The Big News

So I was supposed to come back over week ago and put this up but I didn't - opps! Our big news is we are pregnant!!! We couldn't be more excited. We did find out in December (at the doctors office after I thought I had some kind of stomach bug!) but we didn't want to announce until we had been to the doctors and had our first ultrasound. I'm really excited about it and so is Ben. Our families are happy becuase it is the first grandchild for both of our parents. I've been feeling much better lately too...I was really sick in December and the beginning of January. But I'm doing much better now but I am still sleeping a lot. I get so tired around 9 pm so I don't stay up much later than that but that's ok! :) Here is our first ultrasound of our little one!


Bens birthday was on Jan. 20th and we went out to Olive Garden with my parents and his mom to celebrate. We had a good time and they came out with a cake and sang happy birthday to him! Then on Saturday we went out to a bar in the valley called Coopers and hung out with our friends Mel, Brian, Kyle and Liz. It was a good time. We left there about midnight and then my sister called and wanted us to come meet her and my mom in Montrose at Brubakers for a drink. So we went out there and meet them for a little bit. We didn't get home until 2 am (which was wayyyy past my bedtime!). But it was a good night and we had a good time celebrating Ben's 27th birthday!



Work is still going well. Just slowing down slightly now. We have started to catch up on a lot of stuff so it's going to but now I get bored some times! Next week we find out what our raises and bonuses are so I"m excited and nervous about that. We will see how it all goes! I am going to be travelling at the end of April and beginning of May to two different tradeshows. One is in Orlando and the other is in Nashville. I've never been to Nashville so I'm really excited to go there and I've never been to that show either so it should be a great time! It will be rough becuase it's two weekends in a row but then I will get to relax after that until the baby is born! I might try to go to one more some time in May but I'm not certain yet.

Well that's all for now! I will be updating after my next appt on Feb 8th (if not sooner!).

Fun night

Last night was a fun night. We went over to Danielle's house for a get together for Matt's birthday (Danielle's boyfriend). It was a good time. It was Danielle, Matt, me, Ben, Willie, Beanie and the kids there. We just sat around and talked for a while and then we ate. After that they got the Wii started up and we played Mario Kart (which is actually really fun!) and then the guys played bowling then a shooting game. It was a really fun night even though Danielle couldn't talk becuase she had surgery on Weds. I felt so bad for her :(

This week has been a really good week. Have some exciting news to come on Weds (don't know why I am not sharing now becuase I don't think anyone reads this but I will on Weds). Not doing much this weekend besides relaxing. Hopefully this week at work goes quick, my boss will be out so maybe that will give me something to do! Work has died off some lately and I'm getting bored again. I need to start finding things to do!

Well I hope everyone has a great week!

Where does time go?

I feel like I just updated this thing and here it has been weeks! Grr...I'm going to try to be more on top of this!

Our Christmas went really well. Spent time Christmas Eve at Ben's grandpa's house. It was a good time. Got wonderful gifts from his family! Christmas Day we got up and went to Waffle House to get breakfast then went out to my parents for a bit. We weren't planning on doing that but it was a good time. Got to exchange gifts with them and my sister and her husband. Then we left to go visit my family in PA. It was a really good time! I miss seeing them. They all live so close and we live so far :( It was a great time as usual and we stayed until about 10.

New Years Eve I worked (got out a little early at 3 pm!) and Ben had to work also. Then we went over to his grandpa's house for some yummy sauerkraut, pork and sausage. He also was making up his usual margaritas! I didn't drink anything because I knew Ben would be drinking a lot so I just let him have his fun and boy did he! And he paid for it too :)

Other than that not a lot going on. Both of us have been working. Ben got promoted to assistant manager but he did not get a pay increase - something about how he hasn't been there long enough. It just sucks because he is doing all the work for nothing really unless they get a bonus (which they have only done once since he's been there out of about 5 or 6 months). So that's not a big deal right now. Just kind of sucks. Hopefully soon though. They said maybe March he will get one. I don't believe a lot of what they say anymore though because they already lied to him a few times about things so I will believe it when I see it!

I think that's all for updates for now! Have a great weekend!

Merry Christmas Eve!

So yesterday I finally got all the presents we bought wrapped. That was good! So it finally feels like Christmas! Today I am just waiting until Ben gets off work at 5 (who is going to get an oil change on Christmas Eve???) and then we are going to see Aunt Cathie and Bobo to give them their presents, go see his Grandma and Grandpa Boyd, then off to Grandpa Blankenships for the night. I'm extremely sad that we don't get to go to church this year because Ben has to work so late. We were going to when we thought he was only working until 1. Then tomorrow we will head to PA to spend the day with my family. I don't think we have ot be there until 3 or 4 so me and Ben will spend the morning together and open our presents to each other. I'm very excited (although ben is just buying my presents tonight - last minute much??). So I probably won't post until this weekend so

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Getting ready for Christmas

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. I feel bad, I still haven't sent out Christmas cards yet. Maybe tomorrow....they might be late though. Oh well! At least I will have sent them.

