2015: our year in review

This year was a great and busy year for us. I'm sure I say and think that every year, but this year it's especially true. We started the year with several celebrations of birthday's and milestones, we hired our first employee at the office, we went on some very exciting adventures and crossed 9 States off our list, we said a hard goodbye to my Grandpa, I ran my fourth half marathon, Alex (finally) got glasses and can see, Alex's parents moved just a block away from us, we got to celebrate the weddings and engagements of dear friends, we got a new roof and Alex's dad refreshed and repainted the front of our house, we pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zones, we grew our business and last but certainly not least we found out that we're expecting a sweet baby girl! Phew, that's a lot!!

I say we, but I know full well that God has provided every opportunity, experience and event for us and for our good. Not that this year has been all sunshine and roses, there have certainly been challenges, disappointments, struggles and arguments. It's easy to list the good for the public eye and sweep the bad under the rug, but we live a real life and I don't want to perpetuate a lie that we have it all together. We rest in God's goodness and He is who we find our hope and identity in, so when we do have hardships we turn to Him and when we have triumphs we turn to Him.

I don't think we have any New Year's Resolutions this year, but 2016 looks like it will bring many firsts for our little family and a lot of excitement and new challenges. I cannot wait until the arrival of this little girl and to see how God will use her.

Here are just a few of our photographed highlights:

celebrating Amanda's birthday

completion of my 4th half marathon

Alex soaking in the Pacific

hiking in Oregon

checking out Beale Street

spending time with all of my siblings in the same place

bowling with some of my favorite tiny humans

waiting for the fireworks on 4th of July

we found out we're having a baby!!!

Riedle family vacation in Florida

some brotherly love at the Bishop wedding

exploring the Grand Canyon

watching the Cardinals play in the NLDS

last but not least, this little pup posing with our Christmas tree

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and that you have a wonderful New Year!

bumpdate: 28 weeks

Hello third trimester!! We only have a little ways to go before we get to finally meet this sweet little babe and I cannot wait. The last few weeks have flown by with the holidays and festive busyness. I hope the next few months go as quickly.

I had my 28 week appointment with my midwife today and both the babe and I are doing well. I passed my glucose test and thankfully I don't have to worry about gestational diabetes (hallelujah!). Other than that, she is growing right on track and her heartbeat sounds as strong as ever. I am so thankful that this pregnancy has been so smooth this far.

We have decided to deliver at Gateway Memorial for a lot of reasons, one being that they have a birthing tub and other area hospitals don't offer/allow water births. We still need to schedule our birthing classes but we do have an appointment to meet with a pediatrician next week.

I am still full of energy and feel great. Although I'm much slower, I've been able to continue running and "athletically walking" -that's how I convince Alex to join me on the trails, running sounds less enticing to him and my fast walking speed is his normal speed...it's a win-win. Moose is just happy to be outside when it isn't raining.

There is a rumor that you lose your second trimester energy somewhere in the third trimester and I'm not looking forward to that...we still have to finish her room and I have a to do list as long as my arm to complete before she arrives. Here's hoping I can get it all done!

life lately: holiday edition

It seems like as soon as the holiday season is upon us, life explodes with busyness. From Thanksgiving on we haven't had a spare weekend, let alone minute that wasn't accounted for. But, don't let the busyness come across as burden, it is all very welcomed and very much enjoyed.

We have gotten to go to the Fox to see Cirque du Soleil Holidaze, hang out with our high school students, celebrate an early Christmas with friends and of course shop, bake and decorate. I am proud to say that I have completed all of our shopping, including Moose's gift- he knew I got him something because when I sat the bag down he wouldn't leave it alone, so now his new antler is in my closet...I really hope I don't forget about it.

This weekend will kick off our first family Christmas celebration at Alex's grandparents. Then we'll celebrate Christmas Eve with our church family and Alex's immediate family and then we'll head to my parents to spend time with my side of the family. All in all it seems busy when it's written down, but I wouldn't want to celebrate any other way.

Alex and I have been doing an advent devotional every night and it has really helped us to focus on what is important about this season and why we're celebrating in the first place. We are following along with the She Reads Truth (or He Reads Truth if you're a fella) advent and I highly recommend it. It's so easy to get caught up in finding the right gift or baking the perfect sugar cookie, but Christ's birth is so much more important and needs to be the central focus.

bumpdate: 25 weeks

This week, according to the "Bump" app, this babe is the size of head of cauliflower! I walked through the grocery store yesterday and those suckers are big! It seems like every week that goes by I'm surprised that she's getting so big and she/we still have a long way to go.

I still feel great and full of energy, but Alex has to remind me that I'm pregnant a lot so I'll stop climbing around to reach things in the kitchen. When we were decorating our Christmas tree he had to take my stool away so I wouldn't precariously balance on it to reach the top- this year he had a much more active role in tree decorating.

