The beach in December!

It was about 70 degrees Christmas day and it stayed just as warm the weekend and this week.

So before Anne and Mom left, we took them over to one of the many beautiful beaches close to us. The water is no where near warm enough to get in (unless you have a wetsuit) but it was perfect weather for talking a long walk and shell searching. So we headed to Onslow Beach, the beach on Camp Lejeune and it's the best place for collecting shells, shark teeth and other fun beach goodies. 

Rocky hates the water so TJ spent a lot of time running around.

I'm probably pointing out that there are tiny little clams that you can catch when the wave rolls back out, I would have gone and picked them up but when my feet touched the water, I couldn't feel them anymore :]

We love the beach! I can't wait till its warm enough to swim in it again.

I know we look nothing alike, but I SWEAR we're related :]

FINALLY a Christmas post!

Wow, I've been neglecting my poor little blog! Better late than never I always say!

December is the busy season for retail so I've been working a lot more hours than usual and TJ has been extra busy at the office as well. He now wakes up at 5 AM so that he can beat traffic and actually make it to work on time. He does get there early, so he has been swimming laps every morning! Its way better for his poor knees than running and he's able to make it through the day with more energy. Some days we don't see each other at all except to say good morning and good night to each other. I know we have more busyness to look forward to as we're counting down to our little ones' arrival, but I'm still looking forward to a calmer January. 

So because of my job in retail, I wasn't able to take off for Christmas, and so we spent the holiday in North Carolina. I really wanted to make it up to Maryland but it just wasn't happening. Luckily I have a wonderful mom and sister who made the drive down to spend a long weekend with us!  It was so much fun to see Anne again! I can't believe how grown up she is! And if you haven't heard she is going to spend the summer and spring semester in Vienna, Austria!  So I'll have the chance to see her one more time before then and we won't be with her again until August.  

Lets see...we made out pretty well with our Christmas presents. A lot of baby stuff which is what I wanted, we know have a crib and a stroller. yay! My mom got me all the Burts Bees baby bee lotion, shampoo, diaper powder & ointment. She also got me Belly Butter and I'm obsessed with it! I know they all thought I was crazy, I use it not only for my growing belly but my hands and feet, it makes them so soft!! And I love the smell of it too. Mom also got me a sewing machine! I can't wait to use it, I need some ideas for projects now. We received an assortment of baby clothes and a little thingy that lets us listen to the heartbeat. And TJ and I both got each other a pair of boots, awhhh.  Overall it was just really nice to be able to spend the day with family and relax and enjoy the spirit of Christmas. I'm sad it ended so soon.

And I have a few pictures to share... that I will upload a little later today :]

We didn't get snow, or cold weather for Christmas, so I attempted to have a white one with the help of computer paper.

This is our dog Rocky Balboa, I don't think I've ever posted his picture. I thought he was too cute curled up with the presents.

And here is the ever growing belly :]

And here is the present aftermath!

And soon after, Anne had to take a nap, I don't think she was adjusted to the time change, or the normal sleep patterns :] Crazy college girl.

What a Croc!

I hate Croc's.  I know so many people that wear them and I have nothing against the owners, I just can't stand the shoe. Something about the way they look and the colors and holes on top makes me cringe. I see them everywhere, on everyone and I can't stand it. What a stupid thing to hate, I know.  And the funny thing is I love how recyclable they are, and they are made with sustainable materials. But I remember when they first appeared, I worked a mall and I swore to myself that no matter how trendy they became I would never give in and own a pair.

Well, I think I have to rethink that one. I work retail again and standing for 5 to 6 hours a day is killing my back! I have lower back problems from car accidents previous to being pregnant, and this little one is certainly not helping. So...sorry self, I'm giving in. At least now they have cute styles...right?

Just a quick update...

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone and we're still just as busy so this is just a quick little entry.  

My mom and the Neweys came down to join in festivities with us and it was great having them! I just can't wait until we have a house and room for people to actually stay with us, and not have to sleep on our couch or in a hotel. Thursday had an early start with TJ going to play football with all the priesthood in our ward giving me and mom time to catch up! I'm starting to feel bad for all that teenage rebellion :] I've missed being away from her so much! So we got to have a lazy morning  watching the Macy's parade in our pj's.  

And then the cooking started...

