, time is flying and it will be here before we know it! For now, Eric and I will enjoy our quiet evenings together and soak up the fall weather with pumpkin muffins and decaf coffee/tea/hot chocolate. :)

5 Year Anniversary!!

For our five year anniversary, we went to Grove Park Inn (thanks to some AMAZING parents at GDS!) in Asheville, NC. It was awesome, amazing, relaxing, enjoyable....you get the point. It was everything lovely and desirable for the celebration of our marriage!

We had complimentary dinner (5 courses) on the "Sunset Terrace"...everything from salad with feta and walnuts to filet mignon to shrimp cocktail (for Eric) to peanut pie for dessert....it was all decadent and delicious.

The name "Sunset Terrace" don't lie...the view took our breath away. You know how mountains look huge in person and tiny on camera? this would be the case here...but to enjoy the beauty of nature on a gorgeous summer night was so awesome.

Room service breakfast in bed...oh how I love thee, let me count the ways...

The best part about our anniversary is that each year of marriage has gotten better - how much we have to look forward to!

Oh BABY!!!

We are having a baby!! This is the sweetest, most exciting thing that has kept me from blog updates! We are overjoyed, flabbergasted, in awe, speechless, soooo thankful!!!!!!!!!

This ultrasound is the baby at 7 weeks...and now we are 14 1/2 weeks! 3 months already! Jan. 24th is the due date...

We have been just bursting at the seams with this great news...now that we are cruising in the second trimester, we are shouting it for the whole world to know!!! Baby Shilling on the way!!!!!

We pray for this sweet little babe to grow strong and healthy...oh, how sweet the anticipation is to hold him/her in our arms! Thank you, LORD!!!!!!

Small Group Lake Weekend

Eric and I are part of an awesome small group with 5 other couples. We have studied various topics together, prayed for one another, and grown close over the past year. We are currently on "summer break", which is understandable given everyone's crazy summer schedules, but Eric and I are looking forward to starting back up again in the fall!

In mid-May, we all got together at Allison's parents house, which happens to be on a lake! It was very kind of them to let us hang out for the day and have fun on the lake!

It was such a fun day! Eric waterskiied for the first time! Look how great he did!! :)

I can't say the same for myself. Let's just say there was only half a lake when I was done...I drank the other half trying to get up. You win some, you lose some. Next time, that lake is going down.

All in all, a very fun day!

Umm...I was abducted by aliens?

They didn't allow me access to my blog, it is the only plausible explanation as to my absence...

At least I am back! Much has happened in the last two months...anniversary celebrations, birthdays, high school reunion, travel, and more...

More posts coming up!