18 Weeks

Believe it or not, I'm already 18 weeks along. Today I had an appointment and I'm always thrilled to hear that little miracle heartbeat. We scheduled my ultrasound for January 14th. So the countdown begins to when we find out if it's a boy or a girl. Of course, we are counting on baby to cooperate and let us see what gender we are having. So far my nephew Andrew has his vote in for a boy. He has two sisters and would like another boy in the family. I guess we'll see.
Our Christmas was great. We did a lot of traveling in order to see our families. It always seems to go by so fast especially since I work retail and don't get many days off during the holiday season. I'll be posting some photos as soon as I get them developed. My belly has really started popping out there now for all to see. I love being pregnant!!!

Update

Last monday, we went for our 14 wk check-up. Everthing is going great. Baby's heartbeat was around 150. I thought I'd include a picture that Tom took of me at 13.5 wks. Instead of looking like I ate too much for dinner, I'm actually beginning to look pregnant now.

Thanksgiving

This year Tom and I along with my parents headed down to Illinois to have Thanksgiving with Tom's parents and sister. We had a great time being all together and the meal was fabulous, of course. Since I work in retail, I had to work the day after Thanksgiving. Thankfully, I didn't have to be into work until 1pm on Friday, but I was pretty sore today after being on my feet and running around getting shoes for 9 hours.
We are almost 13 weeks already. I'm still getting sick to my stomach throughout the day but some days seem to be better than others. I thought things were going to calm down with the good days I had around Thanksgiving....but I'm afraid the sickness is still here. Hopefully, I only have a couple weeks left of being sick. :) Everything seems to be going well and my next appointment is December 3rd.

Update

Well, as the holidays are approaching, work is getting busier that's for sure. I have had quite a long week and am really tired. Although, when you're pregnant, I think that most of the time you're tired. ...oops, did I just say pregnant.... That's right, I will be 11 weeks on Monday, and we are due June 2. We were able to hear the the baby's heartbeat last Monday at 10 weeks. Such a sweet sound. We are praying that the Lord would give us a "keeper" this time, and we would appreciate your prayers too.

Photography Class

Tom and I have been taking a photography class the last couple of weeks. It is an adult education class that was put on by our community at the local high school. Tonight was our 5th class and next week is the last one. We have learned a lot about our camera and shooting in manual mode. I think that now I could take a picture on purpose and get it to look how I want it to look. Tonight's class was about studio lighting and our instructor brought in objects for us to shoot at and practice what we've learned. I've attached a few of our pictures. We had a good time and have learned so much that will come in handy in the future. And now we can't be made fun of for shooting in auto any more!!

Butter Burger Road Rage

On Wednesday, Culver's had burgers for only a dollar. Tom and I thought that would be great for our dinner, but so did everyone else. It was completely filled and the drive-thru was lined-up. So, we decided to get in line for the drive-thru. Well, as we were ready to pull up because the line was moving, this van floored it and got in front of us. Tom honked the horn to let him know that he wasn't a very nice person. I was pretty furious, but Tom gently reminded me that it was just a burger. As we were going thru this line, we were able to hear much more horn blowing. At one point, Tom talked with this one guy who was in a line that was formed to cut-off our line. We did a lot of laughing actually and thought it was pretty funny to see all the rage over people getting their burgers. Just to let you know, we did end up getting 3 burgers......after waiting about 45-50 minutes.

Year 2 Grad School

I finally got pictures back so that I could post about the beginning of Tom's second year of school. This year his class got to put together the cookout for the first and second year students. It's amazing how time goes by quickly. Everyone had a great time playing softball and getting to know each other, and I really enjoyed taking the photos.

Playing the Wii

While at Tom's parent's house we were able to play the nintendo Wii. Tom's sister and brother-in-law have one and they brought it with them. As you can tell by the pictures, we all had a little fun playing the bowling game. And there is a good explanation for the picture of Tom's mom looking at all of us as we throw our feet into the air. On the bowling game, if you don't hang on to your bowling ball...you end up throwing it backwards into the crowd. As your ball heads toward your co-bowlers who are waiting their turn, their feet all go up into the air so they don't get hit. So we were doing the same thing every time Tom's mom threw the bowling ball backwards.