We just went with the traditional spread and it took longer to get ready than we anticipated but it was so delicious! And way easier than I thought it would be too. I am fully prepared to cook next Thanksgiving's dinner. My mom helped with most everything this year, and TJ did too! I'm so lucky to have a husband who doesn't mind cooking!  The rest of the day is a blur, probably from the food coma :]

The next day, so lovingly named Black Friday I had to work, and because of that I didn't feel like shopping very much. We did make it to the movies to see Four Christmases. Which I loved! Not a kids movie, but it was so funny and so cute. After being at work for six hours and then the movie I was ready to go home and crash, which I basically did. I sat down on the couch and I don't think I moved until I got up to go to bed! 

That was pretty much our Thanksgiving, the rest of the weekend we mostly spent hanging out on the couch and catching up with everyone. 

Oh and I can't forget to mention the gifts! My mom bought us a dining table and chairs (from Ikea of course)! I never thought I would enjoy sitting at a table so much, but we love having it! And one of these days when I don't work late, we'll actually get to eat dinner on it. Also the Neweys and my Mom brought down tons of baby clothes and accessories which we could not be happier to have! Thank you to everyone in the Ft. Meade ward who donated!!!

Another thank you to my mother...she went out and bought us little things that we didn't have in our kitchen like wooden mixing spoons and a can opener that works, I can't thank her enough, I jsut hope to be as good a mom as she is. 

Speaking of Moms and babies, I finally have a registry up at Target.com. It has been so overhwelming picking out what to register for, I almost wish there were less things to choose from! 

And I don't have any pictures this post, I forgot to get my camera out the whole weekend...I'm blaming the pregnancy on that one :]

Tag, your it!

So...Monique tagged me! And I'm excited because now I can blog and put off folding laundry a little longer :]

But...I don't have 8 blogs to tag yet, so....if you want to, fill out the tag!

1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Answer the eight"8" items
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV Shows:
1. The Office!!!

2. That 70's Show
3. How I Met your Mother
4. Ellen
5. My Name is Earl
6. Top Design
7. Project Runway
8. Sienfeld

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Cleaned the kitchen

2. Boiled eggs
3. Walked Rocky
4. Clocked in four long hours at the shop
5. Laundry
6. Talked to Amanda about planning some girl nights
7. Saw Kemper kick... I can see the kicks through my belly, its weird but so cool at the same time

8. Laid down while TJ cooked dinner :]

8 Things I'm Looking Forward to:
1. Thanksgiving with Mom and the Neweys!!!
2.  Finally having a dining table, thanks to my wonderful Mom!
3.  Being sealed to my family forever :]
4. Christmas!!!! I love this holiday!
5.  Visiting Maryland and Colorado in December and January.
6.  Living in Durango, CO
7.  Finally meeting my son ( I know I'm only 5 months in but I'm already so excited to meet him!)
8. Learning how to snowboard, better.

8 Favorite Restaurants 
1.  Cantler's (crab shack)

2. Chipotle
3.  TGI Fridays
4.  PF Changs
5. Nano (best sushi!)
6. Serious Texas BBQ
7.  CJ's Diner
8.  and Subway...because I always crave it.

8 Things on my Wish List
1.  To have enough money to decorate for our first Christmas (I know its material things, but...I love the decorations!)
2. That Kemper will be healthy
3. That TJ will be safe when he deploys next March.
4. To get better at taking more pictures
5. Start on a scrapbook
6. Cute maternity clothes
7.  New couches!!!
8. To learn how to snowboard, way better than I already can!! Or at least how to stop without falling.

8 Pet Peeves
1. The stoplights here, they last forever! Which makes a lot of people run the red lights.
2. Campaign commercials, I hate them! And I'm glad I don't have to watch any anymore.
3. People who find it necessary to be mean and call it being honest. I'm honest but I still consider the other persons feelings!
4. Traffic, I hate the traffic here. Basically I hate driving here.
5.  People that talk to my belly...I know they're just as excited as me...but I can't stand it.
6.  People who are rude to waiters.
7.  When the bottom of my pants get wet in the rain...I will roll my pants up so they're highwaters just to avoid it.
8. Parents who don't teach they're children to be respectful and polite so they end up being rude to everyone. ugh.

8 Things you would like to be remembered for:
1. My warm smile :]
2. Being a good Mommy
3. The best wife ever
4. My baked goods....like chocolate chip cookies!

5. As a tasteful dresser, not trendy, just good taste.

6. The nicest person someone has ever met.

7. My big heart.

8. Someone people can count on.

**this one took me FOREVER

8 things to ask and tag people about... AHEM!
1.I have no idea what to ask..... :]

Back to the real world.

