Belly Shot - 7 Months Pregnant!

I've had a lot of emails about how my pregnancy is going and many requests for some belly shots. Well, here ya go. I'm officially into my third trimester and really can't believe it! So far everything has been going good, and I've been really lucky. Hayden is kicking me a lot now and I had my first real "motherly" moment this past week. Bryan got us all tickets to see The Blue Man Group at Universal Studios this past week in Orlando. It was a great show, and surprisingly, a lot funnier than I thought for random bluemen that don't talk. There were a lot of loud drum beats/music that I think scared little Hayden in there. Until that night, I had never felt him kick around so much........made me quite the paranoid mom. But the little man is doing well, and now's the point in my pregnancy where he'll really start growing.

Fall

Thought you all would enjoy these pretty fall pictures. We found a park in the center of town with more trails and walking paths for us to explore today; only 10 minutes from our house. The colors are definitely beautiful this time of year, and of course, I couldn't help but take more pictures of them:) Hope everyone has a great week and happy fall!!!!!!!!!

Raven Rock State Park

Sunday was such a nice day that we really wanted to go hiking and see some of the fall colors before they were gone. So we packed a picnic lunch and headed 45 minutes south to Raven Rock State Park in Lillington. It was a really pretty area and had a lot of different trails to hike. We chose two and ended up hiking 3 1/2 miles. I would say that my 6th month pregnant self did a good job and was able to keep a normal pace for the majority of the hike. It was really at the end, after hiking back up the HUGE stairway from the caverns below, that I realized once again that, yes, I am pregnant. So, the walk back to the car wasn't quite as fast as the hike there. Jamie and I definitley want to go back and try out some of the different trails that we didn't have time to hike.

We're Having S'more Fun

This past week, we were excited to have another visitor, Jamie's brother. In the short time that Mike was here, the weather was nice, so we were able to do some fun things outside and explore a bit more of the area. On the first day, we went to downtown Raleigh to the Museum of Natural Sciences and to the History Museum. The science museum was neat, and I thought the creators did a good job. The second museum, however, left a little something to be desired. After the visit downtown, Jamie and I decided that we definitely wanted to do some more exploring in Raleigh and see what else there is to offer....especially before the baby's born. Also, during Mike's stay, we went to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and to Duke University again in Durham. Overall, his time here went fast. We were really happy that he came down to see the new area that we call home.

Slideshow Fun;)

Since Jamie and I had a relaxing weekend at home, I decided to update the blog with a fun slideshow of my favorite pictures that I've taken over the past four years. Everyone who knows me well, knows that my first passion (as far as a career/hobby goes) is education and that no matter what stage I'm at in life, I'll always want to teach. God definitely has instilled that in me, and I couldn't have asked for a better profession to pursue. I can't wait to actually start teaching my own son....how cool will that be!? My second passion that I have developed has been photography. I've always liked taking pictures of people and things as well as having my own picture taken (much to Jamie's dismay:) So, the other day I was taking some old documents off of our computer and started to look at all of the pictures that I've taken in the past four years. I've been blessed to travel to many places and take some fun/memorable pictures that I've included in the slideshow. I forgot a few of my family that have been my favorite that I thought I would also add here. Pictures are a great way to remember the different times in your life that, as we age, seem to fly by. I'm so excited to take pictures of the new addition to our family and share them with you all!!