We did get our tree up, I need to post a pic of that soon. We switched colors this year. We had been doing blue and gold and this year we switched to purple and gold. We haven't had any Christmas bulb ordeals yet with the animals which has been nice. I figured we would lose a few but none so far!

Our plans for Christmas will be slightly different this year, we will go visit Aunt Cathie and Uncle Jimmy who live up the street and then go see Ben's grandparents on his dad's side who live two streets over. Then we will go spend Christmas Eve with his mom's side of the family. We are not really spending time as a whole with his dad's side which is where we normally are. Then Christmas Day we will go to PA as usual to see my family. I'm excited for Christmas this year, but only in the last few days did I get that way since it finally started snowing. Although I don't think it will for Christmas from what the weather forecast says! Only rain.

Work has been slowing down which kind of sucks but oh well. Maybe after the holidays it will pick back up again so I am not so bored! I am working this week today, tomorrow and Weds. Then I will be off until next Tuesday! It will be a long weekend...I have no clue what I am going to do to occupy my time but I'm sure I will clean and relax.

Thanksgiving 2009

Well we spent most of yesterday at Ben's Grandpa's house with his mom and Grandpa. His mom's cousin Danny and his friend Larry came over along with Ben's uncle Don. We had a wonderful feast - his Grandpa really out did himself! We had turkey, mashed potatoes, butter noodles, stuffing, corn, green beans, gravy, coleslaw and rolls. It was all so delicious! I don't know how I stopped eating it because it was all so good. Then we went and visited his Aunt Irene's sister's that lived close by. We stayed there for a little while and visited. Then I came home and fell asleep around 9! I was so tired from eating all that food that I just crashed. Ben wasn't far behind me either!

Today we went out to my parents, they had to put a part on Ben's car. We went to lunch at Golden Corral which was not busy at all. Then we took my stepdad and Ben back to my parents house to work on the car while me and my mom went out shopping. We just went to JC Penneys and Best Buy. Both places were pretty crowded but not absolutely horrible which was nice. Now I'm just home and Ben and his mom are both sleeping. Not much else planned for this weekend off besides putting up the Christmas tree Sunday. I'm excited to decorate for the holidays :) We need to get everything out of the basement and put up.

No pictures from Thanksgiving though...well there was one of Ben's grandpa cooking but no other ones, not even of me and Ben :( I was really sad that we didn't get a picture together! We always do :(

Thanksgiving Plans

So for Thanksgiving we are going to Ben's Grandpa's house. Normally we would go to his other side of the family but too much drama lately and I don't think anyone is really having it. His aunt that lives across the street is having his grandparents over so we might go up there for a minute and say hi. I'm very excited for Turkey though...I don't make Turkey at I think. Ever. So having Turkey now is even better! :) It was a quick week though because I only work two days then I'm off for five! Very nice and everyone is jealous. I have little doubt that I will actually accomplish anything. I might try to get our Christmas Tree up but see as I have no idea where we are putting it since we rearranged our living room, I don't know what's going to happen. I might get it up, I might not. I really would like to. I am hoping Ben's mom doesn't bring out any of her Christmas stuff though because I really don't need any more stuff in the house nor do I want it. I know she has a bunch of stuff but I really don't want it out. So we will see!

As for other updates, not much else going on. Just working. I worked a little over the weekend and I might come in on Saturday to try to catch up on a few things. We will see. It would be so much easier if I could work from home on the things I needed to do. I could but of course I don't have a lap top so it's not that easy.

Mel and Brian and I went to the doctor on Monday and they are having a boy. Mel was pretty upset because her heart was so set on a girl but she seemed to get better with it as time went on. Brian was very excited that it was a boy (which we all knew he would be). But I think it doesn't really matter to them as long as the baby is healthy - Mel just wanted to buy dresses and bows :). But congrats to them!

Also, we found out this week that Ben's cousin Carmie Jo is pregnant. They leave in Kenmore so congrats to them also!

Well

I ended up going to see New Moon last night :) Me and Ben meet my sister, Amy, and her husband Matt at the movie theater in Macedonia which is a 30 minute drive for us! I went home and crashed for a bit then woke up and went up there. Total I got maybe 5 hours of sleep, I'm dragging already today. I wish I would have taken half a day! Oh well. It was worth it :) I'm glad I got to go and I think it was better then Twilight.

This weekend I hope will be relaxing...we are going to that seminar tonight at our church from 7-9:30 and then I will probably come home and go straight to bed. I might do some cleaning and laundry this weekend. I have a few books to read so hopefully I will get through those and all my DVR'd shows that I Haven't gotten to! I might have to come in to work for a while but we will see!