We have started on her room and are at a bit of a standstill due to lack of time. This time of year is always busy, but I feel like life is moving at warp speed. Once we get her room finished, I promise there will be pictures.

She has started to get more power behind her kicks and for our evening entertainment we watch my stomach bounce up and down, it's pretty entertaining. At our last appointment, she was measuring right on track and continues to have a nice strong heart beat. I know that everyone says it, but all I want is a healthy baby and so far she's doing great. I have scheduled appointments for us to tour both of our local hospitals and once we decide on one, we'll start taking the recommended classes.

I have also scheduled my glucose test and our appointments with the midwife through February. Then I'll start going for weekly checks. It seems like it will be here before we know it, but I am so excited to meet this little girl!

happy thanksgiving

This year we have so much to be thankful for. God has richly blessed us and we are so grateful for everything He has provided. We are looking forward to spending time with family and friends and of course eating as much homemade goodness as possible. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Psalm 100
1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the Earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 

bumpdate: 22 weeks

 

I feel like time is flying by and going in slow motion at the same time. I am so excited for this little lady to arrive, but there is so much to be done before she makes her debut!

 

I think have started nesting. I have started sewing things for her, creating our registry and I have been organizing and getting rid of stuff we don't need or have any use for. I am by no means a pack rat, so I may or may not be searching for things to get rid of...don't leave anything you want to keep at our house. Otherwise you may be buying it back from Goodwill.

 

This weekend we plan to start getting her room ready. It has been in my mind for so long, I can't wait to see it come to life. We plan to touch up the paint, clean all the woodwork and go to everyone's favorite box store: Ikea, followed by Crate & Barrel, West Elm and Anthropologie (one of us may be more excited by this than the other). We already have her changing table, rug and most of the décor, so now it's time to find the finishing pieces. I'm sure pictures will come soon.

 

We had our final ultrasound and she is indeed a girl. The only way to confirm any further is for her to arrive and I think it would be quite the shock if she's not a she! Health wise, she is developing perfectly and has four heart chambers, two little thumbs, arms, legs, eyes and ears. The hygienist in me made sure her lips and palate were forming correctly and as far the ultrasound shows, there is no cause for concern.

 

 

I am still feeling well and full of energy. Cuties (little bitty oranges) are my favorite snack and bacon is still a no go...I've tried. My running (if you can call it that...I'm so slow) is good, but I've moved to the treadmill for fear of falling. I have also started feeling her move around and her kicks are getting strong enough that Alex can feel them too, which is quite exciting!

 

We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving next week and spending some time with family and friends. Thankfully this year I have my Thanksgiving pants ready to go.

 

 

 

bumpdate: 20 weeks

I'm halfway through this pregnancy! It has flown by so far but we have just as far to go before we get to meet this sweet little babe!

At our 20 week appointment I asked approximately two million questions and our midwife answered them all very patiently and thoroughly. We feel really comfortable and at ease with our choice in healthcare provider. She said the babe is growing perfectly and is right on track. The baby's heartbeat is strong and healthy and at this point there are no concerns with the pregnancy...phew!

I am still feeling really good and full of energy. I've been able to continue running but will probably switch to swimming for the winter months...running on the ice seems to increase my odds of eating pavement. Speaking of eating, I'm still not a fan of bacon but I'm not having any real cravings either, unless you count pizza but that was a preexisting condition.

We haven't started getting the baby's room ready yet, but it has been on my mind and I think we'll start working on it after Thanksgiving. We may have some holiday guests and it's always nice to have a bed for people to sleep in.

Oh, have I not mentioned we found out the gender?!? Here I am toying with your emotions referring to him/her as "the baby" this whole time... Alex was dying to find out so we went to the Ultrasound Zone in Glen Carbon. On the drive there Alex kept going back and forth whether or not he wanted a boy or a girl and was giving pros and cons to each. He was finally put out of his misery when the ultrasound tech said...

october in pictures

October has always been the start of our busy season. Almost every weekend is busy and our week nights are full too. It doesn't seem to slow down until after the new year in January, but we wouldn't have it any other way. This month I took a lot of pictures, so enjoy these snippets of October!

We celebrated Atley's 1st birthday in Salem

 

We made it to16 weeks

(Don't tell anyone but we found out the gender!!) 

We went to the first game of the NLDS and watched the Cardinals bring home their last win of the season.

 

I had been looking for my Grandma's fudge recipe for quite awhile and finally found it...read the last line on the recipe. It makes me laugh and miss my Grandpa even more.

Our high school students went to Homecoming and we got to stop by and see them before they danced the night away.

We finally made it to Ikea for a day date and Alex was a happy shopper.

