I'm Pregnant

You may have noticed that I stopped blogging around March.  That's because I'm pregnant.  And once I'm pregnant I like to milk it for all it's worth.  Abram finally shamed me into posting, now that I'm 5 1/2 months along. 

I'm due November 28th and it's a boy.  We're taking name suggestions, so feel free to leave one.

We're Moving

Again.  For those that haven't heard, we're moving back to DC.  Same job, same area, same everything.  We just found a place to rent that we're really excited about.  It's right next to GW parkway, so I've been trying to convince Abram he should bike into work everyday.  I thought it was going pretty well until he had dinner with Ryan and Amy, mentioned it to them, and Amy just laughed.  That was enough of a reality check for him and now we're banking on the express bus.   

Abram is driving the truck down on Sept. 12 and my mom is going to drive down with the kids and me on Sept. 14.  

Here are photos of some of our friends that we love and are so very sad to leave.

New York

Thanks to my mom and Abram, I got to go on a kid-free girls trip to New York.  Here are some of the highlights:

Grimaldi's Pizza

Breakfast at Norma's

In the Heights 

Central Park

Our Rickshaw ride with Angel

(me half heartedly encouraging a little girl after Jana embarrassed her for falling off her bike)

I don't have any pictures, but I will also fondly remember our many inappropriate conversations on airplanes and subways for all the world to hear. 

It was a great trip and I'm so glad I got to go with my girls before I leave.  

OBX

We went to our favorite vacation spot in July: The Outer Banks of North Carolina.  My family rents a huge beachside house that can fit all 20 of us (Travis is engaged for those of you counting).  We swim and play and eat and laugh for a whole week together.  That's not to say we don't have rough moments.  You can click here to read Shauri's account of our trip there.  

Here is the only picture I have of the trip.  Not very exciting, is it?  Hopefully this will push my sister/sisters-in-law to send me all their photos.

a few more...

Homecoming

We've had a lot of good days this summer, but July 6th takes the cake.  That's the day my parents came home from serving a 3 year mission in Australia.  I can't even tell you how hard it was to have them so far away for so long.  It didn't matter how long they were gone, or how used to it I was, I would periodically tear up in the middle of the day because I was so lonely for them.  So reuniting brought with it sweet jubilation.  

Max was totally pumped up for his grandparents to come home.  Grandma rode in our car home from the airport and Max talked her ear off.  He was especially excited to sing his "Grandma Song" for her from the kid's CD she sent the grandkids.  It starts out: "I have a friend who's just pretend, and you can't see... but my little friend is real to me."  I know, sad commentary.  Anyway, he was a different child than the one who came to visit her in Australia.  Of course it helps not to be 12 hours off schedule and having just endured a 33 hour trip.   

Fourth of July

The 4th of July just keeps getting better and better.  This year's parade was a smashing success.  How could it not be with these two in the show?

Max loved the fireworks.  Aviva, not so much.  We put her to bed beforehand (note Ben's pajamas) and then she woke up to the noise.  After that, hysteria.