Monday is Mel and Brian's appt to find out what they are having, she asked me last night if I wanted to go. Well she kind of said that she already thought I was. Which confused me because she didn't really want me to go last time we talked about it, she wanted it to just be her and Brian. Oh well. So I guess I'm going. One of them will be upset though because she wants a girl and he wants a boy.

New Moon

I am really tempted to go see this tonight at midnight. I'm sure everywhere is sold out by now though or else I probably would try to go see it. We are going to an "Investing in Your Marriage" thing at our church tomorrow night and then we might go see it after that. Or we will go Saturday night. Not sure yet. I'm very excited about it though and can't wait to see it :)

Ben's mom didn't hear anything back on the jobs she applied for yet. She called a few places yesterday that she applied at but still nothing. Keeping my fingers crossed for her! We will see what happens.

Melanie and Brian find out what they are having on Monday. We will see what happens with this. She wants a girl and he wants a boy.

It's been a long time

Well It's been a long time since I've written. Things have just been so crazy!

My parents finally made it home from Mexico. A lot happened. My stepdad brought my grandma home from Mexico (on a Thurs night). We saw her Friday at the hospital. She looked very dehydrated and malnoursished but mentally she was all there. She knew who we were. Early Sunday morning she took a turn for the worse and she passed away Sunday night (Nov. 25). RIP Grandma Joan :( It was just too sad, she never should have been taken advantage of the way she was. Hopefully we will get our revenge...if not one day those people will have to answer for what they did to her.

Ben's mom is in town now for good. She is staying with us until their house in Arizona sells. Who knows when that will be. But she is working on finding a job right now. We thought she may have gotten one yesterday but it turns out they didn't evne have any jobs openings they just wanted her to fill out paperwork. Weird. She is calling a few places today that she put applications in to and she went some more places yesterday and filled applications out. So hopefully soon she will get something. We could use the financial help and I don't know that she will be able to help us all that much until she gets something permanent. She is driving me slightly crazy though, she is doing my laundry which bugs me. I don't want anyone doing my laundry. She can do towels and stuff but not everything else. But she continues to do it. I keep telling Ben to tell her not to do our laundry but he won't of course. And she is burning all my candles! Those things aren't cheap because they are Yankee Candles and she's already gone through 2 of them! I am not happy about that at all. I usually save them for when we have people over but she burns them all night long grrrr....

In other news, still busy at work. Things are crazy here and still working a good amount of overtime!

Please pray

Please pray for my parents...they are in Mexico right now and there is a lot going on. I don't want to go in to a lot of detail right now because I don't know anything but I am VERY worried about their and my grandmothers health and safety. I am a wreck. I dont know how I am going to sleep tonight...I just want everything to be ok...

Olivia's 2nd birthday - Sept. 20, 2009

One last post - my god daughter Olivia's birthday party was Sept 20, her birthday was Sept 18th. It was elmo themed and of course a good time. Danielle loves to throw a good party! Olivia is just too adorable!

She looked so cute in her tutu and cowboy boots!

Danielle and Olivia

Elmo made a special appearence

Danielle, Olvia and Matt while singing happy birthday

Liz's 24th Birthday

For Liz's birthday, Mel, Brian, Kyle and Liz went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Then everyone meet them back at their house to drink and hang out. It was a good time mostly, there was some drama involving one of Liz's friends from high school but I won't say what that was here. Liz also got a cake from Reeve's that Mel bought her.

Liz's Cake

Trent wanted cake too!

Me and the birthday girl

Me and Mel

Rob, Rachelle and Trent

Ben and me, he never looks happy to take a picture with me!

Brian being goofy with Mel!

Ben and Mel

Liz and Mel

Being silly

Ryan and Kelly's Wedding - Sept 12, 2009

My cousin Ryan got married on Sept 12. Most of my family is from PA and so are he and his now wife so we had to go to Newcastle PA to get to their church. I hate to say this but the church was in the ghetto. So much so a domestic violence dispute broke out right outside of the church and the cops were there. We could hear everything because the church windows were open! Overall it was a nice ceremony though - she is Lebanese so it was cool to see those traditions in the ceremony. There was a good amount of time between the ceremony and receptions so we decided to take Ben to the original Quaker Steak and Lube in Sharon, PA. He had never been and he doesn't really like the ones here in Ohio. But I knew he would like the one in Sharon. So we sat there and ate and drank while we watched football on the big screens. It was a good time. Then we headed to the reception - it was strange because they wouldn't let us into the reception hall because the bridal party was eating along with the parents! It was weird to be standing their watching them eat while we sat outside and watched them. Oh well - to each their own. It was a good reception and everyone had a good time! I took a ton of pictures so below is just a small amount of what I had actually taken!

Bride and her father

The new Mr. and Mrs.

Mom and Eric

Me and Ben

My Grandpa and Aunt Betty

First Dance

The Cake

All of the kids with my grandparents