The Movius Family

Down To The Wire

2011-10-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, we only have three weeks to go until Nick and I take on a whole new life. No longer will we be able to go out on a whim to catch dinner or a flick, get up and go because we need to get out of the house, or enjoy a night out...unless we prearrange a baby sitter and take hours to prepare for one hour out.

It will all be worth it though once Emerson is born. We simply cannot wait to meet our precious baby girl and as fast as this pregnancy has gone, these last few weeks are dragging. I have so much anticipation, anxitety, excitement, fear and it is all consuming me. I have definitely begun nesting...I can't stay out of her room. I am constantly organizing, moving things around, cleaning, etc. Overall my pregnancy has gone great and only now am I beginning to feel the pangs of it all. My feet have been really swollen all summer and now they are pretty painful. And I have been super tired and moody lately (sorry honey!)

I have had three amazing showers put on by friends and family. I have one more coming up next week which will be given by Nick's co-worker. We have received so many wonderful gifts and have truly appreciated every single one of them. I can tell you one thing...Emerson will be the best dressed little girl on the block! She has received so many clothes already!

So, as we look forward to our new lives as parents, we want to take the time to thank every one for all of their love and support. Babies have not been present in either of our families for quite some time so I know that everyone is excited to experience this adventure with us. Our lives will be consumed for awhile, adjusting to our new roles, but please bear with us and always feel free to stop by for a visit! We would love to see you and will appreciate the company. We may be tired but will always welcome visitors. I may just put you to work sorting laundry ;)

A quiet and cool summer

2011-09-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Summer has not been very nice to us this year. It has stayed moderately cool and cloudy for the most part. It hasnt given us any opportunities to go swimming, camping or just enjoying the weather outside. It only started to get nice and warm when Nick and I headed off to Vegas to battle 100+ degree temps! Phew!

We have only 11 weeks to go until our precious little Emerson is due to arrive. The time has flown by and we are quickly realizing that we will be parents in just a very short time. We are beyond excited and simply cannot wait to meet our bundle of joy. We have started on her room and enlisted Angela and Becky's help to paint the walls. Nick and I also put her crib together and it looks great. Megan had her baby boy Logan on August 22nd and he is such a doll! It got us super excited because we are next!

We were able to go see comedian Daniel Tosh which was a blast. He was funny as usual and had the crowd roaring with laughter. We had a nice dinner with Joel and Angela first in Bellingham and then went to the Mount Baker Theater to see him.

Nick and I enjoying a nice dinner

Joel and Angela at dinner

Daniel Tosh

Our 2nd anniversary and my 31st birthday came and went in August. Nick got me a beautiful camera which I wanted primarily for when baby Emerson makes her arrival! Nick is all geared up and getting ready to start school again. He worked for 3 weeks this summer teaching for a science summer academy which he enjoyed. His first day back will be the same day we start our birthing classes! What an exciting day! :)

Here are a few pics from our trip to Vegas. We went with Joel and Angela and had a great time. Joel was there for an EMS Expo so there were quite a few other medics that we hung around with too. I got pretty exhausted with all of the walking you do in Vegas but it was overall a nice little "babymoon" to allow us a little time to enjoy ourselves before our lives change forever! :)

Joel, Angela, me and Nick having fun at Coyote Ugly!

Nick and I at the top of the Stratosphere

Nick and his huge slot machine!

Angela and I on the strip

4th of July

2011-07-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

We were invited out to Jen Linde's cabin out in Coupeville for the 4th and we had a great time. The weather was simply perfect and it made for a beautiful day out on the water. We enjoyed sitting in the sun, beachcombing, barbequing and hanging out.

Nick was throwing the football around the beach with the boys

Nick and I enjoying the sunshine

The beautiful view from the cabin

Me, Amy, Megan and Jen

After leaving Coupeville, Nick and I came back into town and watched the Edgewater firework display with my parents. They put on a great show over the river and we brought chairs down to the revetment and watched a great show.

Annie didnt like the works so much...she jumped right into Papa's arms when he came over!

Its a....

2011-07-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated news has finally arrived...we are having a baby girl! We are so excited to become parents and cannot wait to meet our precious little girl. We dont have any names picked out yet but there are a few floating around that we have been thinking about. We have started to clean out the spare room in preparation for the nursery and I will post pictures of the progress when we get started.

A beautiful day on Lummi Island

2011-06-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Jen's boyfriend Steve has a family cabin on Lummi Island and we were more than excited to go pay a visit on a recent warm Sunday afternoon. Jen and Steve had Nick and I, mom and dad, and grandma up for a BBQ. We had never been to Lummi before so we were'nt sure what to expect.

He had a great place with an amazing view and only steps from the beach. We had a fun filled day walking on the beach, exploring the island, gorging ourselves on yummy food, eagle watching and just having fun! The eagle watching was pretty fascinating...after watching an eagle preen himself for a good half our right above our heads, he was attacked by a crow! We got to see quite the bird duel!!