Jansen stopped by to see us on her birthday! Happy 2nd birthday sweet girl!

 

Becky, Dad and I went to the Greater St. Louis Dental Society fall CE's together.

 

We ended the month by taking our High School students to Black, MO for a fall retreat- more details to come soon.

 

We had a great October and can't wait to see what November has in store for us! Alex is quite excited for Thanksgiving and I'm ready to the holiday season to begin.

 

 

happy friday

This was the week that wouldn't end. It started out rough on Monday and just kept coming...but it's finally Friday and Alex is home! He spent most of the week in Cleveland with Progressive learning and being schmoozed (at least that's how I look at it). While he was gone it reiterated that I was not designed to be alone and need companionship. Moose was good, but his communication skills need a little work.

This weekend we plan to rest and recover. On Sunday we plan to go to our niece and nephew's birthday party. Other than that we don't have a lot of exciting plans. Next week looks to be just as busy if not busier, plus we'll get to celebrate Alex's golden birthday!!

I hope you have a great weekend and for your reading pleasure I found a few interesting links to share. Enjoy!

Tips to make small talk a little more bearable.

50 Weird facts about the human body

Let's move to Mexico

5 Benefits of taking a cold shower...other than the fact that you're cold

Eat this, not that: Breakfast edition

 

Have a happy weekend!!

 

 

unplugged

Before Alex and I left for our trip to California, he called Charter to remove cable from our plan. You see, we only had internet for a long time and paid $39/month. We decided to add cable and our bill went up to $95/month. After a few months of having cable we realized we didn't use it like we thought we would and so Alex called to have it removed. They would happily remove cable from our plan but our internet would now be $65/month....Alex wasn't ok with that plan.

They told him there was no way to get it back to $39 so after negotiating and trying to get them to back down, Alex got fed up and canceled all of our services ALL OF THEM...Then he called me and told me what he'd done. Since we were leaving the next day it didn't really bother me since we wouldn't be home to use the internet anyway.

Fast forward to today and we still haven't chosen to get a new internet provider. We have a tiny TV and bunny ears set up in the basement to watch the news if we want to, but it's a temporary solution.

Since I'm not distracted by browsing Facebook or Instagram and watching Netflix I've noticed a few things.

1. I watched way more mindless TV than I thought I did.
2. I really enjoy reading and going to bed early.
3. We don't need as many distractions.
4. Alex and I talk more
5. I like to go for evening walks with Moose
6. We both fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer since we aren't watching TV before bed.
7. Moose likes all the extra attention.

We will get the internet back eventually, but I hope that we don't use it as much as we did.

happy friday

This week was a pretty normal week for us- not a lot of excitement, not a lot of busyness, just a normal week. Tonight we are planning to go the the EHS Homecoming game with some friends. We are also planning to have another low key weekend. I think I've started nesting, so we may try to accomplish some of the tasks on my list. I'm sure it will be wildly exciting if you want to come be entertained...

This week I stumbled across a few links I found interesting and wanted to share. Enjoy!

How to make grocery store flowers look like they're from a florist

Bill Gates has always been ahead of the curve

What design style are you?

I'm an over plucker in reform

It's a long article but very interesting about millennial parents

Have a fabulous weekend!!

bumpdate: 16 weeks

This post is a little late since I'll be seventeen weeks on Sunday, but better late than never!

Now that the cat is out of the bag this whole process feels more real. We can openly talk about it and not worry who is around or overhearing.
 

So far everything is going great. I feel good and am starting to have a noticeable bump and the babe is growing like he/she is supposed to. He/she is the size of an avocado and I didn't realize how big avocados were until I picked one up in the store yesterday! It's exciting and still sometimes surreal that this little person will be here before we know it. 

Alex and I are dying to find out the gender and to see him/her again. We had a bit of an insurance debacle so we don't have an ultrasound scheduled yet and that's driving Alex crazy (don't worry, we straightened out the insurance mess).

So far the only food aversion I have is bacon. I don't think I have had any real cravings but Arby's has never tasted so good, also apples and Nilla Wafers are delicious. But I think most of that is because I'm starving all the time. Weight gain has been right on track and I've been able to continue running and exercising as normal. The baby's heartbeat at the last appointment was 160 bpm (doesn't that mean girl??).

We are so excited for this new season of our lives and I'm trying not to wish the pregnancy away, but I'm so excited to meet this little person!

happy friday

Friday is finally here!! This week has been so busy but yet it seems to have crawled by. We are finally catching up from our weeks of being gone and it feels good to be back into some sort of routine.

Tonight Alex and I are going to the Cardinals game! We were given tickets and can't wait to see the Redbirds beat the Cubbies. Tomorrow we have plans to catch up on yard and house work, as well as to relax and enjoy being home on a weekend for the first time in 3 weeks! We also plan to go see The Intern or The Martian, we're still debating which one to see. Other than that we're hoping to keep it low key.

