Hello World!!!

Today, Alex and I went in for our ultrasound and we got to see our little peanut! It was so amazing to get to see Baby E kick, wiggle, yawn, and wave (at least that is what it looked like). For most parents-to-be, this appointment is when they get to find out the sex of their baby, but Alex and I are doing this old school and do not want to find out until the day he or she is born! I will say, even though I am excited for the surprise on Baby E's birthday, it was hard to look away when the nurse got to that area!

Baby E is growing right along schedule. The doctor says everything is normal and looks good; we can't say how thankful we are for that! The nurse tried to get some profile pictures for us, but Baby E was being stubborn and wouldn't turn his or her head to the side. So...with out further a due here are some of Baby E's first pictures:

Looking straight ahead, hand on top waving at us! 

Only profile shot, legs all the way above head (might be a gymnast).

Being shy - both arms up in front of face.

Looking straight ahead, you can see both eyes and maybe a little smile! :)

We are already so in love! Baby E's arrival can't come soon enough! But...until then, "Keep growing little one, Dad and Mom are praying for you everyday and we can't wait to meet you!"

Colorado 2012

Every year Alex’s family goes to Red Feather Lakes, CO to get away on a little vacation and go fishing. Alex and I haven’t gotten to go the last three years because of conflicts with work and school, but this year we were able to find a way to go!

Red Feather is up in the mountains about forty–five minutes north of Fort Collins. It is probably one of the prettiest places I have ever visited. There are lakes and mountains everywhere and all of the views make you constantly appreciate God and his creation. The weather was a little chilly while we were there; it even snowed on us the first day we went fishing. But…every day got a little warmer and by the last day we were able to get a little sun! The fishing was also great - it was actually the best it has ever been! Everybody caught multiple fish every time we went out, and we were able to have a fish fry the last night we were there. 

This is a Mama Moose and her babies!

If you look to the left of the picture, you can see a coyote getting closer to see if he can get one of the little moose.

Sunday was our nephew Michael's 5th birthday, so we drove down to Fort Collins and spent the day there. We went to "Fort Fun" - the perfect place for a 5 year old and his 25 year old uncle. Ha! We played mini-golf, rode Go-Karts, bumper boats, and played some games! Then we went to dinner and Michael got to open some of his presents!

We all had such a good time and it was so relaxing! It was just what I needed at the end of a long school year! Hopefully we will get to go back again next year!

Speaking of Mother's Day.....

We are so thankful that we got to spend Mother’s Day weekend with both of our mom’s and families. It’s always so nice to get together with family! Our mom’s opened all of their gifts from everyone, and to my surprise, I got a few of my own “Mom-to-be” cards.

Yep….that’s  right…Alex and I are having a baby! We found out we were pregnant in February, and I am now 15 ½ weeks along. I have actually felt great so far throughout the pregnancy. During my first trimester I never really got any morning sickness. There was about three weeks where I just didn’t have an appetite and all food just sounded awful. I also probably went to bed at about 8:00pm every night because the pregnancy exhaustion just got to me. But, I think it is so true what they say about the second trimester, I have so much more energy now and I feel great!

We’ve gotten to see our little miracle once and we’ve heard the heart beat two different times. Hearing the heartbeat is so incredible. It really makes you think about how big God really Is and how much of a miracle childbirth is. Below is a picture of the announcement we gave our families when we told them we were pregnant.

“DAVE JUST GET’S US… “ Alex and I have been saying that ever since the release of Dave Barnes’ last album in March. Dave is hands down our favorite musical artist and he always seems to release songs that are perfect for us at certain times in our lives. In 2010 he released his last CD which had a great song entitled “Amen” that wonderfully described the journey of marriage that we were embarking on. Then....with the arrival of yet another  life changing event, Dave made sure to not let us down with his new song “One of Us.” We love it and think it is perfect. So here it is….

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

All Dressed Up - With Places To Go!

This past weekend, Alex and I had some big events that we attended. It's often funny how our schedules work out. One weekend we have absolutely nothing going on, then the next we have something every night! Although busy, it was a great weekend that was filled with some pretty great friends!

On Friday night, we went to the annual Berkshire Hathaway reception party with our friends Matt and Heather. It was fun to run into a bunch of people we knew, and talk with some other interesting people we didn't know! Going to this party is definitely an experience!! Ha! Sorry my eyes are closed in this picture. Guess that's what you get when a "randy" takes your picture!

On Saturday, we went to a wedding in Lincoln. My good college friend, Callie, and her fiance Jacob, tied the knot. We got to spend some time with a bunch of old college friends, and we all had some pretty good laughs talking about: old AOL screen names, Kentucky Derby horse names, and Cinco de Mayo! The reception was a lot of fun! We took some photos in the photo booth and got our dance on for a little bit! It was so nice to see all my Harper 7 girls....it had been way too long! It was a great wedding that had such a beautiful bride. Congrats to Callie and Jacob!

Goodbye.....CCC!

Well….the time has come! We are officially done attending/working/volunteering at Christ Community Church! I am very sad to be leaving CCC, and if I am sad, I can only imagine what Alex must be feeling. But I know we will make it through, we always do! We love CCC and all the relationships we have made, but it is time to move on and start the next chapter in our lives.

The past couple of weeks have been spent wrapping up with our high school Journey Groups, Alex cleaning out his office and saying good-bye to co-workers, and attending some end of the year celebrations!

Last week we had our last high school Journey Groups for the year. We celebrated at the Lodhia house with lots of yummy food and getting together in our groups one last time. It has been a great three years with my little girlies, and I am sad I won’t get to be their leader for their senior year! Alex and I have made some lasting friendships with some of the high school students at CCC and we know that we will continue to stay close with a lot of them! Below are some pictures of the last night at the Lodhia House!

What Alex and I came out to when the night was over!

 This past Sunday night we had our Journey Group Finale. All the students and leaders got together to eat some food, play some dodge ball, and just celebrate the school year! It was great to see everyone together one last time. The students put a little good-bye video together for Alex, which was very sweet and very funny. I'm not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed a couple times in the night! Here are some of the pictures of our night!

Just Playing a little Dodge Ball!

It has been amazing to be a part of the high school ministry at Christ Community Church these past three years. We have learned so much and have been blessed to be able to participate in so many great activities that we never would have if we weren't a part of this ministry! I guess the good thing about Alex taking another job and leaving CCC is that we will still be in Omaha, so the relationships we have built, won't be lost! So....Goodbye CCC and hello Faith Westwood!

To quote my wonderful husband Alex, "...When you work for God and His Church, no matter where you go, you will always have the same boss and will always have the mission."