Exciting News!!

2011-06-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I should have posted at the end of the last blog about Oregon about this but I thought it deserved its own post :) We are pregnant! We found out the last day we were in Oregon but of course kept it quiet for awhile due to previous complications. We also received another shock when our first ultrasound at what we thought was 10 weeks actually turned out to be 14! So we were an entire month ahead of schedule!

We are due November 18th and we will be having our 20 week ultrasound here soon to find out the sex. And yes, we will be finding out :) I will hopefully get some pics up of our little gummy bear when we find out (BTW post people are saying boy...what do you think??)

YAY!!

A fun-filled trip to Oregon

2011-06-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

For Nick's birthday this year I purchased tickets to a Trailblazers/Thunder game in Portland. I knew that he would be excited because one of his favorite players was coming into town (Kevin Durant) and he hadnt been to a game in quite some time. We decided to make a real trip out of it so we decided to go to the game, spend some time in Portland, then head to Tillamook and Cannon Beach.

We had an excellent time at the game. I was super excited because not more than 50 yards in front of us sat Dan Akroyd who is one of my favorite actors. He was sitting right next to Paul Allen so it really made my night! After that we wandered around Portland, visiting the infamous Voodoo Doughnuts and seeing the spectacular Oregon Zoo. Wow were we impressed with that place! It was so much fun!

After we left Portland we made our way to Tillamook where we toured the cheese factory. We took some yummy treats with us for our trip up to Cannon Beach. When we arrived we were stunned at the resort we stayed at. It was so beautiful. Unfortunately it poured the entire time we were there but we managed to get out for the hour it didnt to snap a few pics.

We had a great trip and will definitely be visiting Oregon again soon! Here are just a few of the many pics we took.

A winter wonderland...in February!

2011-02-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

Wow we certainly got dumped on this year! We are only a few short days away from March and we got 18" of snow in just a few hours! It is absolutely beautiful but sure makes it hard to get around. Nick had two days off of work and I had one. We made the best of it and had a fun "snow day" at home and took Annie outside to play in it. She had a blast!

Loving it!

Nick chasing Annie in the snow

The cars were mostly covered!

Enjoying the beautiful day!

The patio the night before

Nobody was really prepared for another snow storm this year but it sure turned out to be quite the event! Since we dont get much snow around here, nobody really prepares so it ends up in chaos!

A new year, a new beginning

2011-01-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

After a rough 2010, we are optimistic and looking forward to a new year. We dont have much planned yet for the year but we our primary focus will be on starting a family. Some of my New Years resolutions included becoming more organized, live a healthier lifestyle, and to be more positive and understanding of how this crazy world works; I believe that everything happens for a reason.

We are trying to plan a mini-trip over Nick's spring break to allow us a little getaway time. We are going to the Trailblazer/Thunder basketball game in April (the first day of his break) and hope to take off from there and enjoy Cannon Beach for a few days. We will see where our trip planning takes us. Seems like Hawaii is the place to be this year...the Pratt family went last week, Bridget is going next week, and then they are all going back together over Christmas! Wow how lucky! Maybe I can convince Nick to go there instead... :)

We have been pretty busy so far this year...we celebrated with Jamie and Chris on New Years in Coupeville, Nick had an amazing birthday weekend with his friends in Portland, I went to Dylan's FIRST birthday (cant believe it!), and just this last weekend I helped Megan, Amy and Teresa make lefse! We had a great time making these yummy treats!

A season of...birthdays!

2010-12-21T11:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas time is quite busy around here and not just because of the holidays. We have a few birthdays to celebrate as well! Mom and Jen's birthdays are just a few days before Christmas so this year we all went to our favorite restaurant in Seattle, Palisade. We had a delicious meal, as always!

Jen with her birthday dessert

Mom enjoying her birthday dinner with dad :)

Me, grandma and Jen

Nick and I

The traditional pic at Palisade, in front of the tree!

Crafting Weekend

2010-12-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

A few girlfriends and I went to Reardan (Spokane area) for a fun filled weekend of crafting! It was such a nice and relaxing getaway and it gave us all time to work on any projects that we had. I worked on scrapbooking, Christmas ornaments, needlepoint, and punch needle!

We rented the most adorable house which was built strictly for retreats and crafting parties!

The crafting room downstairs. It had 10 tables with lamps and plug-ins, sewing machines, copiers, craft supplies and much more to accommodate our needs!

A picture out a book! So beautiful!

Me, Jen and Jill at the Buggy Barn (the local, and quite famous, quilt shop)

Jill with her completed quilt...what an amazing project!

All of Jen's beautiful things!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

Keeping up with a tradition we have had for many years now, we went over to have dinner with Megan and Amy the night before Thanksgiving. We used to have dinner at their parents house but this year we tried something new and went to Amy and Ben's house! Megan made a yummy taco soup, Amy made cornbread, and I brought dessert.

