Four Days 'Til Due Date!!!

Here is a little sneak preview of Jeremy as he prepares for fatherhood! 

We'll keep you all posted! xoxoxo

Family time...

We had some fun with my mom, my sister, my nieces, and Jeremy's sister this week!  We went to the park and the Waterloo Arts Center, out for ice cream and had a great time!  I am tired from a fun-filled week.  Looking forward to a low key two weeks before my due date.  Wish me luck!

Happy Spring Break everyone!

Spring Break with the animals!

Enjoying my first days of Spring Break with a some last minute artmaking for the baby.   I finally finished my mobile that I started over Thanksgiving.  Jeremy hung it up and Roosevelt promptly attached it.  Luckily he grew tired of it quickly so it remains intact.

I also finished a few hats for the baby in case the beginning of April is chilly. I had help with these as well.

Still need to  finish a few more projects this week and get a few naps in between grading!
Happy Spring break!

Karaoke Fest 2011

 We had 4 couples over last night for the 2nd Karaoke fest.  Everyone received Rock Star, performance-enhancing glasses to wear. I fully believed it helped everyone's score- especially Zak's since he one by a landslide.  He is the one in the middle with the prize winning pink glasses.  Check us out!

It's party time!

It seems like everyone has had the same idea this month! Let's get through winder by throwing a party...
We went to Cupid's Red Hot lovin' Chili Party at our friends Sarah and Zak's house in Cedar Falls over Valentine's Day (who I am delighted to say are having a baby in August!!!!)  Good Chili and great entertainment, too bad I was unable to sample the home brew.
The next weekend we attended a really Good 80's party at my sister's house.  We played 80's trivia (which I can proudly say my husband knew all but like 3 questions, I always say he is the king of useless knowledge).   We won great prizes and sang a few 80's songs!  Here is a picture of the costume winners:  Jeremy got 2nd place- I believe...

 Christy and Chad

Spring Break Karaoke Fest- Our house March 12th 7pm.... be there!

Lamaze class

We have one more Lamaze class to go and alittle over 6 weeks before the baby is due!
We have been learning so much in class about birth positions, pain interventions, and how to time our contractions.  Interesting folks at Lamaze class too!  This week, Jeremy and I wrote out our birth plan and now we are getting our suitcase packed.

The car seat arrived and I think we settled on a daycare provider!  I guess you could say we are getting close to being ready for baby to join us. I will have no problem though filling my next 6 weeks with lots of school work, art projects, and final preparations for baby.  I also plan to get in a few naps as well!
Here is Jeremy wearing the empathy belly at Lamaze class. It even had a bag that fit into the belly area that applies just the right pressure to the bladder so he can feel what I am feeling- the constant feeling that I have to PEE!

 Oh Baby!!!

Sock Monkey Mania!!!

I guess word is out that I love to make ( and collect) sock monkeys.  I have been given some of the sweetest sock monkey gifts for the baby. Here is a sampling of booties, monkeys, bibs, toys, onesies, and blankets.  This adds to my collection of great sock monkey books I have been collecting for years.
Hurry up baby, I can't wait to share these with you!

MA in Art Education at UNI

I have been working for the last two years to develop a new program to earn an MA degree in Art Education for working teachers.  We are getting ready to take applications and I am getting excited!  I will hopefully start teaching, in late June, my first group of students. Wish me luck!

 

Don't you want to come spend the next four summers with me?

Baby Shower time!!

  Rachel and Kirsten threw me the most wonderful shower at Home Ec in Iowa City in early January.  Everyone was asked to bring a favorite children's book.  It was so much fun to read each book that was given to us and I am so excited to read them all to our sweet baby! 

    The greatest surprise though was decorating onsies!  Check out all the talented friends that attended my shower and their beautiful work. My baby will be the best dressed baby in Waterloo! What a wonderful way to celebrate!

 My mom made this great bag!

 Rachel and Kirsten (the greatest hostesses and greatest friends!)

 One of the sweet baby books- it looks like Roosevelt and Mabel!

 Here we are decorating onsies!

 My mom and my sister are freshening up on their sewing skills!

 Aren't these just amazing!!!

