Baby is coming!

So I've sort of been slaking off with this blog thing- I noticed that Rachel did the last two posts, including one very sweet one. Anyway, I figured it was about time I put my two cents in.

Our lives are pretty much revolving around two central activities now. The first is school (or in Rachel's case, work). I am still enjoying it and look forward to new information every day. Besides class-room stuff, we are gaining more experience in the clinic now and it is fun to go and catch a glimpse of what it is all about. It makes me look forward to actually being a dentist with my own practice. Rachel's work has really picked up lately as well. She is busier than ever now, even though she can't get around quite as well with her watermelon-sized belly. This week she is working 9 hours straight every day at a government seminar thing.

The second focal point of our lives is the new baby. It is crunch time now, as Rachel is officially "full term." Nine months seems like so long to think about, but then they fly by without you even noticing it! (I remember as a kid thinking that three weeks was forever long as I was counting down to our Disneyland trip). We are having fun organizing the baby room and thinking about the changes that will soon occur. Also, we are getting to the point where it's starting to set in that in a few weeks we will have a real live, breathing-kicking-screaming-pooping-smiling baby living with us. It's pretty surreal.

Here are some pictures of the baby room as it is in its almost-complete stage:

Look-a-Like

I have noticed that many people use their blogs for rambling random thoughts. I have a few of those, so I thought I would try it out.

I just went through all of my pregnancy pictures to watch the changes that have occured. Every time I look at any of those pictures I can't help but think about how much I look like my mom. People used to tell me all the time how much we look alike, but I never believed it until a few years ago. I was shopping at a mall in Utah and when I was walking out of one set of the double doors I looked up to see my mom walking in. My mother was actually not there. . . I was seeing my reflection in the glass of the second set of doors. That was a really weird moment for me.

Looking at these pictures makes me realize that I look more and more like her every day. I am excited for that because I think she is beautiful.

I decided to post some pictures of my family for everyone to see. In the first picture it's hard to spot my mom because she fits in so well with all of her daugters! She really enjoys it when we are mistaken for sisters :).

I will tell you a little bit about each of my family members.

My dad's name is Kelly, and he is a very talented and amazing person. He can make some amazing things with his hands. He created some beautiful furniture for Logan and me when we were married (I decided to post pictures because I have some). He also is very talented at making stained glass and he is learning all about the process of making blown glass. I am also very excited to announce that two weeks ago he finished writing his very first book! He is a very talented science fiction/fantasy writer. He is now going through the fun process of publishing. I am very proud of my daddy and he has been a great example to me.



My mom is Wendy, and she is also a very artistic and talented person. Ever since I can remember she has been an amazing oil painter. Our home was always decorated with her artwork. I am lucky to say my mom stayed at home to care for the kids for our whole childhood. She now enjoys working at Target on the night crew. She has a chance to get out and see people, and she is really good at her job!

Brandon (26)- My older brother also got his creativity from my parents. He is studying to become a mechanical engineer and he is very ingenious when it comes to inventing things. He recently created a mechanical set of wings that have a mechanism in them that makes them move and rotate. He designed them and created them from his imagination. That is pretty amazing to me. I think he is in the right field of study! I have always been very close to my brother and I miss our late night talks!

Shannon (21)- Shannon is a little firecracker! I love her spunky personality. She is studying accounting right now and hopes to get into the fashion industry. She loves fashion and she loves shopping (she is great at finding good bargains that are really cute). She recently moved out into her own apartment, and she is enjoying the dating scene.

Marissa (17)- Marissa is a senior in High School and she is a cheerleader for Jordan High. She is also a very talented hip hop dancer and tumbler. She is learning ASL and she loves it. She is very talented and is learning quickly. I enjoy talking to her when we have the time. Unfortunately it is hard to sign over the phone. She is very social and very busy.

Here are some pictures we had taken professionally. Normally I like posting random pictures, but I think these turned out nice. They are a little bit blurry because it is actually a picture of a picture.