We had a great time and ended up playing a rousing game of girl vs. guy Catch Phrase...the girls won of course :) We also got to spend some time with adorable Mr. Dylan before he went off to bed! What a handsome guy!

All decked out in his Coug gear!

We had a nice and quiet Thanksgiving dinner at mom and dads house. Jen and I hosted and were in charge of all the fixin's :) We had grandma and Nan over and we had a good time eating, chatting and playing cards.

Best ever pumpkin pie!

Chloe was trying to get in on the card action with her poker face

Fall updates

2010-11-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

Boy things have quickly spiraled out of control these past few months. We have had to deal with some pretty heavy issues in the family and are looking for some much needed "happy times."

Some good things have happened, however. My mom and I took a great trip down to Arizona to visit family and soak up some sun. We stayed a few days in a hotel and a couple days at my cousin Cathy's house. We had such a great time and both mom and I truly LOVE Arizona. It is such a beautiful place, in such a different regard than Washington.

Nick has been busy working on his Master's degree and school has kept him busy with meetings, report cards and committees. He loves his job but it takes a mighty toll on him!

For the Children's Hospital Guild I am in, we held our annual shopping bus trip (going to Molbak's and Bellevue Square) and had a great time. I ended up working on the bus serving drinks, selling raffle tickets, and preparing food. It was actually a lot of fun but I am so sore from trying to balance myself on a bus all day! Overall the three buses were able to pull together $12,000 to send down to Seattle Children's! We were so happy and grateful that everyone helped us out!

Well, its Thanksgiving week. I will try to get better about posting more updated blogs and I will hopefully have some pictures of the festivities coming up. Happy Thanksgiving all!

Girls Weekend in Winthrop

2010-08-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

I was scheduled to go out of town on Friday, about an hour after I learned of my poor Maude. I was set to stay in town to help out with arrangements but my family told me to go as there wasnt any reason to sit at home and sulk. So....Bridget, Heather, Angela and I went over to Winthrop for the weekend to have our girls weekend. We had a blast shopping, laughing, eating, lounging and hot tubbing! I was glad that I ended up going, it really helped take my mind off of things.

Our awesome resort right on the river, the River Run Inn

The river running right on the back of the property

Bridget and I having fun shopping!

Angela, Heather and I having fun in the room

Thanks for a great weekend girls, it really helped get my mind off things and I appreciated all of your loving support! :)

Rest in Peace

2010-08-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sad news to report today. I lost my grandmother this morning. After much suffering the last few months she finally passed and I know that she is now in heaven looking down on us. We love you Maude, you gave us many happy memories and we will always keep you in our prayers. We appreciate all that you have given and shared with us. You will live in my heart forever. We all love you and miss you very much.

Concert and the big 3-0

2010-08-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

The day before my birthday party we went with the Hammers and the Bryans to go and see Knut Bell. We have never seen him in concert before so that was a lot of fun. He played great music and even Dylan got his picture taken with Knut!

After a fun night we got up early the next morning and got ready for the big birthday bash at mom and dads. Dad barbequed up an amazing salmon and we had all sorts of yummy sides and drinks. Luckily the weather held out for us as the forcast called for rain all day. We had plenty of sunshine and even got to play some badminton! Thanks so much to everyone who attended and made my day so special!

Milestones

2010-08-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

This summer has brought a couple of big milestones! We celebrated our one year anniversary and I turned the big 3-0! Wow how time is flying...I can hardly believe the end of summer is near. Nick is definitely not ready for his break to be over!

We celebrated our anniversary in Priest Lake, Idaho with the Hurd family. We had a nice relaxing time on the lake and were able to take a drive around the lake on our anniversary and enjoy a dinner at Hill's. We returned with a litte cake celebration put on by Martha :) We enjoyed catching some rays, some rest, and good company.

Enjoying the water!

Svetlio jumping into the canal

This was one of the highlights from our trip...while Nick and I were in the middle of the lake on our jet ski's, not more than 50 feet in front of us was a moose and her calf swimming across the lake. It was such an awesome sight!

After returning from Idaho it was time for me to come to the reality that I was heading into my thirties...I ended up having a great birthday. Nick took me to The Cliffhouse for dinner and he gave me a beautiful set of diamond earrings. We also went out to dinner with my parents and grandmother to Sakura. I was spoiled with gifts there too :) The day ended with a call from my sister which completely made my day. She had sent me a beautiful bracelet that she had designed and made in India. It resembles on that my mom gave me many years ago. She bought one for herself and had them inscribed. She will be leaving India this weekend and is off to another adventure in Spain.

