Baby Downpour!

The second shower of the month was thrown by my good friend Anne & her mom, Kim (who happens to also be a good friend of my mom's). Anne and I have been friends since FIRST GRADE! She has a little boy and another baby on the way. I can't wait for our kids to grow up together too!

Anyway... On to the amazing downpour of friends, family, gifts, and delicious food that was this shower. It was a tad overwhelming the amount of friends that came to this shower. They were (as always) an absolute hoot. Never a dull moment with this group of crazy women :)

The Hostesses...

My friend Megan...

My pregnancy buddy, Casey. She is due a few weeks after me (also with a boy)!

My Grandma happened to be in town from Nebraska so she made it to this shower too (along with my sister and mom, of course).

I used to babysit these girls and now they are all in college or older. They make me feel OLD!

Baby Shower!

Wow! June has been a busy month! I had 3 baby showers and feel almost completely ready for the baby. The first family shower was thrown by Joe's family. The gracious hosts, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law, put together an adorable, fun, and delicious celebration!

The hostesses

I received a lot of great gifts, including a lot of beautiful handmade goodies. Joe's great-aunt crocheted this blanket...

My sister-in-law made this adorable hat!

Overgrown Landscape

When we moved in 3 years ago there was some incredibly overgrown and old shrubs in our front beds. The project has been ongoing since then and is still not really complete. One of my biggest annoyances with landscaping is when people don't think about the full growth potential for the plant. Between our house and sidewalk we have a 18" space for plants. That is pretty darn narrow. The plants that were there when we moved in are designed to get anywhere from 6-10' wide! Needless to say, it was a maintenance nightmare. They took over the sidewalk and actually damaged the side of our house! I almost forgot to take pictures but here is a progress shot of the removal (completed a few years ago).

Before:

Progress (today):

Obviously, these plants have a ways to grow but it will eventually look great. The Sky Pencil Hollies (3 in the middle) will eventually be about 6' tall and less than 2' wide. The ornamental grasses on either side of that will also be about 6' tall and just as narrow but for some reason they didn't do well and are struggling to grow back in this year. I planted Little Henry Sweetspire under the windows (and oh look! there are lights!) and they will stay less than 3' tall. Obviously, the Clematis and Daylilies will stay narrow enough as well.

Hopefully, in a few years I can post new pictures of a completed front landscape. We had some loss and setbacks this year due to some mud(d)jacking but I think it is coming together nicely.

The sweetest baby shower ever

Along with going back to a college classroom, I have also spent much of this school year in elementary classrooms. I have been visiting one-on-one, 2 times/week with a 3rd grader through Youthfriends and volunteering in a 2nd-3rd grade classroom at a small private school on most Fridays. Another commitment started out as a observation assignment for school but turned into a 2 times/week volunteer opportunity in a 5th grade classroom.

All of these students have been excited for my upcoming baby. I catch them staring at my belly :) Three of "my" 5th grade friends went above and beyond by planning a classroom baby shower for me. They collected money from their classmates, bought decorations, had cupcakes, appetizers, and gifts. The absolute highlight would have to be a power point presentation they put together with parenting advice. Below are a few of the slides to give you a taste.

Thank you to "H", "M", and "H" for hosting my first and most unexpected baby shower!
Thank you to Mrs. C for taking time out of the day for this event (when there is NEVER enough time for everything)! I have learned so much in your classroom this year!

Nursery Sneak Peak

I have been busy working on putting together the nursery. I have to give a lot of credit to my mom. Having a mother that can sew is PRICELESS! We made the crib skirt and crib sheet together. Yes, I will also be buying crib sheets but I wanted at least one in the color I love.

Joe took down the white and brass ceiling fan and installed this light. He hates it, I love it! It was cheap and looks cute in the room.

This is a fun photo project that I am working on. It isn't done yet... we are obviously missing a picture but I can't wait to finish this.

Almost-a-Mother's Day

I had a fantastic Mother-To-Be day thanks to a great husband and family. Joe made me his breakfast specialty (for special occasions only) Banana Crepes. He makes these for me on Christmas morning, my birthday, etc. They are amazing. Then he proceeded to clean my car inside and out. He also got me some beautiful Lilies that are still going strong almost 2 weeks later! Thank you, Joe, for making my first Mother's Day memorable!

I hosted my family for a Mother's Day lunch and then headed to my in-laws to celebrate Mother's Day and my Mother-in-law's Birthday that fell on the same day this year. It was a very busy day but a lot of fun!

Easter at the Farm

After church we headed up to my parent's "farm" for a relaxing Easter. We had a great lunch and a fun egg hunt. The kiddos are definitely getting more and more into these things and it is so much fun to watch!