Vacation--part II

Well, here are the rest of the pictures from our vacation week. We headed up north to a cabin in Cheboygan, Michigan. We had a great time relaxing at the cabin on the lake. There was even a pontoon boat that we were able to take around the lake. We called my dad the captain. He was definitely in his element. One evening we built a fire, had smores and used
the mountain pie maker. Tom and I also set up our tent one evening just to use our new mats we had just bought. The mats turned out to be great, but it was so cold outside that I froze the whole night.When we got up in the morning, we found out that it was 39 degrees!!!! No wonder I was freezing.
Of course, I should add that I had a wet head from the shower before bed. hmmm....that probably contributed a little to the shivering.
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the time we were able to get to spend just having a great time together.

Vacation--part I

Well...it is about time for us to update our blog and tell about our vacation time during the month of summer. This year Tom and I went on vacation with my parents. Our vacation started with a Detroit Tiger baseball game since my mom had gotten 4 tickets for her birthday. We had a great time even though Tom's allergies flared up and the tigers lost. I really enjoyed taking photos.
The next day we headed up to a cabin in Cheboygan, Michigan.

Remembering a Loved one...

My Grandmother, Christine C. Blake, passed away on saturday morning, July 28, 2007. How do I even express in words my love for her? I was privileged to live next door to my grandma for several years. It was great to be able to talk to my grandmother about the past and to hear her stories. We did get to spend a lot of time together of which I'm so grateful.
When I was younger, my grandma and grandpa lived up in National City which is in the Huron National forest near Tawas, Michigan. We often went to grandma's house and had a lot of fun exploring her woods. She loved to sew and I remember her making me this beautiful blue dress. Of course, I also remember that if I stuck my fingers in the cookie dough we were making, she would threaten to throw the whole thing away! (haha) She was the best grandma ever....always there for me. I'm so thankful that she knew the Lord and is with Him now. I'm a little jealous since she has now seen my brother too. I'm thankful to know that she will no longer feel the immense pain that she was suffering from in her final days, and I will again see her someday.
I had to include the picture below of my grandma with a backwards ball cap on. The ONLY reason she would of done that and had her picture taken is because TOM put the hat on her. She loved him so much and would say to me, "Mandy, you've got a good one."

My Grandmother

For the past few weeks, my grandmother has not been doing so well. Tom and I were able to see her last weekend while she was in the hospital. And when we had to leave, it was like saying goodbye for the last time. Since then they have moved her into a hospice.
If you think of it, please pray for my parents as they are worn out from all the stress you face as you see your loved ones slip away. And pray that God would extend His peace and comfort to my grandma as only He can. We are simply just praying for God's will whatever that may be.

Update on Us

On June 22, Tom and I celebrated 5 years of marriage. For our special day, we decided to stay home and cook together. We made a new dish that ended up being really good!! Our menu consisted of Italian style biscuits, Parmesan asparagus, Grilled Chicken with Blueberry chutney and for dessert Cream puffs with chocolate and strawberries.
We've both been keeping busy with my teaching and working at Younkers and Tom with classes. Actually believe it or not, this week he is taking his mid-terms already. The summer is going by too fast for me. Other than work and school, we have been able to schedule in a few fun things. We were able to meet up with Tom's mom, dad, Lynette, and Carrie and her husband Jon in Chicago to celebrate the 4th of July. It has been a family tradition since Tom was in jr. high or high school. We had a great time and got some good photos. We were also able to meet the new edition to Jon and Carrie's family--Boo, their dog. And Tom was able to grill on his dad's brand new grill. It was really nice. We also got the chance to play the Wii made by nintendo. It was great fun. We even got a picture of Tom's mom bowling. I couldn't believe how sore I was after bowling a few games. It was great to be with family.

Summer Session

It has been great to have Tom home again. He started his summer classes last week and those will go until august. Things are going well and I can't believe that we're almost done with the first year of school. It is amazing how fast life flies by. I have great news! I now have 7 students total!!! The Lord is slowly bringing them my way through contacts I have made at the local piano group I meet with during the school year.