The weather has been HOT! We have been in the mid 90's all week which makes for an awful nights sleep. My mom and I booked our trip to Arizona in October so we are definitely looking forward to that. Hopefully the weather will be nice but not too hot. Nick is still having issues with his back but hopes that a visit to a back specialist in September will give him much needed relief.

I will be having a birthday party this weekend with my friends so I will be sure to post pictures from that as well as the Knut Bell concert we are going to on Saturday. Our busy summer is still going stong!

Long Lost Summer

2010-06-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Where in the world is summer? This weather is unbelievable for the end of June! We have been bundled up in sweaters and jeans for far too long now...bring on the sun! We have had a few (and I mean FEW) nice sunny days to enjoy and boy has it made this start of summer busy!

We took a weekend trip to Port Angeles to help Svetlio celebrate his high school graduation. Martha and Dave hosted a very nice party on Saturday night and we also met up with Nicks family and a friend of his from school. We had a busy weekend there but enjoyed seeing everyone.

Congratulations Svetlio! We are so proud of you!!

We also made a super quick trip over to Winthrop over Memorial Day weekend. We only went for a day trip to visit some friends who were staying at the KOA. We had a nice time shopping, going to Sun Mountain and visiting friends.

Nice little family portrait....

This past weekend we were excited to be a part of Mikey and Jen's wedding celebration. They were married at Hidden Meadows in Snohomish, a beautiful setting! The ceremony was super quick which made more time for the fun festivities! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Darrah!

Father's Day was also this weekend and we celebrated with a brunch at Randy's Pier 61 in Anacortes. We had a yummy feast! We missed a call from Jen in the morning but she called in the evening. She has arrived in India and is having a fabulous time. She has been traveling through the Himilayas, Kashmir and Dharmasala so far. She has found a few people to travel with and she is having the trip of a lifetime.

I have yet another busy weekend coming up but I am also super excited about it. I am going to Spokane with Jen to see her sister and her family. We already have a massage scheduled for Friday when we arrive ;) We are hoping to find some sunshine over on the eastern part of the state! The start of "summer" has been busy so far and we have plenty more on the books coming up in the next few weeks! Bring it on! (Sun that is) :)

Its a dog's life

2010-05-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

We took Annie out to Bayview State Park for some play time while the sun was shining. She was having a blast trying to catch the ball with the "chuck-it." The last picture is hilarious...she looks like a flying squirrel!

Spring updates

2010-04-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Again, we have fallen short of keeping up with this blog...we are trying, we promise! We have been getting a bit busier with the start of Spring so here are a few things that are going on...

One exciting thing is that Nick started his Master's program in February. Well, maybe not too exciting for him but it will definitely be worth it in the end. He is overwhelmed with homework but he is getting through it just fine. His summer break will be a nice opportunity to get a lot done.

Also in February we went to go see the Harlem Globetrotters. We got excellent courtside seats and had a great time watching them do all of their tricks.

Being silly with the net

Charles Barkley look-a-like

Chatting it up with the crowd

Nick had his Spring Break during the last weekend in March so we used the opportunity to go to Ocean Shores for a few days. We had a nice time but just like the last time we went, the weather was TERRIBLE! Well, it was actually kind of fun going out into the worst wind and rain storm that we had ever seen and we even drove out onto the beach during 75mph winds! We managed to sneak a few pictures in despite the freezing rain pelting our faces!

Blowing away in the wind

Managing a smile through the frozen rain

The day we left...of course it was nicer!

Despite the weather we still had fun going through town, getting salt water taffy and hanging out in the casino. We played in a poker tournament and showed all the locals how it was done :)

When we came home it was Easter so we had a nice visit with Jamie and Chris who stopped by that morning. We went to Max Dales for brunch and Nick's aunt and uncle were able to join us which was so nice. We had a great time there and then went back at my parents house. We also visited with my grandmother who has been in a care facility for a few weeks now. We are praying that she will be coming home soon.

Great things have been happening to our siblings as well...Jen bought her ticket to India for June 4th and will be traveling through for 2 or 3 months until her next stop, Spain. She is super excited and I hope that she has a great time. She is still in South Korea teaching children English. Also, Joel and Christie WON a trip to Ireland on St. Patty's Day! How amazing, we are so happy for them and wish them a great trip. Sam just started school again and has been producing some amazing artwork which will definitely take her somewhere great.

Well, thats all for now. We hope everyone is doing well and we hope you all had a great Easter weekend!

A new year, a new beginning

2010-01-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

We have started of 2010 fresh off our honeymoon and ready to start our lives together. Although we have been married for a few months now, the honeymoon was our first big trip together and it feels like we are now officially off to married life!

Fiji was simply AMAZING. It was above and beyond what we imagined and was absolutely the most beautiful place we have ever seen. The sites, the people, the activities....all were unbelieveable.

Enjoying the sand between our toes!

The welcome sign as you get off the catamaran

We kayaked around our island...it only took about 20 minutes!

So beautiful! And not crowded!

