Wednesday, August 6, 2014

2014

2014 has been a great year for me and Matt, as well as our families.

In February, Cameron came home from his mission in Brazil! We flew to Washington so we could be there with everyone and welcome him home.  It was so fun being together as a family and hearing about his mission stories!  


The first meal he wanted--Red Robin

We had an Oreo party and tried just about every available Oreo flavor

This year I turned 26 (not quite 40 like my young women seemed to think...)


In December of 2013, Matt and I found out we were expecting!  Words can't express how happy we were to finally know we would be starting our family.  We decided to wait and tell our families until February, when we would all be in Washington together.  It was so hard not to say anything to them, but it was wonderful being able to tell them in person and see their excitement!  

We told Matt's family by making a card for Cindy (Matt's mom) saying she would be a grandma.  We told my family at the airport when Cameron got home from his mission.  I made a sign that said, "I'm Pregnant" in Portuguese. (When my family asked what the sign said, I told them it said "Welcome Home" in Portuguese so they wouldn't be suspicious.) It was fun to see Cam's reaction, then the reaction of the rest of my family as they started to realize the sign said something different.  

In March we found out we were having a girl!! 

20 Weeks
 Another big event this year was our move to Washington.  Matt accepted a job at Amazon in Seattle, so we moved the end of May.  The timing of the job was great, especially with us expecting our little girl.  We were excited to be close to family!

It was incredibly difficult leaving Wisconsin.  I loved my job, our branch, my calling as the Young Women's President, and all of the amazing friends we had made there.  I still think of Wisconsin often, but am grateful to be in Washington and close to family again! 

From my last trip to the Chicago temple before our move--with the YW
 In May, my nephew Elton was born. I was lucky enough to go to California with my mom to help out and play with my sweet nephew and niece. 

Cuddle Time

Sibling Love

He's such a happy little guy!
Last but not least, here is a tour of our place we're in!  It's a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom townhouse and it's perfect for us right now!

Our Front Door

Our Kitchen

I love how much cupboard space I have!

Dining Room, Living Room and Patio

Living Room

Up the stairs we go!

Guest Bathroom

Guest Bedroom/My Craft Room
Hallway

Baby M's Room




Our Bedroom


We love it here and love being back in the Northwest!  
Tomorrow, August 7, is my due date and we're hoping to meet baby M soon! I'll keep you updated once she finally arrives!

9 months 

Saturday, September 28, 2013

5 Year Anniversary

In August, Matt and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary.  It has been a great five years and we have been very blessed.  I'm grateful for Matt and all that he does for me.  

For our anniversary, we decided to go to Puerto Rico.  
We found a cute apartment online that we were able to rent for the week.  

View from the dining room/living room
View from bedroom
The week consisted of the following:

Plenty of trips to Ben and Jerrys (which was right by the beach)

A trip to Old San Juan's forts
View from one of the forts




A walk through Old San Juan


 Hiking through El Yunque Rainforest




That leaf was giant!

A couples massage and manicures

Snorkeling
We went with a group where we got our own motor boat, and followed a guide to another island where we snorkeled.  Matt loved going fast and hitting all of the giant ocean waves, while I held on for my life.
Leaving the marina
Still in relaxing mode

Matt went slow enough that I could let go and take a picture


After our first island, we drove to another island.  They have filmed scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean on the second island.  Matt did a little snorkeling there, while I just relaxed on the beach. It was beautiful!



 Kayaking
Our kayak ended up having a hole in it, so we tipped about 30 minutes into it because it filled up with water. Matt was sweet and held on and kicked, while I got back up and paddled.  We got some funny looks but it was a good laugh.


Playing in the Ocean


Relaxing on the beach



And a lot more! 
We loved our trip and definitely need to start planning another fun one!