I just got back in town from spending 3 whole weeks with my family in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the holidays. Brandon was able to come for 2 weeks. We had so much fun. The first few days I was there, my younger sisters were still in school so my mom, sister Amanda, and I spent our days going shopping and out to lunch. Amanda lives in Provo so I hadn't seen her in a few months which felt so long since we used to see each other all the time. It was so fun to see her.
We went to Bennigan's (which I haven't been to in years!) and I got the infamous Monte Cristo sandwich that definitely hit the spot.
Then came the Christmas festivities! I've decided that my favorite part of holidays, and really one of my favorite parts of life in general, is making/baking/cooking food. I'm not even close to being a good cook but not only is it fun to eat fun foods that are traditional for certain holidays but even more than that, making the food is such a fun way to spend time with people. You're busy, helping each other out, making something yummy that you're going to share with others, and you get to talk and have fun together while you do it. My sister Gwendolyn is
always willing to help whoever is in the kitchen and she makes such great company.
Christmas Eve we acted out the Nativity, broke open a pinata, ate yummy Rice Pudding, and watched
It's a Wonderful Life. Christmas morning we ate a delicious breakfast of bacon, egg casserole, fresh pineapple, and cinnamon rolls. Then we did presents. We have a rotation for gift-giving in my family and my sister, Abigail, had me and Brandon this year. She gave us 2 blu-ray dvds and the most amazing gourmet almond chocolate cake from the bakery she works at. She also surprised me throughout my entire stay with treats from the bakery she works at-- my favorite treat she brought me is "cutout cookies" which are sugar cookies with an almond frosting glaze. I ate sooo many of those... Brandon and I had my sister Polly this year-- we got her some colored tights and clothes she wanted.
The next day we got to Skype with my brother Trevor who is in Ecuador serving a mission for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). We talked with him for a few hours and it was so great to talk with him.
The next week was full of even more fun. My mom took us older girls to the Spa (it's our Christmas present every year) and it was heavenly.
The Sanctuary Spa we go to my mom used to work at and they do such a great job at making it the best experience. We start out in the relaxation room. They bring you hot cider or hot cocoa and cookies. Then they give you a foot massage while you're waiting. They have heated blankets for you to wrap up in and there is relaxing music playing. My full body massage was much needed and I loved every minute. My facial was also amazing. After your spa services you go back to the relaxation room and they bring you ice water with orange slices and you wrap up again in the heating blanket and relax. I just love it. While we were at the Spa, Brandon took Blair and Gwen to see
The Princess and the Frog.
We celebrated Amanda's 23rd birthday December 30th. We went out to lunch at The Olive Garden, went to a movie, and then did cake and presents.
We celebrated New Year's by going to see Avatar 3-D and it was sooo good. We had take-out Chinese food for dinner as a New Year's Eve tradition. Then Brandon and I went to a hockey game. Then we made cookies and had chips/dip and other junk food to start the New Year's Rockin Eve party. Yes Blair's party hat says 2004... we're trying to see how many years we can recycle the 2004 New Year's party stuff :)
We celebrated Blair's birthday early (her birthday is on Jan. 19th). Brandon and I took her to Toys 'R' Us because she'd never been and let her look at all the toys and then pick out a present while she was there. She got a Selena Gomez/Wizards of Waverly stationary set. Then later when we did cake and presents, we surprised her with a fish Webkinz that she wanted.
Our last day in Iowa, Amanda, Abigail, Polly, and I went to Panera for lunch.
It was so hard to leave, as it always is, but I had so much fun. When I was saying goodbye everyone said, "Next time I see you you'll have a baby!" and that was so weird to realize that!
Well my flight back to Charlottesville was an adventure... My first flight from Cedar Rapids to Detroit was delayed about an hour and a half so I realized my hour and a half layover was now non-existent. Once the plane landed and I was allowed to use my cell phone I called Brandon and he looked up what my next gate was so I wouldn't waste any time figuring that out and I could just run there and try to make my next flight. I got off the plane and found the nearest agent and asked her to call my gate and tell them I was coming and to wait for me because I literally had just a few minutes until it was supposed to depart. She was busy helping a pilot with something but took a minute to look up my flight and gate and told me I better hurry because I only had a few minutes. I was like "I know!! Can you just tell them I'm coming?" and she was like, "Well..." and I just left and started running. I must have been a sight to see... 7 months pregnant with a rolling carry-on bag and another bag on my shoulder running as fast as I possibly could up an escalator, the distance of 2 moving walkways and then some. When I approached my gate (which I was hoping and praying was right since Brandon looked it up online but you never know if things are as up-to-date online) there was an agent there ready to flag me down. She said, "Are you Amy?" I said, "Yes!" (totally out of breath). She scanned my boarding pass, I got on the plane and the plane took off. I BARELY made it! I was so glad I did though because it was probably the last flight to Charlottesville that day so I would've had to stay the night in Detroit to catch the next flight.
Anyway so I made it to Charlottesville and as I got off the plane to head to Baggage Claim, I was bookin it because I was so starving from not being able to eat anything since I didn't get a layover so I was the first person from our flight to get to the revolving door that is
THE door between the arrival/departure gates and Baggage Claim/Exit. The door didn't start moving when I approached but I was in such a hurry and not really thinking that I thought I'd just walk inside a section of the door and hope it started moving. Well it did start moving.... so fast that my rolling carry-on bag got stuck, jammed the door, broke the whole thing, it stopped, and the alarm went off throughout the entire airport... with me, the guilty party, stuck inside the revolving door. Lights are flashing and the alarm is sounding off through the whole airport, everyone is staring at me and they look so mad. I'm stuck so there is nothing I can do. No security guard or anyone comes to help. So finally after like 5 minutes, a random guy waiting to get through the door went and told a security guy and another 5 minutes later a different security guy came and unlocked the door and it started moving. By then a huge crowd of people had developed waiting to get through the door and I was getting some serious glares. How embarrassing!! Haha.
-Amy
Well I'm almost 33 weeks and feeling great but realizing there is so much to do and not much time left to do it! I have printed out all the checklists from baby websites: what to pack in your hospital bag, must-have items for the nursery, baby's medicine cabinet, baby changing supplies, baby clothes, baby layette, baby's feeding supplies, baby gear, etc etc. There are so many checklists and I feel like I have barely made a dent!