Enjoying the games and music after dinner

The beautiful infinity pool

Masters of the Kava Ceremony... :)

Our charming little "bure #7"

We had a great time and it was hard to come back. The weather was so warm and we definitely had a hard time coming back to the cold!

We hope that 2010 will be a great year! We started it off with a New Year's poker tournament at the Pratt's and had a lot of fun! Nick celebrated his birthday on Jan. 8th and the very next day, Amy and Ben had their baby boy, Dylan. He is such a sweet baby and we are so happy for them!

Whirlwind

2009-12-03T09:11:00.001-08:00

Wow, how time flies when the holidays come around! I can hardly believe that it is December already...that means our honeymoon is just around the corner!! We leave on the 21st and are so excited to go! I will make sure to post pictures from that when we return :) I am however a little sad that it will be my very first Christmas away from home. Both my sister and I will be away from home for the holiday and it is very hard on us all.

We FINALLY got around to downloading some of our professional pics from the wedding. We thought Erika did a great job on them and once we find time to go through the ones we like for photoshopping, she will post them to her website for all to see. Here are a few "previews."

We have also been busy traveling all over the state! I went to Karin's cabin in Skykomish for a "girls weekend" and had fun chatting and celebrating Becky's big 30th birthday. After that weekend Nick and I drove over to Prosser with some of his friends and then went on to Pullman for a football game and to see Jeff Dunham. It was a lot of fun and Jeff Dunham was so great.

Thanksgiving was nice and quiet. We had a great dinner at my parents house with my grandma and aunt. We got to talk to Jen over the internet and it was nice to be able to have the family over so she could talk to us all. The night after Thanksgiving was the Festival of Trees which was also fun. All the trees were beautiful and it is always fun to get all dressed up.

Well, I am sure we will return with all sorts of pictures from our honeymoon/Christmas in Fiji. I will make sure to post some for everyone. Happy Holidays everyone!!

Another beautiful wedding!

2009-10-20T10:31:00.001-07:00

This weekend was Megan and Sam's wedding and we had such a good time. It was a busy but fun couple of days spending time with all of the bridal party. We had a pumpkin carving work party for the reception, spent Friday with Megan doing nails, lunch and the rehearsal dinner, and then had an awesome day on Saturday despite all of the rain! They got married at the Fir-Conway church and then the reception was at the beautiful Tazer Valley Farms. We wish the new couple a lifetime of love and happiness!

Nick helping out with pumpkin carving

The bridal party at the rehearsal dinner

The bridesmaids and Sam!

The happy couple...Megan and Sam Hammer!

Dog's Life Festival

2009-09-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

Jodi, Krisi, Patti and I went to the Dog's Life Festival at Edgewater Park this weekend and had so much fun! We started off the morning with a 2 mile fun run along the dike and then came back to enjoy all of the booths, demonstrations, dog dancing, parades and off leash areas! The dogs had so much fun but were definately pooped by the end of the day (as were their owners!)

Such a ham! :)

Jodi's dog, Dutch, and I trying to cool off!

The group after our fun run...or walk :)

John's Surprise Party

2009-09-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Nick and I went down to Tacoma for a surprise party for John. He is being deployed to Afghanistan this month and his wife, Gina, wanted to throw a goodbye party for him. We all met up at BJ's in Tacoma for some good food, drinks and fun! We had a great time! We will miss you John! Good luck!

Nick, John and I

Tyson and his mini burgers!

The group!

Uh oh...more motorboating pics....

Mr. and Mrs. Movius

2009-09-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! Sorry it took us so long to post something new but we have been a busy pair! We are officially married and couldnt be happier!! Our wedding was so beautiful and fun and we are so greatful for all of our family and friends who were able to come share our special day with us. We had the most amazing day ever! We have not gotten the professional pictures back yet but here are a few that people took during the day.

After the wedding Nick and I took a few days and went to Las Vegas and Priest Lake, Idaho. We traveled around a lot but had fun getting away for a few days. We came home very tired and immediately got sick. The both of us were pretty drained and we just took it easy and got some much needed rest.

Unfortunately Nick was in a car accident about three weeks ago and his car was almost totaled. We have been fighting to get all the insurance taken care of, rental cars, and getting his fixed. It is all working out, however and he should have his car back soon. It has been a pain because Nick just started school again. He has a great classroom with great kids. He thinks this year will be great!

Almost there!

2009-07-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, wow its been crazy! We are only 4 days away until the big day!! We have had plenty to do and with this crazy 90+ degree heat, its been nearly impossible to get the much needed beauty sleep for the wedding! :)

We have had many meetings and shopping trips to try to get everything done for Saturday. We cannot believe how the time has flown by! We both are in disbelief that we will be a married couple by the end of the weekend! Monday morning we will be heading to Vegas and Priest Lake for the week so we are looking forward to getting some much needed rest and relaxation.

