Times Are A Changing!

Well, this year has definitely been one of many changes and opportunities. One big one for us was when we found out we were pregnant! Joe and I are expecting our first child on December 11 this year! We are both really excited, scared, nervous, overwhelmed, and every other possible emotion one could have! Right now, we are in week 31 with only 9 more weeks to go! Time is definitely flying by, I must say!

Here is our 20 week ultrasound! Baby Martin in the making!!

The first trimester I was utterly exhausted. I would come home from work at 4:30 or so, take a two to three hour nap, eat dinner, and go back to bed and sleep for another 8 hours or so. I also had a bit of "afternoon sickness" but other than that things were pretty good. The exhaustion with work was really the hardest thing to overcome. Second trimester was great! It was over before we knew it. Now, as we are in the third trimester, things are becoming more real and coming to end. We went to our birthing class a couple weekends ago which was fairly informational, yet I feel there is SO much more that I need to know! That's what books and friends are for as I am finding out!!

We did not find out the sex of Baby Martin and it has been interesting! I can definitely see the benefits of finding out the sex, but I'm glad we didn't. Joe's parents continually call Baby Martin HIM where my parents call Baby HER. Joe and I, well, depends on the day, but tend to call Baby more IT unfortunately. Until my dad came up with a good nickname: BOOMER! So now, Baby Martin has been referred to as Boomer, Boom Boom, or Boom. I have a sneaking suspicion that this nickname is going to stick around once he/she finally decides to shower their head!

Since we didn't find out the sex, we've been trying to figure out names for both a boy or girl. Needless to say, this has been a challenge. The names Joe likes, I don't, and those I like he doesn't. Some days I think we are making headway, and more on the same page, then something happens and the progress we made is gone! So any suggestions are appreciated!! We have a couple of front runners for girls names, but the boy names we only seem to agree on one name and I'd like to have a couple of options, just in case.

This coming weekend will be our first of two baby showers. This one is up here in Superior with most of Joe's family and our friends. Our other one will be later in November, when Emily will be home, and with the rest of my family. We got a lot of hand-me-downs from a couple of good friends and are VERY appreciative of their generosity! Its so hard to know what you really need, so I am very glad we have friends around to help me stay sane and relaxed!

Anyways, this year has been a blessing and is almost over with when you start thinking of things! Before we know it, Boomer will be here, as will Christmas and a new year. It really is amazing what happens to time while your busy making plans. Anyways, I just hope Boomer decides he/she doesn't want to be late, if you know what I mean!! Wish us luck!

A recap of the past year!!

Well, it's been a while since I've last posted, but it really has been quite the past, what like 10 months! (No, no child yet, though!) Back in October I ventured out to Oregon, both Joe and I did, and did a site visit of a place I was looking at for a job. I was terribly unhappy with what was going on at St. Marys and feeling I was being pushed out my by manager. So I kept my options open and I started looking for opportunities. Our venture out there was a blast!! I got to interview at 2 great hospitals. One in Coos Bay, OR and the other in Eugene, OR. If we had chosen that was where we wanted to move, I would have chosen Eugene. That hospital was absolutely amazing!! Did I mention it was beautiful?! If anyone has been watching the new show One Born Every Minute, that hospital is fairly identical to the one I was looking at. VERY NICE! Anyways, after visiting, and getting an interview at home here, we decided we wanted to stay and I took a job over at St. Lukes as an inpatient PT at the hospital. It was the BEST decision I have made yet however very tough. I knew I was unhappy at SMDC but making such a big change after 5 years there was tough. I do know now, that I am more happy being at SLH and know it was the right move. SLH is so different from SMDC its amazing! I never really knew that until now. Calm, relaxed, and it's serious about patient first. Not pushing so much about money and administrative driven. its all about the patient and I love that! I'm not constantly looking over my shoulder wondering what I did this time or what I didn't do. I am honest when I say I'm so glad I made the switch. Nothing much happened around Christmas. A typical xmas in for our family I must say! Same w/ New Years. Nothing big. Dad stayed w/ use for a couple of weeks in February and March. He's doing great!!

In February I played in the Womens Bonspeil in Superior. It was so much fun!! Below is our team, minus our Skip (my mother in law) Donna. Anyways below in the red is Tina, myself, and Meg. We placed second in the B event, so we actually played really well!! Even beat the Canadian team in the morning!!!! Thats a huge accomplishment. Fun fun and more fun. Didn't think I was going to enjoy this sport, but its been a blast! Everyone should get it a try, I must say, I got a new broom (PINK!!) and new curling shoes (also PINK) all of which has helped alittle this year too. We ended up 3 overall at the end of the season this year, so that was exciting as well!