I love and miss all of you.


Top Row: Brandon, Dad, Logan Bottom Row: Shannon, Mom, Rachel, Marissa

Here is a picture of the beautiful furniture my dad made for us. Currently this set up does not fit in our house, but he was smart and made it three seperate pieces that are currently being used in different areas of our home. We love it! The funnest part is the touch pad that turns on the lights inside. Logan and I used the two pillar pieces on each side of our bed in Provo, and that feature was a great night light!

Happiness is. . .

Today I was driving home from an interpreting assignment and thinking about how lucky I am. Logan is my perfect match in every way. I know we are not the same person and we have different opinions sometimes, but he completes who I am. He is a wonderful husband and his actions and words show me how much he loves me. Thank you Logan for taking care of me when I need it, being there for me, and understanding me better than I understand myself. Your optimism and fun personality make my life so happy, and your spontinaity keeps me on my toes!

I am thankful everyday for you, and I wanted you to know that I absolutely love you!

Here are a few pictures from our huge archives that I really like.

We went up to Aspen Grove to take pictures before BYU's homecoming dance.

Logan loves the guitar, and he is really good. He taught himself and plays perfectly by ear.

This picture was taken at one of our many trips to Zion National Park

Here we are on one of our backpacking trips in the Teton's. This picture was taken near one of our campsites.

It's been another good week

So this has been yet another good week- albeit a pretty mellow one. School is back in full swing for me and work is picking up for Rachel. This semester the dental school actually has me working in the clinic on a regular basis. I enjoy this, because I can actually see where all of this education in leading me. It's fun to dress up and "play doctor" for a while, and even though we are just doing cleanings, it makes me feel good that everything I am learning is starting to be put to good use.

As we mentioned in the last post, we have started attending child-birth classes. These classes basically teach Rachel how to breath while she is in labor, and they're supposed to teach me how to be a good cheerleader. Even though the classes aren't that engaging I still actually enjoy going because it means that this whole baby thing is really going to happen. It's crazy and exciting to think that I could be a dad next month!

Yesterday (Saturday) we went over to a friend's house for a fabulous breakfast of waffles (This recipie was made from a start that was created forty years ago and has been in their family since), hash browns, and sausage. Also, last night we went to Sal's one-year-old birthday party, which, as with any one-year party, was more for the parents and friends than it was for her.

Anyway, that was our week... Nothing too exciting, but I am glad that normal weeks do occur every once in a while because it really helps the exciting moments to stand out when they happen.

Here are some pictures:

Rachel got me a violin for Christmas, and this week it was finally delivered to our doorstep! No, I don't play the violin...yet. After practicing for a while I bought an extra present- A practice mute!

This picture wasn't taken this week (or even this year), but I thought that just one picture would be too scarce. So, here we are in a blanket fort that we made one afternoon.

Hooray for peanut butter!

We've been back from our vacation for a little over a week now and things are falling back into routine...sort of. There are some minor changes in the routine that have spiced things up a little bit.

First of all, the weather here in Cleveland is very confused. I don't think it knows we are in January, because winter hasn't really come yet. Yesterday, we broke a one-hundred-and-one year record for the highest temperature this time of year. We haven't been complaining much about it though, because it means we can enjoy a little more time out doors.

Also, we went to our first child birthing class tonight. They had some good relaxation ideas for Rachel- apparently I'm just the coach- but I almost fell asleep coaching her to relax. They divided us into groups where all the women got to rag on their husbands and vice versa. We realized that we've got it pretty good.

Today, Rachel also hosted a big lunch party thing at our house for the Relief Society. She thought it'd be a good idea to give the women in the ward a chance to socialize and get out of the house during these cold winter months (at least they're supposed to be cold) while their husbands are all in school or working.

