A much needed update you won't want to miss

Oh my the changes that have happened in the past month! Time to review:

After Arco Days we turned right around and got ready for Justin and I to go to Dallas for five days. We left Emmett with Jon and Laura for the first two and a half days, and my go-to babysitter Kaylee watched Emmett at our house the last two and a half days. It was like drinking a tall glass of water for our relationship! Wow all that quality time was fabulous, and though early in my pregnancy I had all kinds of energy - thank to not taking care of another human 24/7 lol. It was a great experience, and so much better having Justin there. I got the total hook up as a new director with my new director bonus check, prizes, and renewed hope and vision - very fitting as that's the name of my unit. Oh - and I do have to document that my #1 favorite NSD of all time Stacy James met and hugged Justin - and I missed it! I was sooo jealous, but glad he at least got to meet her.

I made a friend on stage during the new director debut - ms Claudia

I have yet to earn my free car - when qualifying to become a director I was also qualifying for the car. I met qualifications for a sales director, but missed the car by a small margin. And now that I'm a sales director the rules are different! LOL! But get there I will - just you wait 

Then of course right after getting home from Seminar it was Emmett's birthday! I wanted to hold out until he turned one to give him his first haircut but ended up giving it to him earlier because it went from cute to gross at about 11 months. And since it's been forever since I updated, I must record for my future-self that he started walking around 11 1/2 months. He took his first steps on his due date: July 17th! But anyway: I spent his birthday baking and frosting his birthday cake, and Sunday I made my mom's roast and potatoes for family to join in the cake smash celebration. Happy first birthday my sweet boy! You are the joy of my life. I am reminded of what we are taught from the commandment to "multiply and replenish" - that they might have joy. That is absolutely true. Too often well-meaning family and friends feel the need to "prepare" us somehow by telling us how "hard" it is - how far from the truth that is. It is a journey and there are struggles and PLEASE my kid isn't even a toddler yet so what do I know? But I know what I know and that's the joy my son brings to my every day and I am so grateful to be his mama.

 He has been so cuddly lately...it's been weird for us but we love it!

And all the while we've been keeping a secret! At least from some... when we went to Arco I told my family we were expecting! Though it took about an hour for anyone to catch on - thank you JORY - soon everyone understood the meaning of Emmett's "Big Brother" t-shirt. I was 7 weeks at the time and hadn't even met with my midwife to confirm a heartbeat, or two, or none, so we were still very much in the dark. But I am due March 3rd and by now have confirmed ONE heartbeat (sorry Justin, no twins) and am 13 weeks along. For the first 10-ish weeks I had all-day nausea without any throwing up which, by the way, is way worse than just throwing up in the morning and getting it over with. I have the same fatigue from before but thankfully not teaching so I can nap rather than go to bed at 6 or 7 PM. I was having acne like crazy in the beginning too, so thank you Clearproof for taking care of that.

We are almost done with our summer project, which was shutters for the second story. We built and painted them ourselves, and last night Justin installed a few. We still have the windows on the side to do, but they look amazing, am I right??

Then we have the somewhat sad news that we found a new home for Jackson the pup. Justin and I have been talking about it for some time now, and with fall right around the corner Justin put up an ad. He made the mistake of only asking $100! Hello! this dog is worth well over $1,000! He is less than 2 years old, fully trained, pure bred lab; are you KIDDING me? I got these people through the hardest part of parenthood, I am at least going to get a chunk of change out of it! Am I terrible? Maybe - don't care. I told him to change it to minimum $500 immediately and the offers kept coming. I met with one couple on a Friday that already had two dogs ("Selfish!" I thought, "You don't need another dog!") and then Saturday with a single mom of two young boys, ages 5 and 7. She cried and hugged me when we told her we wanted her to have him and so did I. She said she's been looking for a while for something for her and her boys (recently divorced) and was thrilled to have Jackson. He really is an amazing dog. But he will be loved on much more with her and her boys than from us what with a proper back yard and fence, an owner to run with every day, and two boys to play with.

That's our August! Pretty busy and crazy. But good. Onto the next adventure.

Beal Century Farm pics/videos

Beal Century Farm

Justin and I are stuck waiting at the airport this morning, so it's a good time to write the blog.

Last week we drove - yes DROVE - to Arco for Atomic Days. This year marks 100 years the Beals have farmed in the Lost River Valley. The river was even running this year - the last time I remember that happening was my senior year of high school, and I hadn't seen it run before that!