Also in February, my parents where asked by Kyle if he could marry their daughter, of course they said yes. So that means, Emily is ENGAGED!! They aren't too sure when or where the wedding will be yet, but its looking like sometime next year it sounds! Another trip in our near future that means!!

And in March, Joe and I look our trip to Jamaica agian!! We left on March 3rd and flew to Montego Bay where we stayed at the Iberostar Hotels. It was beautiful! We didn't do too much other than relax on the beach, but sometimes that is all you have to do!! Sitting under a cabana and reading was so relaxing! A couple of swims in the ocean, alot of drinking at the swim-up bar. (Ok, I only did that really once because I paid for that later. Don't drink in the sun and forget sunscreen....ouch and ooooh) We did do one big trip though. We took a catamoran ride and snorkeling adventure! It was a three hour long trip and it was amazing!! I am including most of the pictures in another other post just because they take so long to upload sometimes. Anyways, I got to hold a Sea Euchin and a Sea Cucumber!! It was such a werid feeling, but fun!!

We did dinner one night w/ Joes vendor that we got to visit down there and that was breath taking, if I dont' mind saying so myself! We ate out on the porch of a beautiful hotel called the Palmyra. Ron LIVES there most of the year and we were informed anytime we want to come back to visit we have a condo he'll let us HAVE for the time we are there! Anyone want to join! LOL It was amazing there! he even said if we wanted we could have Emilys wedding there. I"m still working on getting her to have it down there, but it looks like Denver is winning so far. Joe got to go out again with this group of men to a Jamaican Jerk place, seriously the best Jerk you will probably ever eat!

Before we knew it, we had to leave and we were back in the states. If anyone wants to know, Atlanta is the worse place to be your first point of entry in the country. I'm not say, but I'm saying. Customs was horrible and stupid! But I'm not going to go any further with that. We ended up not getting to Minneapolis until late, 11:45 thursday night. Needless to say we headed to bed. That following Friday we did some shopping up in Albertville and then dinner with Jessica that night! Its always good to see old friends!!

Other than that, we are just working like crazy, oh and running too! We are planning on doing a half marathon relay this April down in St. Cloud. A 10K is just the perfect distance if you ask me! Then I am also planning on running the Whistlestop again this fall. Not sure if it will be the half, but who knows, I may get ambitious and think about the full! We'll see! Oh, we'll also be down in the Cities much more this summer as we got season tickets to the Twins!! YEAH!! I will be honest, I'm not so much a baseball fan, but I think I can grow to like it a little more. :-) Thanks for reading and I hope to have more to write sooner than later!!

Oregon Coast Pictures

Our venture out in Eugen, around Oregon University. Everyone was so happy to see Joe wearing a Wisconsin hat, as WI had last that weekend putting Oregon up on the rankings! Either that or w were going to get beat for him wearing that darn thing!

We had a little bit of fun out on the ocean beach.

Smiling pretty out on the coast. It was a bit chilly but beautiful.

We took a trip to Florence, OR where the Sea Lion Caves. It was such a cool natrual habitat of where sea lions live. This is a view from down under where they live. There were no sea lions in the cave, but out around the corner and down the road, there were literally 3 or 4 THOUSAND of them laying out on the ground. it was a sight to see!! Out in the distance is the most photographed light house in the world!

Here is a vie from the opposite side of the sea lion sights.

Here is a better picture of the most photographed Lighthouse in the world! It is so pretty!

Seashells on the the seashore!

Jamaica Pictures 2011

Here we are sitting on the plane, the last seats of course, just before take off! All smiles of course, it's amazing what Ativan can do for an individual w/ anxiety of flying!

One of the meals we got to eat was Japanese. ANd I can actually say I loved it!! Even the smoked Salamon was delicious! All presented beautifully as well.

We did a day trip on the "Hip Strip" in Montego Bay. It was alot of fun! If you like to be hustled that is. Anyways we got to stop and drink and eat at this wonderful bar/tavern called "The Twisted Kilt" It is owned by a resident of New York City that decided there should be this great bar on Jamaica. I won't complain, it was so fun!

Our catamoran trip, all I can say is FUN!

All smiles in the water! Our digital water camera was so much fun and versitile! I even got a pic of the sea euchin, but I seem to have misplaced it on here somewhere....I'll keep looking! See our boat in the background here? The spot where we were snorkeling was also right below where airplanes start to land on the beach here in Montego Bay. It was so neat to be close to an actual landing plane! Right above our heads!

Here is one of the sunsets from the hotel.

One of our adventures out on the canoes/kayaks they had for guests to use. We also got to use the smaller catamorans ourselves, which was a riot to watch joe try to navigate at times.

