Big and Bigger!

Lately alot of things have been happening in my life..Big things...Bigger things than my ever enlarging belly even. Life's been full of big events and big bellies so much that I just haven't had time to blog about all of it till now.

One of the biggest things to occur recently is I graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a Bachelors of Science in English. Going through my last semester of school I don't think it actually ever hit me that I was graduating, or all of the work I had put into to graduate. But graduation day with my family surrounding me it finally hit me that all those years of tears, frustration, and late nights had finally paid off...I was graduating. Everything finally sunk in that day as I walked across the stage to receive my diploma. With my mother in tears below watching it finally hit me...I did it. All that hard work was finally paying off and I did it!

Now...Like everyone who ever receives an award or accomplishment I am going to give my thanks...

I'm so thankful first and for most for my parents...Because without them (especially my sweet mother) I would have never made it. My mom has always been there pushing me and believing in me, and never did she not believe I couldn't succeed in college and receive a degree. She wanted it so much for me and was always there pushing me, encouraging me, and being there for me. I'm thankful for my parents for always bringing me up to school, making sure I had school supplies, groceries, and all the necessities needed by a college girl. I'm so very blessed to have parents who never gave up on me and have always believed I was smarter than I thought I was.

I'm also INCREDIBLY grateful and thankful for my loving and supportive husband; who more often than not believed in me more than I ever believed in myself. I'm so thankful for a husband who has always been there for me, and supported me. Even when I decided to change my major a year before graduation, he was always there pushing me and supporting me in whatever I wanted to do. Never has he doubted my abilities or capabilities in regards to knowledge and education. Often times when I thought I was so stupid and in-capable I had a reassuring hug, smile, and phrase telling me I was smart. It's those times that pushed me through and got me the degree I have worked so hard for. I'm thankful for a husband who honored my desires to get an education before having children and supported me the entire way. Slowly I am receiving everything I ever wanted, and it's all thanks to my loving and wonderful husband. I love you baby!

I'm so thankful for all the family that made the sacrifice and took the time to come honor and celebrate me on my special day! It made the day even more special to get to stand before all of them and be proud of what I have accomplished. I am truly blessed! And relieved to be done!


While I'm going along with the topic of big things...Lets talk about BIG SECRETS AND SURPRISES!!

Little did I know...My family was secretly planning a baby shower for me! In getting pregnant one of the things I was looking forward to was having a baby shower, but I concluded early on that I wasn't going to be able to have one, because I didn't really see anyone I knew in Rexburg throwing me a baby shower. And since most of my friends and family live in other states I didn't know who on earth would be invited if I had one anyway! So sadly I wrote off having a baby shower...But little did I know a bunch of sneeky sneekers were planning me one!

It wasn't until the day of the baby shower that I started to get skeptical...I had one final left to take that day, and so Robby had dropped me off for my final assuming I would be there for an hour and a half. Well, I got done about 45 minutes into the time and happily wanting to come home and see my family (who had arrived like an hour prior) I texted and called Robby to come pick me up. He informed me that he was busy...So I called my mom to come get me and she said she was at KFC getting food...I told Robby there was no one to pick me up and he said Vincent would come get me. So I'm thinking "Ok good, finally I have a ride home!" So I wait...and wait..and wait..And after about 10 minutes I texted my brother asking what gives. He sadi he was on his way...ON HIS WAY!? What had he been doing the past 10 minutes?! Arg was all I coudl think at the time. So I waited about 10 more minutes for him to show up. When I came in the door I found that only my brother and dad were home. My dad looks at me and first thing he says is, "You're not suppose to be home yet." Gee thanks dad...Nice to see you too? Then my dad proceeds to rattle off some nonsense about how my mom wanted to go see Annette and then Grandad wanted to come and the girls and Robby...I'm like...Oook...That doesn't really match up with mom's story but sure...I started getting a little skeptical at this point since no one's stories were matching up.

So my  mom comes in the apartment and I hear my dad whisper something to her and she comes in stating the same thing my dad had..I just played along...Still very skeptical of what was going on...