Jen came home from South Korea on Saturday and it was so great to see her. My mom and I picked her up from the airport and then we went on a mini shopping spree in Bellevue. Then that night we celebrated my bachelorette party which was a blast. Thank you to all of my friends and family who attended! Addy and Lydia's birthdays were also celebrated this month and both parties were great fun! Happy birthday to my favorite "nieces!" :)

Here are a few pics from my bachelorette party...just a few "highlights" of the night :)

Taking my first shot

Mom and her girls

Dance shot!

The bridal party!

Fun shot on the dance floor

Getting serenaded by the piano players

Mariners Game

2009-06-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun Saturday spending some time on Safeco Field meeting some really cool players and getting some autographs. My parents won tickets to go on the field, meet a player and get our pictures taken. Jamie Burke was the only player available but he was really nice and friendly. We have professional pictures coming in the mail soon.

Nick got his autograph as well as Lee Tinsley's. He is a coach but the experience of being on the field with them was really fun. We wanted Griffey's autograph but he wasnt playing that day. He was pretty close to us and we got some good pics. The seats were amazing too. Check out the pics!

Family pic on the field

Griffey!

Nick with his autographed ball at the field entrance

Haha! Priceless Ichiro....

Getting Lee Tinsley's autograph

A weekend in Winthrop

2009-06-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

Nick and I decided to get a way for a couple of days and drive over to beautiful Winthrop. Nick had never been there before so it was fun showing him around the old western themed town. It was super hot, about 97 degrees on Saturday. I got a nasty sunburn from being in the pool at the campground. It was amazing how deserted the town was because usually its a huge tourist trap in the summer and its hard to get around.

We took Annie with us and she was surprisingly pretty good for her first camping trip. She discovered how fun swimming can be and she did anything she could to find any type of water to play in.

Annie looking pathetic wanting to get out of the car

Finally finding water at Diablo Lake!

Nick and I rode these bikes all around the campsite

Our huge site right along the river

Mt. Erie and more dress issues....

2009-06-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Out of frustration I called the dress shop AGAIN looking for an update on my dress that was supposed to come in LAST week. After waiting on hold for what I presumed to be a discussion among the salespeople about what to tell me, they finally got on the phone and told me that there had been a slight delay....how slight...I asked. Well, it looks like the dress wont be shipping out until July 1st.

At this point I was about to have a meltdown on the phone with the owner of the shop. She had to reassure me that she has never had a screw up in 30 years and she wont start with mine...well how can I not freak out when after shipping the 1st, probably not getting here until a week later, the dress will be here like 2 weeks before the wedding, without any alterations! How is this possible?! I am so deathly afraid that something will be wrong with the new one too. Well, I just have to sit back and try to relax. Hopefully it will all work out okay.

We have been trying to do some fun stuff to get our minds "destressed" and also to get out and enjoy the nice weather we have been having. We have played some tennis and have been taking Annie out a lot to different parks and such. We took a drive up to Mt. Erie and enjoyed the mild hiking and beautiful views from the top.

So beautiful!

Annie and dad :)

Sticking her head out the window on the way home

The first appearance of "Bridezilla"

2009-05-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

My dress finally came in after many months of waiting. I got to go up and try it on and it fit perfectly. It only needed a few minor alterations on the top. My alterations were scheduled for two days later in order to get them finished on time for the wedding.

Alteration day came and I woke up feeling pretty anxious to go get my dress measured and ready to go. On my way to work Annie decided to chew up my wedding shoes. After almost a year of having her, she has NEVER even touched a pair of our shoes. On this day, she went for the gold. So, I didnt have any shoes to wear to my alteration appointment. Ok, well they were cheap enough so I can eventually forgive her and get new shoes :)

That afternoon, while getting ready to go to my alteration appointment, I got a call from the bridal shop. They were cancelling my appointment because they had to send my dress back to China. "Excuse me?" Apparently there was a flaw in the back of the dress that they couldnt fix. When I originally tried it on, it was perfect. So, I personally feel that the dress shop did something to it after I left and had to cover up. After that back and forth call trying to figure out what happened, I broke down.

It was not the most pleasant day to be around me :) I had a hard time being convinced that everything was going to be alright and that a new dress would only be here in 2 to 3 weeks. I need to realize that mistakes happen and that they are doing everything they can to help me and not stress out. Its hard not to think that my perfect dress is now being sent back and I dont know when a new one will arrive. As hard as it is, nothing is more important than the day spent marrying the love of your life :) Focusing on us is all that matters and I know that the day will be absolutely perfect.

We're all Booked!

2009-04-28T11:40:00.001-07:00

Nick and I got finalization today on our honeymoon....we are going to Fiji! We are so excited and are finding it hard to believe that we are going to FIJI! Its a dream come true for us, we never thought we would be going somewhere like it. Pricewise it was surprisingly the best deal and we will be on a tiny private and secluded island called Matamanoa. You can check it out at www.matamanoa.com if you so desire :) Here are a few pics of the resort...we want to go now!!