   ____________________________________________________________________
    Back in Cedar Falls,  we were given a couples shower by our dear friends Steve and Elizabeth.  It was a perfect day- we had 6 couples attend the shower at Steve and Elizabeth's new house.  It was an afternoon filled with fabulous food, hilarious games like guess how many nipples Elizabeth is holding up, and my all time favorite shower game-  pick the parents of the famous people on the card.  The mayor of Cedar Falls was my favorite ( inside joke in CF).
      We received lots of great sock monkey outfits, blankets, and bibs... I feel a photo opportunity coming on for this little one in all the great outfits!
How wonderful it is to feel so warm in the cold month of January!
 Here are a few pictures from the couples shower!

 Elizabeth has 13 nipples- who knew?

 Andrew ( my colleague at UNI) and his wife Leah

 Jeremy sporting some of the new baby gifts!

  Thank you everyone!!! We feel so lucky to have such great friends!

Only two and a half months to go!!!!

Catching up!

It has been a busy few weeks and I have had a difficult time sitting down to share these few weeks!

Christmas break was fabulous!  We spent a great deal of time at home, working on house projects and baby preparation.  We decided to remove the last little bit of wallpaper in the entry of house. To our surprise- there were many layers of paper and lead paint underneath. With the new baby on the way, Jeremy wanted to cover the paint ASAP!  He researched and had some estimates and found out that drywalling the entry way was the best way to go. He amazes me with his ability to learn new skills on the job.  Jeremy successfully drywalled the entry way and I helped as I could with texturing and painting.  I'll do a before and after for you now...

Christmas was wonderful. Mom came up with this great idea for everyone to go bowling!  Jeremy and I volunteered to make 25 bowling trophies to give out and we made Grandpa Mike the "King Pin" and he got to choose the winner of each trophy.  Check out some of these great bowling shots!

Look at that face!  The trophies were a hit!

Merry Christmas!

We have been having a wonderful time celebrating Christmas all week!  Jeremy's parents and sister came over this weekend for dinner and lots of Wii playng.  They gave Jeremy Wii Karaoke for his birthday and the Wii FIt Plus for Christmas.  We went to see the grandmas on Sunday together and had a wonderful visit with Grandma Beth in Iowa Falls.
Spent Monday at the movies and the mall with Jason- my dearest friend from my days at Prairie!  We saw Black Swan- which I recommend, but I will say it is a nail biter.... then off to mall for a few last minute things!
Steph and Kyle arrived on Monday night from Portland we were able to spend the day with them on Wednesday.  After seeing "Tron" the movie and getting great Indian food, we exchanged gifts and played cards.  A perfect evening! To top it off- Steph's mom made us this fabulous blanket- perfect for winter and our upcoming arrival! 

We are preparing for our family bowling game on the 26th! Jeremy and I stayed up late on Tuesday making 25 trophies for everyone in the family!  I am now off to look up soup recipes and make a few more last minute gifts!
Merry Christmas to you all!

December is flying by already

We celebrated Jeremy's big birthday last weekend - woo hoo he's now 35!  We went lunar bowling and out for sushi! 

On Saturday we painted the baby's room and it is finally coming together.  It was fun to incorporate some of my art with some of things we have collected over the years together with some of my childhood toys. Here's a peek at the baby's room!  The kitties really are enjoying the changing pad on our new dresser.  It has become the bathing/napping station for them!

 

Today was my last day of classes!  Just gotta get through finals week...
Then it will be time to buckle down and figure out our Christmas cards and finish up Christmas shopping! December is flying by!

Victoria's Secret

My dear friend Vicky who I worked for many years ago at Preucil Preschool held a lecture and art exhibit Friday at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids. It was a fabulous show filled with great paintings and a Graphic Narrative about the death of her father from Cancer.
I am so happy for Vicky earning tenure at Appalachian state University and having such a successful exhibit!
Here are a few pictures from it.  It was great to see her daughters Emma and Nelle, who played chello at our wedding and a few other old friends!

If you want to see Vicky's work:
Victoria's Secret - A Graphic Novel of Mid Day Ghosts
Victoria Grube, head of Art Education Department at Appalachian State University
November 12 - December 9
Artist Reception: November 19, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Janalyn Hanson White Gallery

Gallery Hours
Monday - Friday
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Viewings outside of normal business hours can be arranged by checking out a gallery key from the Lundy Desk, or by calling 319-363-8213.
The exhibit uniquely showcases the artist’s journey of sculpting a personal narrative of her late father. As Grube studied photograph after photograph of her father, her intent to translate him into the future ended up providing a bridge to her past. “My feelings were telescoped into loss, confusion, joy, shock, disappointment, regret, surprise and anger. I was imaginer and producer, the ruthless critic, the archivist, the mourner,” says Grube.