Tom's last week...

Hurrah! Tom will be done with his first round of clinicals on Thursday this week. I am throughly excited that he will be done and back home all the time instead of just on the weekends. Of course, he will be beginning his summer classes on Monday. So, not too much of a break for him.
I am doing pretty well. It looks like I'll be getting quite a few hours at work for the next two weeks. And that is always nice since I'm only short hour (which means that I can work anywhere from 1-39 hrs in any given week, but I can only have 1000 hrs per year.) I am also starting a new adult student tomorrow and that is pretty exciting. So, all together that makes 3 students thus far. I'm hoping to get around 20 students by this fall, but I'll be happy with whatever the Lord brings my way.

Week number 3 is done!!!

Amazingly enough, we are already through 3 weeks of toms's first (of 5) clinical. So we're only facing 2 more weeks apart. HURRAH! I've been so grateful to have my parents here to keep me company these last 2 1/2 weeks.
My parents came home because my grandma was not doing well at all. It has been a rough few weeks, but the Lord is slowly strengthing her body and she seems to be doing pretty well now. If all continues to go well, my parents will be returning back to Estonia the early part of June.

Only 4 weeks to go

Tom's first week of clinical rotation is done. One week down and four more to go! He loves being there and getting to do what he's been learning about in classes. All of the staff are friendly and easy going. It is great to hear him so excited about the field that he is going into.

Veldheer Tulip Farm

Last Thursday, May 3rd, Tom and I spent the day at local tulip farm. They boast of having 5 million tulips and we have the pictures to prove it.  It was absolutely beautiful. I was glad to have a whole day to spend together since Tom had to leave for his clinicals on Sunday night.
I just keep looking forward to Friday afternoon when Tom will return for the weekend. Living by myself is definitely not fun.

It's tulip time...

Spring is finally here! Hurrah! I'm sure many of you feel the same way about the warmer weather. Last weekend, we were priviledged to have the Swanks come and stay overnight with us. Of course, we had to get 2 games of Catan in Friday night, and then on Saturday we headed over to see the tulips. It was so wonderful to have friends to spend time with.

Finally over...

Yes, second semester has come to an end if you can believe it. Tom is certainly relieved to be done with his tests, and he is looking forward to his first clinical rotation beginning on May 7th. I, on the other hand, am not looking forward to him being away for many days at a time, but I am happy for the experience he will get.

Soccer Champs

For the last several weeks, Tom and several of his classmates have played intermural soccer together. Well, last week they ended up winning the championship game and received t-shirts.

Warmer weather...finally!

The last couple of days have been warm and without snow!! Hurrah!! Of course, not everything the warmer weather brings is good. Let me introduce you to the new wave of out door living space---the garage. Yes, we have some neighbors who are using their garage for their "back deck" so to speak. Apparently, all you have to do is put an old couch in your garage, set up your dartboard, blare the music and invite people over. I had no idea that a garge could be used in that way. So, want to come over and party in our garage?
Really though... i know each of us have had a neighbor or two that do things a little differently. Do any of you have a great story to share?

It's Birthday Week

It has been a fun week celebrating our birthdays. Tonight we went out on a date to Bd's Mongolian BBQ to celebrate. Tom and I got seperated at the grill and one of the guys around the grill got me talking. Little did I know that he would announce to everyone that I was turning 21 and Tom was turning 54. Tom just looked at me like how on earth would this guy know that we had birthdays, and I had to confess that he had gotten the info from me. Birthday week will come to a close on Monday with me celebrating my 31st b-day. Too bad every week can't be birthday week.

Clinicals

I thought I would write and let everyone know where Tom will be for his first rotation of clinicals. He will actually be heading back to the area that we moved from. This first one is only 5 weeks. So, Tom will be coming home on the weekends....I have to stay here and work. I am thankful that it is close. Of course, I wish it was right here in our area, but the Lord knows where Tom needs to be. Tom is doing well in his studies and passed his mid-terms with flying colors.
My job is keeping me pretty busy as we've had big sales for the last 2 weeks. I am thankful for all the extra hours I'm getting as a result of the big sales.
This weekend Tom's parents came up to celebrate our birthdays by taking us out to dinner. Tom's b-day is next week and mine is the following week. We had a wonderful time with them and Tom's sister Lynnette. It's always nice when we can get together with family.

