I could post so many things but I will keep it simple as far as my thoughts go with all of these changes:
1. It isn't easy leaving your "life as you know it" but can always be a good thing too. I loved my little comfort zone and my usual routine and I was definitely feeling comfortable where I was. It is amazing how you appreciate a place so much more when you know that you have to leave. Sometimes I think people should live their lives like they are going to leave it because you learn to enjoy it more and appreciate everybody in your life even more. I have actually been so excited about moving here though because it felt like it was the right place to go and I was more excited than sad or nervous. I think had it been anywhere else that we were moving I would have been more nervous about it. And I have to keep reminding myself that getting out of my comfort zone is such a good thing and I will grow so much more exploring new places and meeting new people. And it is crazy to think that North Carolina will become my "new comfort zone." It is really just so hard to leave so many people you care about and to go to a new place without those people. I wish I could pack everybody up in my suitcase and take them with me. But thank goodness for modern technology to help me keep in contact with everybody. I know we will make lots of new friends though and I feel like the few people we do know here in North Carolina have already taken such good care of us. It is true what they say about the people out here and their southern hospitality. And by the way...North Carolina feels like a dream world. It is seriously so beautiful and driving around the countryside just looks like it is not even a real place because it is so pretty! I know I will love it here and I already do. :) Yes it really looks like this:
2. For some reason I had a really hard time saying goodbye to our house in Kaysville. It wasn't just walls with a roof....it was our home and it symbolized a really fun chapter in our lives and leaving it felt like we were closing up on that chapter. We are renting our house out while we are gone so that gives me some comfort knowing we aren't leaving that house forever. But it won't be the same when we get back.... Especially because we won't be right next door to Nick and Emily and Jack Jack again. That was such a fun and unique opportunity to have them there and I will always look back and enjoy those memories! Bye Bye Kaysville House...for now! :)
3. We have had such a fun summer in Utah with lots of baby showers and get-togethers! Thank you so much for all of the sweet baby showers from everybody. We loved the "Moab Crew" baby shower, the shower at my mom's house, the Hart Family Shower, the Estate Shower, and the get-together pool party shower at Devrie's with the "townhouse girls." :) Even Nick's work threw him a baby shower that was way fun. The guys Nick worked with even came to the baby shower but I think they were a little bit embarrassed to be at a baby shower...but that was way nice of them to come. Probably the first and last baby shower they will ever attend. :) We are so lucky to have all of our friends and family and all of these showers were great excuses to get together with people to say our "goodbyes" as well. :) Here is what I looked like at 24 weeks.
4. The drive across the country was great! The only glitch was that Nick's air conditioner in his car went out the first day. I was in the car when it went out and I can't help but be a "Negative Nancy" when I am dying of heat and complain so nobody let me ride in the car the rest of the time. I thought that was a good time to pull the pregnancy card and not ride in his car the rest of the trip. :) Nick's parents drove out with us and we took both of our cars while our stuff was taken for us across the country. We had so much fun with Nick's parents and are so glad they came! They are so sweet to do that and we really did enjoy the drive. We got to stop at Liberty Jail which was an awesome church site along the way and it took us about 2 and a half days to get from Utah to North Carolina. Besides Wyoming the drive really was gorgeous. :)
5. And most exciting....There is still a baby growing fast!!! I am 27 weeks along (almost 28 weeks along) and I feel like this baby is so mad at me because there is no room in my belly for her to grow. Sorry for having a 2-inch long torso Baby Girl. I can feel her in my ribs now every once in a while. Seriously though I think she is so cute and I can just tell she really is way sweet. She even makes me laugh sometimes I don't know why...but when she kicks me or moves around it makes me think she is doing it to be funny and she is playing around in there. I love her. Here are some pics of her at 25 weeks. Isn't she the cutest? Well...I know some people don't think these pictures are cute but I sure do. They are on our fridge and I just love them and think she is so cute!
6. We had an amazing summer! Here are some pics:
Alaska Cruise:
So Ashlee and Jason (the newlyweds) moved to Oregon so they met us up in Seattle and it was so much fun. We hung out and went to a bunch of Seattle "hot spots." We shared a hotel room with them and it was so perfect that we got to see them on the west coast where they live. There were some hilarious things that happened with them on this little trip. I don't know what it is but I can't stop laughing when I am with Ashlee. Now we are even further away from them it is so sad. I am sure we would hang out a lot if we lived closer. This picture is a classic at the top of the Space Needle.
In Victoria, Canada
Bald eagles galore! Everywhere!
And yes we saw this bear and we were on BIKES! Yikes! It was so scary and Nick and I were all by ourselves. It really was one of the scariest moments of my life but after we got to town and were safe again I was so glad we saw the bear. For anybody that has read "The Secret" would understand that I really did not want to see a bear and couldn't get out of my mind how much I didn't want to see a bear (while on a bike ride) and of course...that is why I saw the bear!
Our bike ride was beautiful...and way hard for a pregnant girl.
Skagway!
Why are we frowning you might ask? Well when you pay $400 for a fishing charter and don't even get a single bite it really "bites the dust." I could not get over the fact that there were so many other things I could do with $400!
Idaho Summer:
Bear Lake
Getting ready to go to the beach!
Nick and Bob fishin!
I thought my fish was big...
But I was wrong...Nick's was huge!
Campfire up Bloomington Canyon.
The Murrays chillin by the campfire..
I love this pic of Carol, Leah, Jackson, and Emily.
One of my favorites. Avery and "Uncle Nack" at the Kaysville 4th of July Parade.
The Cute Bryner Bunch hanging out with us at the Kaysville Parade. That was one of my favorite parades. The Taco Time float was wild this year!! :) IT was so fun having them the entire month of June to just hang out!
Snow Cones with Jack Jack
Snow Cones with myself. There are no snow cone places here in North Carolina by the way. What a disappointment. Thanks Emily for the snow cone machine. It will come in handy!
And this looks like a picture of me but is actually of a beached whale
