Summer's Last Hoorah!

Just some pics from our last play days of summer ... maybe our last play days for awhile with a baby on the way! Bear Lake with the cousins!

Somebody call Green Peace! Who knew it would take filling out the BELLY portion of a maternity swimsuit for me to finally be able to fill out the CHEST part of any suit. I guess life is like that. I'm saving these pictures for new baby so that one day she will appreciate what I did for her ... maybe, but not likely. :)

I am crazy in love with this incredible man! Aaron was so kind to rent a motorhome for this trip so I wouldn't be completely miserable. I think we're hooked. We might be camping wimpy from here on out. I love this picture. You don't often see Aaron as happy as he is with his favorite things -- water, sunshine, his family/cousins. It just doesn't get much better for him. Oh wait! He golfed right after this, too! He lives a pretty cushy life.

This was about the most perfect Bear Lake weekend you could ask for, including the skiing. The weather and water were just gorgeous the entire time. I felt a little sad that I couldn't ski this year. Again, maybe I'll remind baby of that one day and she'll appreciate me. :) But at least she will have pictures of her gorgeous Dad living it up one more time before facing the crushing responsibility of being her parent.

All I wanted was a backrub!

Shock and Awe ... and joyful surprises!

Team Oakeson's first round draft pick is ... a GIRL ... and very obviously so! Aaron says: "Look out Michelle & Ana! This girl is gonna' GOLF!"

After an embarrassing trip to the mall at the insistence of my sweet husband -- yes, I had an ultrasound in the MALL -- it was quickly apparent even to us, the most deficient of first-time parents, that this was certainly no boy! This really was just peachy with us since it was mainly the not knowing that was giving Aaron heartburn. It sure was a surprise though.

Kerri gave us some great advice to have some OJ and a donut to get some baby movement going on. It sure worked and we got the shots we weren't able to get at the Doctor's on Wednesday. Even with all of the sugar, the tech still commented on what a "mellow" baby this was. Frankly the fact that she is mellow is a bigger surprise to us than the whole girl thing.

So I have to give props to the only three ladies in my life who stuck to their belief that this was indeed a girl: My genius sister Holly and cute friends Rachel and Andrea. Good job ladies!

We are actually quite excited since cousins coming on both sides of the family are also girls. This will probably make for an easier friendship, which is something I discovered Aaron was concerned about. But that only came out after the discovery that it was a girl. Aaron has the very best memories of his childhood with his cousins and this was so important to him. Who can blame him? He has some FABULOUS cousins!

Well, we gotta' go. We have MANY baby boy items to box up and move to the shed today! Then we we are going to Home Depot to buy a 4th shed for baby to live in. We figure we'll just put her in a rubbermaid bin labeled "baby" an stack her neatly with our other items. That should be easier than moving. We're not exactly famous for our willingness to uproot.

So here are the pics. Good luck telling what anything is. You'll probably just have to take our word for it.

Amy's Flight (sortof) from the Rat Race!

It's nearly over! I am officially following my bliss. I left my Supervisory role @ work for a very part time schedule with basically no responsibility, and it feels incredible! When I left last Friday after my last full-time day of glorified babysitting, I realized that moment was everything those that have gone before me had promised ... the sky was a little bluer, the birds sang just a bit lovelier, the flowers smelled sweeter, and when I got home, my husband was that much more attractive!

On the days I do work, I'm there for about 4 hours ... just flying below the radar, making a few bucks to pay for our health insurance and the occasional massage/mani/pedi. :) So here are the lovely tasks that are no longer part of my job description ---

We need to hire people ... Not my problem!

We need to fire people ... Not my problem!

Somebody needs to talk with the office perv about his inappropriate internet use ... Not me!

3 hour meetings to figure out how to manage our time effectively ... I'm not invited!

Day-long workshops discussing how what we do really matters ... Smell ya' later!

Agreeing that we are not just printing checks, we are saving the world ... Nah, we're mostly just trying to pay for college or get a dental plan.

So needless to say, I am very pleased with my new responsibilities which include showing up, helping a few customers, doing a few administrative tasks, then leaving to pursue things that matter. After working at our business each day, I have some pretty lofty plans that include cooking again, washing my own car and going to bed at 10:30. :)