More snowy photos...

The first picture I thought showed the amount of snow on my car pretty well. The next few pictures were taken of the lighthouse during the days that we had the blizzard, and as you can tell by the skyline, there were still snow showers yet to come. I had never been on the beach in the winter time... Did you know that all the sand freezes and you can just walk on top of it? Well, I had never experienced that before.
Since we had so much snow, Tom and I decided to head to the place in the town where we live to get some pictures. I had noticed this drive way back when we first moved there and thought it would create a nice picture. And our picture ended coming out really cool. It almost looks like black and white film but it was taken with color.

SNOWED IN...

A while back we had quite a blizzard here. The night the blizzard hit we had some of Tom's classmates over to play a few games of Settler's of Catan. When we looked back outside and saw all the snow, we turned on the t.v. to see that all churches were cancelled for sunday services. Everyone just decided to stay the night at our place.


We were up til I don't know when playing the playstation 2 game James Bond.
As you can see, it was a little bit of a chore to get Adam's truck out of our parking lot. But they evetually got out and headed for home. I'm not sure how much snow we actually ended up with. I'm thinking around 15 inches or so. Tom's school was even cancelled on Monday. It was great!!!

Back from Break

We've been trying to get back into the school groove and it has been difficult to do that after having such an awesome break. Tom is really enjoying his classes and excited about learning. I'm not sure if any of you know this, but on May 7th Tom will be beginning his first clinical rotation. Each student gets to pick the top 10 places they'd like to go and then the school decides which facility would best strengthen your education. Of course i'm not looking forward to this since he can get sent to any of the 10 places and not all of them are very close. So, I may be spending 5 weeks by myself....I guess we'll see. This first rotational is only 5 weeks. Rotation #2 is 6 weeks, Rotation #3-5 are all 9 weeks long. I've been dreading this part...even before we moved. But I'm not flipping out. When it comes, we'll deal with it.
Thanks for checking out what's going on with us. We surely enjoy reading the comments and keeping in touch with everyone.

Happy New Year

Wow...all ready another year has past. We are doing pretty well; however we did catch the cold that is going around.
Tom did very well on his exams and is in good standing with the school. He's been off for about 2 weeks and has one week left until school begins again. He only has 5 classes (16 credits) this time instead of the 7 classes (17 credits) he had last semester. The rumor is that the first semester is the hardest.
Amanda has good news---she found out last week that the store she works at wanted her to stay!!! So, that was an answer to prayer for a more permanent job. She also has another student starting in January.
We have finally recruited some people to play Settlers of Catan with us. Since Tom was on break, we ended up having the time to get together to play some games with Pastor Sam and his wife, Jill. Jill is definitely hooked. It's been fun to stay up 'til the wee hours of the morning (around 2am) playing catan...just like old times with the Swanks.
New year's eve and day went well...although, we didn't enjoy watching michigan loose again. This past saturday was family Christmas for Amanda's side. Unfortunately, she was unable to get work off in order for us to go. A little dissapointing, but that how it goes sometimes.
Right now we are enjoying ourselves down at Tom's parents house in Illinois. Amanda got the week off of work so that we could celebrate christmas together. It's is soooooooooo nice that Tom's parents have internet too. I'm sure the two of us will be online quite a bit this week.
For our Christmas this year, we decorated our tropical plant with white lights and ornaments from all of our trips since we've been married. I sure wish I could post that picture, but it was taken with the 35mm.
Just before Christmas this year we had some visitors. Mike and Kelly our friends from the other side of the state came and stayed overnight with us. We played lots of catan, of course, and Kelly went shoe shopping at my store too. We had a great time with them. A bright highlight to our Christmas.
Well, I think that about covers the last few weeks. Hope all you had a great Christmas and new year also.