That night we were all suppose to go out to Olive Garden as a pre-dinner celebration for graduation; since my graduation would be running late we thought we'd do dinner the night before. I was really looking forward to going out with all the family for dinner. Well Robby informed me he had made reservations for 7 since we had such a large group and we'd better head down there to make sure they know we're all coming. At this point I wasn't so skeptical anymore and I thought "Okay great lets go!" So he and I and my little sister jumped into the car to head to Idaho Falls. Now, something to make you aware of is whenever we head out somewhere I always ask Robby if he has his wallet...This time was no different and I said:

"Babe...You got your wallet right?"
"Yes"

And we were off! So about 15-20 minutes down the road he starts feeling his pant pockets and with a kind of concerned look says, "Oh...I think I forgot my wallet..." YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!? Robby starts to recall that he left the wallet in his parents hotel room and so he proceeds to call his parents saying go ahead and keep going to Olive Garden we'll have to go back and get the wallet. Well...I'm not stupid...So I try something out in the car:

Me: Hey honey...I have my wallet...We can just use my card to pay for the food.
Robby: Uh...No I need my wallet.
Me: Why? I've got the same card in my wallet we don't need to go back.
Robby: Yes...yes we do..I just need my wallet cause I'm the driver and stuff..

.....OOOOK?

So we head back to Rexburg to the hotel his parents were staying at. Livvy and I sit in the car and as soon as Robby leaves the car I turn around to investigate the little chick-a-dee in the back seat:

Me: Livvy! What is going on!?
Livvy: Nothing...He just forgot his wallet.
Me: Livvy! I KNOW something is going on...You need to tell me!
Livvy: He just forgot his wallet, I remember seeing him drop it.
.......?
Me: If you saw him drop it then why didn't you say something to him when you saw him drop it.
Livvy: I dunno...He just needs to go get it.

What...the..heck. Somethin' is goin' on! :)

So Robby comes back out and says that I have to come in and varify that it's his wallet.........? So I try to do another little test and say, "Ok..But livvy can just stay in the car since we'll be right back." Robby proceeds to tell me livvy  needs to come too. So with a smirk on my face and giving my sneeky husband a look we walk into the hotel. Then Robby proceeds to tell me I have to go up to the conference room to get it...Um...Yah okay babe whatever you say. So we open the door to the conference room and....




SURPRISE! It's a baby shower!! :)

I knew something was up, but never did I really suspect a baby shower! I was so surprised at all the friends and family that were there, the adorable decorations, and all the GIFTS! I felt so surprised, loved, and excited! Here's a little recap of my baby shower...

ADORABLE DECORATIONS!!

ADORABLE AND AWESOME CAKE!

AMAZING GIFTS!

AND...ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO CAME!



AND..THE WONDERUL PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES!

THANK YOU MOM, ANNETTE, AND ROBBY for getting it all together and putting in so much time and effort just for me :)

THANK YOU AUNT KATHY, ALYSE, AND KRISTEN for the adorable decorations that were around the room! Soo cute!

I'm so INCREDIBLY grateful for all the time and effort that went into planning and preparing this on behalf of me and baby Ladle. We are incredibly blessed and set on things for our little man and I am just so truly blessed! I loved my baby shower so much! :)

After the baby shower...Baby Ladle is now set on:





A DRESSER...WHICH NOW HOLDS ALL OF BABY LADLE'S...

CLOTHES...

BLANKETS

AND ALL THE OTHER ODDS AND ENDS THAT BABY LADLE IS GOING TO NEED :)

And lets not forget all the...

TOYS

EXTRA BLANKIES (For those cooold Idaho nights)

AND DIAPERS! (You can never have too many of those I don't think)

Oh...And get ready world...Because soon I'll be sportin' one of these bad boys too...

OH YEAH....

On a last note of big things recently...My tummy is ever growing and bigger than EVER! I still wish I had a shirt that said: "I'm not fat...It's just baby" But hopefully people are thinking I'm pregnant and not fat...Because boy do I sure just feel FAT.

Grow baby grow...