No words to say here. Beautiful.

Colorado Adventures - June 2010

What can I say, yes, we had another little vacation!! Since Joe and I haven't had much time getting out before, this year seems to be our year of trips!!! This adventure took us out to Denver, Colorado to visit my sister whom we haven't seen since last September. We flew from Duluth to Minneapolis to Denver. Not such a bad flight, but that thanks to Ativan, it does wonders if you ask me! We arrived in Denver on Thursday morning, taking advantage of some realixing time after traveling. We were exhausted, but I think that had to do from the lack of sleep we had the night before.

Emily came over to our hotel and we finally got to give her her birthday present that was stolen during our flight home from Jamaica. Thus, that was why she had to wait for it, it wasn't going to be mailed, thats for sure! After that, we headed out to dinner at a nice little pub, talked a little and enjoyed each ones company while we could.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel, did I mention it was right next, literally next to Invesco Field AKA Mile High Stadium!? That place was beautiful, although our hotel was a little out dated, but very functional for the price. No complaints here.

Friday, Emily picked us up and we head to Red Rocks park. Wow, those rock formations were amazing and beautiful! It's amazing how nature had turned and changed things. Just beautiful! We parked in the South lot, so unfortunately for us non-Colorado people who aren't accustomed to the elevation, we had a bit of a hard time climbing all of those stairs and ramps!! Well, worth the effort, though. Look at these rocks!

This was taken at the top of the Red Rock Amphitheater. Just amazing!!!! When we were at the top, there were gym classes going on! I was amazed!! I'db e out of breath, although training at that elevation I'm sure would just get easier and easier. For a started, I was dying! Anyways, people were running up and down this theater. If you run from one side to the other, along each step here, you'd have done a 5k. Pretty neat, huh!? you cann't see it too well, but Denver is in the far background of this pic.
The three of us, after our breathtaking hike up the stairs!

If we were smart, we would have driven to the top like a lot of others had done, but the exericse was well warranted!

Just breathtaking!

A view from the bottom of the theatre.

After the Redrocks, we headed over, picked up Kyle and went to the Coors Brewery!
I've now been to five brewerys! And I don't really care for beer, figure that out!

Emily and I sitting and enjoying our free beer at the Coors Brewery! Minersmoon was what we were drinking. Half Killians and Half Bluemoon. Very tasty I must say so! You need to try it! By the way, we got a little tipsy there. You get three beers and a fresh brewed taste as well. Hey, that's a lot of beer for me!!! Especially since I don't drink all that much anymore. Wow, tasty, if I do say so myself!!!

After the brewery, we headed back to get ready for the baseball game. Lucky for us, the Brewers were playing the Rockies at Coors Field while we were out there! Joe, Emily and I went to the game on Friday night while Joe and I went to the game again on Saturday night. It was a lot of fun, unfortunately they didn't win until Sunday, go figure!

This is Coors Field, not a bad baseball park. I do think Miller Park is my favorite though.

Sunday was a bigger adventure. We drove down to Colorado Springs to Pikes Peak, the highest Cogwheel railway. We took the cogwheel to the top of the mountian. It was about an 1 to 1.5 hours to get to the top of the 14,110 feet elevation. A beautiful ride. The temperature changed from 92 degrees at the base (7000 ft) to 55 degrees at the summit of 14,110 feet. You can definately feel the lack of oxygen, but it was so beautiful.

Isn't this just beautiful! Breath taking, I must say so myself.

In the far background, you can see the continental divide!

Emily and I posing for the camera!

Yep, had to take a pic as a tourist! Pikes Peak, 14,110ft. The 34th out of 54 of the 14ers ( mountians greater than 14,000 feet in Colorado are called the 14ers!).

All smiles from 14,000 feet! Don't mind the hair, it was a bit windy up there!

After Pikes Peak, we headed over to the Garden of the Gods for a picinic lunch and a little walking and viewing the rocks. All of these places were amazing. Some, actually most, of these pictures do not do justice to the sights themselves.

This is what is called the Kissing Camels. If you look closely on the top, you can see the two camels kissing. Cute! Nature made, I must say!

Aren' these rocks amazing!? There were a couple of people actually climbing them, neat!

Joe and I at Garden of the Gods.

Here is the view from Garden of the Gods looking up to the top of Pikes Peak. It doesn't look too intimidating from here, but really, the top point there is 14,000 feet!! This picture just doesn't do it justice!

All in all, it was an amazing vacation. Breathtaking views and great company. It was so great to see Emily and I can't wait to go back to visit her again. A beautiful area. I highly recommend visiting it if you can. Just be warned, they drive very crazyily out there!