Other than that, things are pretty much back to normal. Rachel has been busy with her job, and I am sort-of busy with school (but not really). We're getting more and more excited for our baby to arrive. She (the baby) kicks a lot and responds very well when I play the guitar or turn the radio to a classic rock station. It'd be cool if this is foreshadowing things to come!

Hey everyone! I thought I would take a minute since Logan has been having all of the fun. This week I had a fabulous girls night out for Diane's birthday. We went to a Mongolian grill for dinner and then out to a movie. The food was fabulous, and it was nice to have a night with the girls. After dinner we went to PS I Love You. For those of you who have never heard of this movie (I hadn't) this is the ultimate emotional chick flick. The movie introduces you to a cute young couple, then the next thing you know the husband dies of a brain tumor. The movie is all about a scheme he made up (sending letters and doing cute things) to help her after he has passed away. The movie had a lot of cute moments, but I think I cried crocodile tears for about 75 percent of it. It was an interesting premise and had a lot of good parts, but I think I will enjoy it more when I am not pregnant and liable to cry over a broken nail. All in all though I had a great night out with my friends. Happy birthday Diane!

Many of you know that Logan and I enjoy reading books aloud together. We started this tradition when we were dating and we have read over thirty books to each other. We are currently reading Life of Pi and we have one other book on our waiting list. I want to know if any of you have good books you have read recently or old favorites you could recommend. I am sure there are others who read our blog that are looking for a good read. Some of our favorites include; Pope Joan, A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Da Vinci Code, The Husband, and the Harry Potter series.

I hope everyone has a happy week!

Happy New Year!

We have been having so much fun over the Christmas break that we have totally forgotten to write in the blog! Really, we had a wonderful Christmas and we sincerely thank everyone who made it so good for us.

Our vacation started at 4:30 in the morning when Rachel’s amazing visiting teacher gave us a ride to the train station. From there we rode to the airport and flew to Utah, where, to our utmost joy and surprise we were greeted by Lori, Allison, and Stephanie, Rachel’s friends from California. They had flown up just to see us!

At Kelly and Wendy’s house we had a lot of fun visiting, shopping, cooking, playing with Rachel’s tummy, cooking, watching Marissa cheer and dance, visiting Shannon’s work, and doing whatever else came to mind. Rachel also had a baby shower while we were there. Kelly made some amazing desserts to be used as refreshments, and Rachel got to see a lot of friends and family. We also spent an evening at Grandma Hills house where we were able to hang out with our “Provo family” consisting of John and Annie, Jon and Liz, Jordan and Kate, Jared and Anna, and of course Grandma. Also, we had a surprise visit from Charles and his wife. We also spent an evening on Temple square looking at all of the lights with Rachel’s family and her best friend, Debra. Basically, our time in Utah couldn’t have been better, and we were a little bit sad to leave, but we were excited too, because it meant we got to go to Rexburg.

In Rexburg we visited my family. Actually, Griffin was gone on a kayaking trip in Mexico, and Haley was in Texas with Matt’s family. Still, it was so much fun to be with my family. We did a lot of lat minute shopping, movie watching, and hanging out. On Christmas Eve I helped my dad play Santa and we stayed up until 3:30 assembling a foosball table. Christmas day was fun and Rachel got to give everyone the scarves she has been working on for the past month-and-a-half. Haley and Matt came home after Christmas and we had a good day with them cross-country skiing at Harriman State Park. Despite being eight months pregnant, Rachel is still a great skier!

The time to come home approached all too soon and before we knew it we were saying our goodbyes. It was a wonderful vacation. Now it is time to settle back into routine and prepare for Baby Girl’s debut into the world. Again, merry Christmas to everyone and may the new year bring many happy blessings!

The main attraction was Rachel's cute belly.

Kelly made some delicious desserts. Here is a sampling of the many dishes he prepared.

Kelly also taught me how to weld. I created some amazing abstract art that should be displayed in a really nice museum.

Here is Kelly practicing his "Grandpa skills" with Connor. He's gonna be great!