The Joners: JUNE

June was a pretty uneventful month for us, quite nice actually after a very busy month in May. We didn't take any trips this month, and didn't really get out to do much at all, but that's ok because I have lots of trips planned for the rest of the year! I just bought a super inexpensive ticket (thanks to my southwest rapid rewards points!!) to Denver to see my sis and her family in September. So we'll be going to Utah for a couple weeks of fun with the family in July, I'll be visiting the bestie in Lubbock, TX in August, Denver with the sis in September, and I used every bit of my birthday money to buy a ticket to both Lubbock (to see the bestie's new baby girl) and Utah (to see family and my new niece!) in October. SIL Rosie promises to visit in November and I'm thinking we need to go somewhere fun for Thanksgiving, unless someone wants to come see US!! So far the only suggestion was from my cousin to visit family in Kansas, which would be amazing...if I am up for a long drive at that point. And sadly, since baby is due at Christmas, we won't be going home this year :( but hopefully we'll have people come to visit us. Did I mention we really, completely blew it on the timing of this little one??

I suppose I should keep better track of things and write along the way, because I honestly can't remember what happened at the first half of the month. I am guessing we didn't do much because I was feeling sick and didn't want to leave the house. We usually try to go swimming a couple of days a week with some other moms/kids from the ward. But since Anna has started walking, ALL she wants to do is walk...around the pool. She's not so interested in getting in it anymore. Which had been OK for a while because it hadn't been super hot, but now its hot enough that even at 9:30 in the morning I don't want to be chasing her around the pool - I want to be in it! It has been so nice to be able to have these little play dates and talk to other adults, it was getting kind of lonely just staying home sick all the time.

My friend Kara and I took a cake decorating class this month at Joann. I've been wanting to take it for probably the last 5 years - since I finished the Beginner Course of the Wilton cake decorating. We took course 3, which is Fondant and Gum Paste. I didn't think I'd really be interested in making flowers out of gum paste but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Now I just need to start practicing making cakes with fondant so I can improve my skillz. I'm so glad Kara motivated me to take this class with her, who knows when I would have done it otherwise??!

Toward the end of the month, I got a nasty, horrible cold with lots of sinus pressure/headaches, congestion, couldn't sleep the first couple nights...it was awful, especially on top of having morning sickness. I have to eat to not feel queasy, but I didn't want to eat because of my cold...it wasn't fun. Luckily a week later I started to feel a lot better, except for the dreaded cough that seems to come around each year and drive Russ bonkers, especially when I'm hacking all night long. When I was pregnant with Anna I had a similar bug and coughed so much and so hard that I am pretty sure I bruised my ribs. The good news now, at 15 weeks, is that I am no longer feeling queasy...at least for the last couple of days. Praying it will stay that way! Now I can stop binging on carbs all the time! That's all I do when I feel queasy is eat carbs carbs carbs! And cheese. Pretty sure most of my belly is just from a food baby.

While I was double sick with a cold and the queasies, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch. I was so bored I was going out of my mind crazy!! There was nothing I wanted to watch on Netflix and I just couldn't bring myself to read the 10 books I have stacked up and waiting for me. Since everyone seemed to be talking about The Bachelorette, I decided that, yes, I was desperate enough to start watching it, and I caught up on 6 episodes in a few short days. I was hooked. Usually shows like this don't really do it for me, I usually find them quite boring. But I seriously couldn't stop watching, it was so entertaining to me. And now I don't have to feel left out when everyone else is talking about it!! I sure hope Sean wins and brings Emily back to Dallas so we see them shopping around Northpark Mall or something!!

On the last day of the month Russ and I were finally able to go on a date! A double date, to be more precise, with our good friends the Rasmussens. We went to the famous Twisted Root Burger Co. and I got a very disappointing buffalo burger. It was good, but extremely overpriced. We payed more for two burgers and onion rings than we usually pay for a nice meal at a restaurant plus tip. I give Russ's bacon/swiss/ranch burger a 9 out of 10, but for taste only....it was still WAY overpriced. I'm glad we tried it though, the place did have personality. Instead of calling a number or your own name, they call a famous person's name when your order is ready. I was Vanna White. Our second attempt at seeing the Avengers (tried earlier in May but the only seats left were front row, so we got our money back) was a success! Loved it! Unfortunately I coughed on and off the entire time, despite downing an entire bag of cough drops. At least I only bothered about 10 other people, as the theater was nearly empty. Russ almost banned me from going to church this morning because of my cough, but I was able to go and sit in an empty room and listen to the meeting without disturbing people.

In other news, Russ and I have been jamming to Led Zeppelin in hopes of creating a tribute band some day when we move back to Utah. So if you know anyone who wants to join us and can sing like Robert Plant, we'll be set. I only plan on playing a few songs on the keyboard (the rest of the time I'll just be a groupie), and of course Russ will be the guitarist. We are taking this very seriously.

Anna hasn't added many new words to her vocabulary this month. She likes to put things up to her ear and say "hi" and of course her favorite is "no." More like "no, no, no, no, no, no, no etc."

She has still been quite a picky eater, but I haven't been very good at offering her a variety of foods because I haven't felt up to cooking/shopping/feeding her, so I just do whatever is easiest.

The last week of the month I finally stopped letting Anna take morning naps...It may have been a bit soon for her but it is easier with our schedule and I wanted to be able to be more flexible when we go to Utah.

She has been such a good girl while I have been sick, I know I haven't given her a lot of attention and I have definitely let her watch too much TV, but she has done a good job of entertaining herself when I don't feel like doing anything or going anywhere. She is absolutely the sweetest girl and I can't help but smother her with kisses every time I see her.

PICTURE TIME!

Pre-pool time....cutest outfit ever!