So, we were fortunate enough to go on a Carnival cruise the first week of November! TJ's family invited us along and we couldn't be more grateful! It was so much fun to see them all again, it's hard for us to visit them as often as we would like, us being in North Carolina and everyone in  Colorado. So we spent as much time with the whole gang as we could. He has a huge family compared to my little one( Mom, Dad, my sister and a few scattered relatives here and there), and everyone kept asking if I could handle being part of the Hermesman family, or if I was going to run and hide. It was no biggie, the more the merrier! I loved being right in the middle of all the chaos. :] 

So we started in Miami FL and left from there to spend a day at sea, traveling down to Costa Rica, up to the Bahamas and back to Miami. We had left our house at 2 AM to get to the airport to get to the cruise ship around 12. Then once on the ship we ate and met up with his family and just relaxed and then I fell asleep around 8 that night and didn't wake up once during the night!  The day at sea was the most uncomfortable for me. I've never had motion sickness before, but being pregnant, who knows how things will effect you! The boat was moving right in between being fast enough to not rock and being slow enough to not rock. SO the whole first day was pretty rocky, you just felt everything swaying. So I woke up feeling kind of sick and we went to get breakfast and then some motion sickness pills. I didn't actually get sick until trying to take the pill! I guess trying to swallow it is what did me in. So then I had a haircut appointment! haha, I up to the spa probably looking fairly pale! All the girls had hair appointments the first day so we were all in and out of the salon. It was nice to get pampered! That night was "Elegant Night" and everyone on the boat got dressed up in their best. TJ and I ended up matching, but not the cheesy prom way. It's always fun to get fancy and see how good everyone else looks too! So the next days were spent on different islands. First at Costa Rica, which was gorgeous! I've never seen ocean like that!  We spent the day swimming at the beach and getting sunburnt! The next day was at Half Moon Cay which is part of the Bahamas but an island owned by Carnival. So we spent the whole day in the water there too. I loved it, I've missed the beach weather here so it was awesome to get out in the water again.  The last day was spent at Nassau, the Bahama capital. We spent the day walking around the streets popping in and out of stores. By the end of everyday I was ready for a nap! But there was so much to do, I didn't want to miss anything. 

We really enjoyed being able to get away and relax. We planned to do nothing, we did nothing but relax  and it was great.

Heres a little lighthouse at Nassau. I just thought it was too cute to not take a picture.

The Cruise Ship Destiny...and a candid shot of Ashlee and Anastasia, two of TJ's sisters.

This is the 20 week belly. Just big enough to barely barely  fit into my clothes.

TJ's youngest sister, Anastasia, 8 and I on Elegant Night. They had a show after dinner which is what we're waiting for. Although TJ and I didn't get to see it all because someones Shirley Temple spilled on us :] I was informed that you aren't really a Hermesman until something has been spilled on you! haha!

See what I said about matching? I love that suit, he just so handsome :] And lets face it, we both clean up GOOD!

****I'm still learning this whole blog thing so be patient, I'm going to tackle pictures this afternoon.

**I finally figured out the pictures! :]

Hello Blogging World!

Well, I finally gave into the pressure and created a blog!  But only because I actually have a little something to talk about! We are expecting our first baby and I just wanted to get all the details out there.  Our first ultrasound was yesterday and the ultrasound tech couldn't have been more pleasant!  A little change from how the naval hospital has been before. There are so many pregnant women in Jacksonville that the OB/Gyn is always super busy. Sometimes you feel like a herd of cattle....which is a great feeling when your belly is growing! :]

Anyways... I'm 18 weeks along and it's a boy! TJ's so happy, and I'm really excited too, I've always thought a boy would be fun (and they still have really really cute clothes)!  He's very healthy and only weighs nine ounces right now. But he sure is photogenic! The tech said that typically the little guys move around so much that she has a hard time seeing everything she needs to see, but our little guy was ready for it! She also told us that typically women have to be 20-22 weeks along for her to see all the organs and bones that she needs to, but everything was crystal clear! What a miracle technology is.  I wish that I could have an ultrasound everyday! It was the most awesome thing I have ever experienced.  The best part of the whole visit was watching him up on screen. He kept his hands up over his head, kind of like he was covering his face and at one point he moved one down and he waved at us. It was such a special moment, just simply amazing.  I just can't wait to meet him! Oh, also...the due date is March 28th and as for a name, his first name will be Kemper. TJ found it in a book he read and has always liked it. It's actually an old celtic name that means warrior.  As for middle names....I'm still working on that one.

Well..thats all the update I have for right now, bear with me as I learn this whole blogging thing :]