We got around to carving our pumpkins the night before Halloween! We've been so busy we kind of forgot about them sitting out on our front porch. We hurried and did them while some apple crisp was baking in the oven to take to some friends.

No costumes or themed meals for us this year. Hopefully we will be more on top of it in 2012. Although I did get the inside of our house more decorated than it's ever been! So at least I didn't fail on all aspects.

Happy Halloween!!!!

October has basically been spent working a lot, hanging out with friends on the weekend, and Brian trying to keep up with a busy school schedule. Just one more semester after this one and Bri will have his MBA! May 2012 can't come soon enough for this husband of mine.

As for me, I'm just getting bigger by the day. I feel good considering how large I feel. Daily backaches are about the only complaint I have....but they come with lots of kicks and movement from our little guy, which I kind of love. So it's all good. I just have to keep reminding myself to enjoy the next 10 weeks we have left being childless. We are so excited to be parents, but are taking advantage of our freedom while we have it :)

 (27 weeks)

 (28 weeks)

 

(29 weeks)

25

...could refer to the fact that I'll soon be a quarter of a century old

OR


...it could refer to the number of shoes I own.


BUT


The number 25 also signifies how far along I am in my first pregnancy!

(24 weeks)

That's right! 25 weeks down, only 15 to go. (25 weeks)

We are so very excited to be welcoming baby BOY Robbert here January 12, 2012.

(Don't pay attention to my angry face in the pictures....I just struggle trying to take picture of myself from the side)

We can hardly wait to be parents and snuggle this sweet baby in our arms!

Best. Photo. Ever.

After living in Idaho for 6 years, I finally attended the Eastern Idaho State Fair. And although you spend ridiculous amounts of money on food that is certain to contribute to a heart attack, it is still totally worth it.

Brian had to "fully experience" the Fair by trying one of these turkey legs. I helped him by eating a bite or two.....but in the end, he defeated it!

Other highlights of the evening include:


Watching Brian pitch baseballs
Racing Cars
And seeing the "Masters of the Chainsaw" create these awesome statues.

Probably the most entertaining part of the whole event was the people watching. The carnival workers were definitely voted the "creepers of the night". And then there are always the attendees with the nasty mullets, people with their stomachs hanging out of the bottom of their shirts, and the teenagers who shouldn't be allowed out of the house.

Needless to say....we will probably go back next year.

Handy Man

Love that the husband bought this old dresser, so he could fix it up and re-sell it. But when he brought it home, I liked it too much and convinced him to fix it up so we could keep it!

Before the summer came to an end, we headed up to West Yellowstone to go to the Play Mill to see "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". We love that Nate and Kate are always happy to accompany us :) And they let us stay the night at their family cabin in Island Park and eat breakfast with their grandparents......so they are pretty much the best!

Free Tickets Anyone?

Anytime someone offers us free tickets to a baseball game, it is only polite to accept the offer.

We spent a fun evening down in Idaho Falls with Richie and Linda grabbing a bite to eat and then hitting up a Chukars game.

I'm not sure how, but we ended up in the geriatrics sections and were the youngest people by about 40 or 50 years.

I have to admit though that they were some of the most entertaining and hilarious folks to people watch.

Annual Lamb Fry 2011

Pretty sure the Martinez family is the only people I know who hold a lamb fry every year.

What is a lamb fry you ask?

Well its where you sit around chatting with family, drink an ice cold soda from the cooler, and fill your plate with fried pieces of lamb, dutch oven potatoes, fresh green beans from the garden, homemade scones, corn on the cob, and zucchini brownies.

Yep....doesn't get a whole lot better than that.

(Mandy, Grandma Martinez, Me, Adri, and Marlayne)

It rained on our parade

But really.....

At the beginning of August, there was an International music and dance festival being held in Rexburg. They have a parade each year where the dancers from each country are showcased in a parade down main street. It was a little overcast when we got there....and then it started to sprinkle a little bit. But we figured if the parade was still going, we had better stay and show our support.

Show our support we did. It started down pouring within minutes, and there was no escape. We tried to last as long as we could but then it got really windy and the rain hurt as it pounded our faces and bare arms.

Finally they stopped sending the dancers down the street, so we thankfully jogged to our car for some much appreciated safety from the storm. But it was too late. By the time we got home, Brian and I were dripping wet....

17 Days.

Of Vacation that is!


We started out in Philadelphia visiting my parents and taking side trips to New Jersey and New York.

I think Brian's favorite part of the entire trip was the aquarium where he was able to pet the baby sharks and stingrays.

We also took a tour of the Battleship New Jersey

We visited Amish country and bought some homemade Amish treats.

It is sooo beautiful and green on the east coast. I really miss the trees that are everywhere!!

Upstate New York

As part of our trip out to Philadelphia, we drove up to Palmyra, NY to see some of the church sites. We were able to visit the Sacred Grove, Jospeh Smith's house, the printing press where the Book of Mormon was first printed, the Palmyra temple, and then we watched the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

We enjoyed amazing weather and surprisingly small crowds considering it was pageant time. I'm so glad Brian was able to see all these things that I grew up loving.

NYC

The last part of our trip visiting Mom and Dad Pope was spent in New York City. Probably one of my favorite places in the whole world.

Brian has been to NYC twice now, and is still adjusting to it. I just love all the excitement the city has to offer. I love that there are so many things going on, so many things to look at, so many people to watch...i love it all.

We were so excited to meet up with some great friends of ours who live in the city. Stacy and Hank are great! I wish we could move out there and be their neighbors.

Standing on Wall Street in front of the Stock Exchange.

Eating Gyro's off the street. Most affordable and yummy lunch in the city!