Winery Tour

2009-04-21T09:39:00.001-07:00

We met up with some friends last weekend to do a winery tour in Woodinville. We had a lot of fun touring the wineries and getting to taste a variety of wines. Nick couldnt really acquire a taste for any of them but a few were pretty tasty! We took a couple of bottles home after a long day of tasting.

Matt, Mikey and Nick getting ready for the tour...

Nick and I learning about wine!

Is there anything in there?

Liz, Molly, Jenny and Jen

Baptism and Confirmation

2009-04-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

We had an exciting Easter weekend. After many Thursday night preparation classes, Nick got baptized into the Catholic Church on April 11th! This was an exciting night because after Nick got baptized, we both got confirmed! We were lucky to have such great sponsors there to support us as well as Liz's mom. We are now officially members of the church and are really excited to be married in the same church as Liz's parents and where Liz went to church as a little girl. We didnt get pics of us getting confirmed but here are a few of Fr. McMichael baptizing Nick....

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2009-04-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! Well its been super busy on our end lately, hence the lack of posts for awhile. To start off with the biggest news, Liz's sister packed up and moved to Korea! She got a teaching job there for one year. Her trip started off a bit rocky when we got into a car accident in Seattle on the way to the airport. We were all okay but a little shaken up. We arrived at the airport on time and sent her off without any more problems. She will be coming home for about a week to attend our wedding but will be going back to finish up her year.

Also, other big news...baby Maya was born! Maya is Joel and Angelas second little girl and she is such a good baby. Nick and I went up to the hospital to see her and she is just adorable. Liz also was able to go to the final adoption hearing where things were made official! They are so blessed to have two little angels...

We went with our friend Dash to go see an awesome concert in February...Brad Paisley! We were super close and Liz even got to touch his boot :) It was a lot of fun; here are a few pics...

Megan and Sam got engaged which was exciting news so Liz has been doing some dual dress shopping with her! It was fun to be able to try on our wedding dresses together, its not often that people get to do that! We ordered from the same shop so when Megan bought hers, I tried mine on as well.

We also went to Kacee's "Pink 30th Birthday Bash" and had a lot of fun. Everyone wore pink and we played a rousing game of Win Lose or Draw! We had some good food, drinks, and a good time.

Well, we hope everyone is well and we will try to keep this thing updated a little more often so we dont have mile-long posts every time :) We are getting closer and closer to our wedding date so Im sure we will be updating you on all of the progress! Oh, by the way, Nick and I have our confirmation coming up this Easter weekend...wish us luck and we will let you know how it goes!

No more hospitals!

2009-02-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

Well we just came off of a pretty stressful week! I ended up in the hospital last week from a severe migraine which really has not let up much. I had a CT scan done to check for bleeding but luckily it turned out negative. I suffer from migraines quite regularly but I have never had anything quite like this. Since my hospital visit I still havent felt well so I will go back for more testing this week.

We received a call on Saturday from Nicks sister Sam who said that their brother Andy was hit by a car in Port Angeles. Of course we were freaking out watiting to hear the details because she didnt have any to give us other than it happened. After many phone calls we found out that Andy broke his leg in two places and his head hit the windshield of the car. We were concerned with possible head trauma but luckily Andy's head wasnt affected. We made a quick trip over to Port Angeles on Sunday to visit him and he seemed to be in good spirits which was good. Please keep him in your prayers as he recovers.

Also, Nick is struggling with the issue of possible budget cuts for the next year and is worried about losing his job. Please also pray for him to keep his job! Its so hard listening to the news anymore because of all the negativity floating around with financial issues.

On a positive note, my sister got accepted for a teaching position in Korea and will be leaving in April for an entire year. It is an exciting opportunity for her and I know that she will do great. She will also be able to come home for a couple of days for the wedding which is good news. Lets hope that the next post will have some better news to entertain you all with! Take care!

Whistler and Wedding updates!

2009-01-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

We headed up to Whistler last weekend with Joel, Angela, Addison, and the Turners (Angelas sister and her family). We had a nice long relaxing weekend playing in the snow and checking out all that Whistler had to offer. There wasnt as much snow this year and the weather wasnt as cold as usual but we still had a fun time. Nick had never been before so it was fun to show him the sites. We stayed in a really nice condominium, about a 10 minute walk to the village.

We got to experience the new Peak to Peak gondolas which was a lot of fun! I was kind of scared at first due to my fear in heights but it wasnt too bad at all. It was so beautiful up there and cant wait to go back sometime soon!

Not much else has been happening in our world...a few wedding plans are coming along and I just found my dress yesterday! I am so happy with it and simply cannot wait to see Nick's reaction when I walk down the aisle :) I love it! We have most of our vendors booked already so I feel that things are on a roll. I am feeling pretty confident about everything so lets hope it all works out well! This process has been fun so far but I know there are more stresses to come!