Wednesday we left Puyallup and drove to Tri Cities. On the way, our undercarriage kept falling down from the wind resistance catching in the front. We duct-taped it multiple times before getting to Kennewick. We stayed at an AirBNB - a couple had a room for us in their home. We listened to Elizabeth Smart's "My Story" on the drive, so now I was freaked out about the host/hostess being a psychopath... they were only slightly crazy: the thermostat was set to 77 which felt SO HOT. I was dying all night... Justin just went into what I like to call his "Nicaragua mode" in which he can sleep under any and all circumstances.

The next morning we stopped at Firestone to have them put in some screws to keep the undercarriage in. But 2 hours in, it fell again, so from there until Nampa we stopped every-so-often and duct taped it. I called a Toyota dealership in Nampa - they got us right in and an hour later we were on our way - the final push!

We got to Arco around 7:00. I am in total awe of the Lost River Valley. Some people think where I live is pretty - I agree and disagree. There are too many trees to see anything where I live! My Mom basically lives in the Garden of Eden at her house, surrounded by mountains with farmland all around. It was so nice to be home!

Alex and Anna also got in that night and we enjoyed chatting with them into the wee hours of the night.

Friday the rest of the Beals arrived. I took Justin and Emmett up to the farm on the 4 wheeler . This was the first time I'd seen the pivots and the ditches pushed in. Emmett got to see some horses and we were chased by a few dogs. We went to the A&A for some grocery shopping to the Deli for lunch - that place has the same bread I remember eating when I was 12. Ha! We set up our chairs in the backyard and gabbed all afternoon and had taco salad for dinner, which everyone contributed to.

That night we began working on the float. My sister in-law Jory made a huge barn background for the float that my dad loved so much, he has it hanging on his shop as a permanent fixture! We all helped paint signs, blow balloons, and load straw onto the wagons. My dad had to leave the house at 9;30 the next morning to get it to Arco in time for the parade, hauled by the good old Oliver. We of course enjoyed another late night around the fire.

It was fun to see lots of my Beal cousins the next morning at the parade. All of my brothers and sisters were there with their kids, with the exception of two nieces - quite an incredible feat! Keaton's wife Amanda is due in August, though she barely looked 6 months pregnant to the rest of us - they are having a baby girl. We had the best float of the whole parade, that is for sure. I saw a few familiar faces in the crowd. Afterward we had lunch at Allison's, and that afternoon came home to swimming and more fun conversation. We had potluck dutch oven cooking that night - Gabe and Hart made the meat, Hart and Alex made the potatoes, lots of people brought sides and Justin of course made the peach cobbler dessert!

Sunday we went to church and came home to my mom's Funeral potatoes! I ate my weight in potatoes. So good! We left shortly after with the goal to get to Tri Cities that night. Thankfully the undercarriage stayed put so we only had to stop for gas twice before getting to our AirBNB, this time with a Mormon family. We got up early Monday morning and drove the rest of the way. We got home shortly after 10:00.

It was a long trip with all the driving. Never again! Never never again... but so worth it. I wouldn't have missed this! It was so good to be with all my family - it definitely filled my cup.

Last week I came down sick, and now it's time to travel again! Justin is coming to seminar with me in Dallas. Emmett is staying with family while we are gone. I am excited to have this quality time with Justin - it's going to feel weird just the two of us! But lots of fun is in store for us in Dallas and I can't wait.

Pics and videos to come.

Happy 4th and 11 months!

Last week Emmett turned 11 months old. I am loving every stage with this boy. He is almost walking. He'll take up to 4-5 good steps and fall down. When he's holding onto you for support, he will walk around the kitchen laughing and it's too cute! He loves to dance! He has a weirdly accute sense of hearing - if a car is driving by with music playing, he will pick up on it and start to bounce!

He loves his new water bottle

For the 4th we went to the stake breakfast in the morning. Justin made cinnamon rolls and entered them into the contest. We were invited by friends from our ward to their lake house for the afternoon. We enjoyed watermelon, swimming, and I got to take the paddle board out. We left in time to have a potluck at Keith and Gerda's house with everyone and enjoyed Jon's fireworks afterward with apple pie and ice cream. The 4th of July is a total war zone in western Washington. We came home to neighbors shooting off LOUD fireworks, but I was pretty tired so I didn't have trouble sleeping, and neither did Emmett - yay!

Headed to the lake with the Christensen's

not a fan of his new sunglasses yet

getting his first hair cut...as you can see, it was getting a bit out of control ;) before...

after!

I'll tell you what...getting his monthly shot this time was nigh impossible. Normally Justin is there to help tag-team this event....not this time. So this is the best I got ;)

this boy loves to dance

before

after!

clapping!