This week I found a few links to share, enjoy!

Which fitness tracker would be best for you?

12 States to visit

As a Shondaland viewer, I have felt like I've had deja vu at times

Where did you get your ears pierced? 

Hurry up at watch these movies...they're leaving Netflix soon

How to step up your legging's game

 

Have a great weekend!

Go Cardinals!!

california road trip

This summer my brother and his family were relocated from Fort Campbell, KY to Fort Irwin, CA. Before they left they made the decision to sell one of their vehicles and become a one car family. During this time my Grandpa Bob passed away. He left us with a lot of love, wonderful memories and some heart ache, but he also left his car...you don't need those in heaven...so, Alex and I volunteered to drive his car to Jim in California so they could again be a two car family.

We set out bright and early with Amarillo as our destination for the day. After 12 hours and the first of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy on audio book, we made it. It was a good drive and thankfully uneventful (the words of my Grandpa when he traveled). Amarillo was not the most notable town, but we did eat at The Texas Roadhouse (because when in Texas, do as the Texans do).

The next morning we got up and back on the road with Flagstaff, AZ as our destination. We stayed at an Airbnb and had a great time. We stayed for three nights and got to explore the area. The first night we ate at a local pizza place and then drove around to see downtown Flagstaff. The next morning we woke up bright and early (thanks time change) and drove north to see the Grand Canyon.

life lately

After returning from our road trip we had a crazy week trying to get caught up at work and home. Crazy includes: having to unexpectedly change our health insurance company, dealing with an over flowing toilet and dish washer, catching up on laundry and responding to all of the unanswered emails from a nine day vacation. Also on Friday night we took our high school students to a haunted corn maze in Godfrey and that same night drove home to my parents! Phew! BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!! After arriving in Salem late Friday night, we woke up Saturday morning ready to celebrate Atley's first birthday and then went to the Little Egypt Parade (a Salem tradition) to collect some candy.

Atley's party was great. She was a happy camper and can definitely eat cake....a girl after my own heart. The parade was cooler than it usually is, so we didn't stay the whole time. After the parade we finally kicked our feet up and relaxed with hot chocolate. Sunday was low key- Alex watched football with my dad and I napped. We had a great weekend and are looking forward to this week being less eventful...Moose is happy to be home from his two week vacation and we're all starting to settle back into a routine.

september in pictures

This September was busy! We had something going on every day, either work related or personal and nine of those days (not included in these pictures because it's a post of it's own) we went on a road trip to California! But, we had a great month. So, with no further ado, September in pictures...

Each dot represents an obligation/meeting/appointment...yikes! 

over Labor Day weekend we drove up to visit my sister and her family. 

Nora happily chose to ride with us!

Nora made a crown in Sunday school and Alex got to wear it. 

Moose was worn out when we got home from Mt. Z

My first PSL of the season!

Fall showed up and demanded I make peanut butter cookies

First pomegranates of the season...a lot of first's for fall

We went with our high school students to an EHS football game 

and one of my favorite future Tigers was there!

We finally got to tell the world about Baby W!

September was a great month and we're looking forward to fall getting into full swing!

recap: twenty five by twenty six

Last September I set out to accomplish twenty five goals before I turned twenty six. I am proud to say that I accomplished most of my goals! Below is my list and while some of them were blog worthy, others went under the radar.

1. Start a daily journal 

2. Cook more often 

3. Run another half marathon     

4. Learn to knit or crochet

5. Go to Arkansas        

6. Volunteer somewhere 

7. Practice & become a better faux-tographer 

8. Go to Kentucky 

9. Host a dinner party           

10. Celebrate Friendsgiving 

11. Go to Oregon 

12. Try sushi 

13. Plant a lemon tree

14. Learn to hula hoop 

15. Play sand volleyball 

16. Learn to golf or at least play putt putt golf

17. Plant a real garden

18. Read 1 book per month (at least!) 

19. Eat at a new restaurant  

20. Go to Indiana   

21. Finish our basement! 

22. Ride on a tandem bicycle 

23. Write and mail more letters  

24. Redecorate a room in our house  

25. Go to Tennessee 

I still want to learn to knit/crochet, have a lemon tree and plant a real garden. But, I think I was having a weak moment when I said I'd like to learn to play golf...I'll stick with sports I know and am good at. I learned a lot this year and am proud that I accomplished (most of) my goals. 

I always have a list of things I'd like to accomplish and challenging myself publicly kept me more accountable. I haven't written a list for twenty six by twenty seven, but something tells me that this year will bring a lot of new changes, challenges and adventures without a list.