Life on Friendship Lane: 29 weeks - Our trip to Missouri

29 weeks!
(May 20th)

Did you notice the venue change in the bump picture? That's because we were visiting Missouri this week!

We had such a great time visiting family in Missouri. It was so nice to have the whole week there. Usually it gets crazy running from one place to the next...going to see someone here then running straight to the next place to see someone else...then hanging out at my parent's house long enough to pack up our things and head back to the airport. Okay, so it's not really like that on our short trips but it can sometimes feel that way! The longer trips make it much more relaxing and we don't feel rushed to say hi and bye to everyone so quickly. The weather they were having while we were there was awesome! We pretty much spent most of our time outside doing something. I got to go on lots of walks on the trail behind the house with momma and my sisters, I think I went with someone (if not like 5 people) every day. Oh and I can't forget our constant trail companions Summer and Cali, my parents' dogs...you couldn't go on the trail without them if you tried. It's probably one of my favorite things to do there. So nice to get out outside, breathe in some beautiful Missouri fresh air, and chat with my family. It makes me really really happy. :) Apparently I tire out a little easier when I'm carrying around an extra person....I laid down and/or took a short nap after all of our walks every day. It. Was. Glorious. :) Is it just me or is there something really special about napping on your parents' couch in the middle of the day?

Momma also cooked lots of good food and we got to hit up some of the places I've been craving for a while. Remember my obsession with toasted raviolis and the trouble I was having finding them out here? Well I went straight to the source (the best source that is)....Tonanzio's. Oh mannnnn do they have yummy toasted raviolis! My parents just joined a country club so my dad and Chad golfed their balls off all week. (Their golf balls that is.) I think they went 3-4 different days and played at least 2 rounds every time.

My awesome sister Amy did a fun maternity shoot with us one night. Coolest sisters in the world Tracy and Amy and my bf Melis threw me a baby shower. Seriously....this shower rocked. There were so many special little things about it! (Maternity and shower pictures to come.) We fished. We went to a new winery that opened nearby. We drank sweet tea. Chad was spoiled by my mom making breakfast every day. (He's the breakfast maker in our house.) We sat in rocking chairs on the porch. Had a game night with friends. We went to Trops (virgin slushy for me!) and hung out on the patio. (Chad is borderline obsessed with the place.) Chad and I got our butts handed to us by Tracy and Amy and Mom and Dad while playing Pitch. (Card game.) Picked out some pretty flowers for my mom's porch at a greenhouse. Attempted to play with stray barn kitties at my grandparent's barn but couldn't get anywhere near them.....them cats was crazy!! Played fetch in the lake with Summer, Cali, and Girlfriend. Almost peed my pants laughing at the dogs getting everyone wet on the bridge every time they came out of the water. And probably my most favorite thing besides the super awesome baby shower.......I think just about everyone in my whole family got to "meet" the baby! I had a hand on my belly more often than not the entire trip out there. Which didn't bother me any, it was so fun for everyone to get a little "hello" from the baby. She was movin' and shakin' around all over the place and really showing off for her family. :) Of course everyone loved her immediately after the first kick/punch/nudge/roll so I can only imagine what she'll do to them when she's actually out here in this world to dazzle them. (In case you're wondering....yes, the baby is a girl today.)

Oh and I have to tell you about the quote my PaPa said the first time he saw me while we were there. He saw me and the belly in my shirt in all it's glory and laughed, looked at Chad and said "Boy, you sure did mess with her figure." It helps if you imagine this quote from a sweet man in cowboy boots, jeans, and a slow draw like every good ole midwestern boy should have. It was so much awesome I could barely stand it. He is the cutest man alive. Fact.

I was horrible about taking pictures during our trip out there but I've included the ones I took below. I think I rely on Amy, our family photographer, for any and all pictures when I'm around her. As if it wasn't already assigned to you Amy......you're welcome for giving you that title. :)

It was especially difficult and bittersweet leaving Missouri this trip. I was there during the last few weeks my doctor was comfortable with letting me fly and be so far away from home. It was the last time I would see most of my family before my entire world is changed. The last time they would see just Chad and Brooke and not Chad, Brooke, and ______. We will be a family of 3 next time we go back there. We will be parents to a real human. In just a short time I'll be bringing our 4 month old baby to the house and place I myself grew up. So very overwhelming and surreal to think about. Mix that up with all the hormones pumping through my body and the excitement I have to introduce my son/daughter to all of them some day.....and I cried. A lot. Cried when I said goodbye to each one of them. Crying again right now thinking about it.

Whew...I gotta hold it together. I get to see my mom and Tracy today!! They're flying in to spend the week here and be here for the baby shower that my sister in law Donna is throwing for me and baby. :) I'm so excited! Our family from Chad's side (the ladies and our sweet niece and nephew) are coming up from Southern California so it will be so fun for everyone to be in one place at one time! Can't wait!!!

A few pictures from our trip...........

Probably took this from the porch with a glass of sweet tea in my hand.

This is Lucky, my mom's horse. She has quite a story. Lucky's mom died while giving birth to her. :( Colts and foals don't typically do well and rarely survive if they lose their mom. It was PaPa's friend's horse and when my mom found out he wasn't going to help the little foal and kind of let nature take it's course so to speak....she couldn't stand it. He gave her the horse, mom named her Lucky, and she bottle fed her back to health. It's a lot of work and you have to feed and give them medicine multiple times a day but mom was determined her Lucky Girl was gonna make it. And she did! Because of all the human interaction she got with my parents early on....Lucky is especially tame and gentle with people. She's so sweet.

Lucky's friends saying hello to us.

I forget this one's name but Chad liked her. I think it was because she's blonde.

We were attempting to feed the fish but it turned into playing fetch in the lake with the dogs. As you can see...there's not much room to move out of the way once the dogs come up to shake off. We all got wet in the process.

Summer and Cali packing in the ball together. Girlfriend (my aunt Betty's dog) looking on, waiting for one of them to lose a grip on it so she could be the one to bring it to us.

Not a bad place to watch a Missouri sunset, huh?

They were really showing off for everyone when we started cheering for them. It was hilarious.

This is actually where Chad and I were supposed to get married.....then it started dumping buckets of rain on June 12th, 2010 and ruined that idea....