We hope that the New Year is treating everyone well! Here are a few pics from our Whistler trip :)

The holidays cant be over already!

2008-12-29T13:38:00.000-08:00

Wow has this holiday season gone by in a flash! Christmas came and went so fast despite the fact that we both had a few days off with all of the snowfall. Nick started his Christmas break early with the tremendous amount of snow that we received and Liz didnt have to work either. The snowfall was incredible, I dont remember it being that bad in quite some time. We got around 16" total at the house.

Christmas whizzed by with Christmas Eve at Liz's parents house and then we followed it up with a Christmas brunch at our house the next morning. Nick got me a beautiful diamond necklace and I got him an Ihome for his Ipod. We had a nice couple of days with the family and then it was off to Port Angeles for two days. We got to visit with Nick's dad, brother, the Hurds and some of Nick's friends. We had a good time but wish we had another day.

Well, New Years will be here soon and we can hardly believe it. We are excited thinking about the fact that we will hopefully be on our honeymoon this time next year :) Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone!

Engagement Pics!

2008-11-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! We had some engagement pics taken about a week ago up at Little Mountain and the pictures are now available to view online. In addition to the few here, there are a couple more at http://www.deannawilliamsphotography.net/. Click on the couples tab and we are the only ones posted so far. We had a great time doing them! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Nick's surgery

2008-11-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

Nick went in this morning for oral surgery to remove his back molar. I am happy to report that everything went great and Nick is feeling "really good" if you know what I mean :) He is pretty high from the anesthesia and is slurring all of his words :)

We were originally a little nervous about the procedure because both of us got a really bad impression of the doctor in the consultation yesterday. He was very rude and condescending and neither of us were very happy with him. However, he got Nick done very quickly and everything seems to be going great. Got a little bad news though about the cost because his insurance isnt covering a portion of it so we are a little nervous about that. Luckily they are letting us make payments but only two...Nick isnt at 100% coverage yet so we have to pay quite a bit in dentist bills :( Not a good time for us but its work that needs to be done!

Fall isnt the time to start this....

2008-11-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

We decided to start Nutrisystem in an effort to make ourselves feel better and be overall more healthy and fit. And of course we want to both look good for the wedding :)

We just began the program on November 1st. We kind of gorged ourselves on Halloween which was probably not the best idea. We stayed home, didnt have one trick or treater, and ate all night long! I made our "last hurrah" meal of meatloaf and baked potatoes and then we topped off the night at Big Scoop with banana royale sundaes....ugh, so bad! Food is our one weakness and we both love to eat. We are seriously dreading the holidays but we will probably allow ourselves a little cheating room on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I would regret it all year if I didnt eat my dads famous stuffing loaded in gravy :) Moderation, moderation, moderation!!

So far we have done well. We have stuck to the meal plans and so far have even seen a few pounds lost. Now we need to add in the exercise and we will be on a roll. We are both excited about the program and the food isnt too bad at all. It is actually fun to plan out our meals and keep track of our success online. The only downfall is that it takes a lot of preparation and it is expensive. However, with how much we go out to eat and buy at the grocery store, it all works out to about even pricing. This doesnt mean that you all cant ask us to dinner though :) We can stray away from the pre-packaged food and simply be more sensible when we go out. We havent gone out yet but we want to get into the swing of it first so we dont fall off track. We will keep you all posted on the program as time progresses. Wish us luck!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

Megan and Sam invited us all over for a fun night of pumpkin carving. Megan made a delicious batch of Minestrone soup and we all enjoyed a nice meal before digging into our pumpkins! Everyone did such a great job!

Megan's new kitty Sophie in the beer mug...

Liz made the ghost, Nick made the pumpkin pirate :)

A Trip To The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-21T20:02:00.001-07:00

Tonight we took Annie out to the pumpkin patch at Schuh Farms. We had a great time walking through the field and picking out the perfect pumpkins to carve at Megan and Sams! Im sure pics will be posted of that sometime this weekend so stay tuned!

New Puppy!

2008-10-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

We just got a new Springer Spaniel puppy named Annie. She is 5 months old and has been a great girl so far but she is definitely creating a whole new sense of responsibility! As any puppy would, she jumps, chews, runs around like a crazy girl and we are constantly cleaning up her "messes." However, she is super sweet and loves to cuddle with us! She is definitely a mommas girl and cannot stand to be away from either of us.

Newbies

2008-10-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We are both new to the whole blogging world but since we have a much anticipated wedding coming up and our lives keep changing, we thought we would keep you all in the loop through here! We will try to keep it updated as often as possible to keep you up to date on whats going on in our world. As the wedding approaches, we will be adding more details as well. We simply cannot wait to share that special moment with all of you!