Just a few more weeks!

We are getting so excited to meet this little peanut!

My cousin's wife/old roomie, Britney offered to do a 3-D ultrasound for me during her lunch break at work. Our first ultrasound was a bit disappointing and we didn't get any great pictures. It was so sweet of her, and I was so happy with the pictures she got! 

I couldn't help but feel like she resembled me as a baby when flipping through them afterward. I dug out a baby picture and sure enough it looks like there's some similarities. Only time will tell! Excited to see what she looks like. My Renne is so much like her daddy, so it will be so fun to see how they compare. 

those pouty little lips...

Happy Birthday Tim!

Happy Birthday to my Timmy!!! 

A few nights before, we had lovely date night together which included steaks at the Keg, some Christmas shopping and a late movie. It was marvellous!! Seriously, date nights are such a blessing, and we totally took dating for granted before Renne. Tim just gets more handsome every year. I'm a lucky girl.

We celebrated on his actual birthday (Nov 16) with Uncle Jon and the Sheen family. It was perfect! We had a mexican fiesta complete with two different kinds of enchiladas. Tim's favourite!

Renne helping daddy blow out the candles

These two both love chocolate, so this cake produced a lot of smiles :) 

Tim's insanely rich birthday cake, Chocolate mousse cheesecake. The recipe had like 19 steps, so I was pretty excited to show him :)

I'm so grateful for this guy in my life. As cheesy as it sounds, he is my better half. I love how much he makes me laugh, even when I'm trying to be serious. He doesn't take me too seriously, and that is such a blessing. While we are so different, together we make such a great team. I am so blessed to have his constant, steady reassurance. Not much gets to this guy, he is such a stable rock. He always gives people the benefit of the doubt. He always assumes great things will happen to us, he doesn't let negativity get the better of him. He's always looking on the bright side, and is an amazing problem solver. He is completely comfortable with who he is, and doesn't need to impress people. He is so wise and smart, when he opens his mouth, i'm always amazed at his ability to sum up my paragraphs in two words. He knows me better than anyone, and puts up with my shenanigans. He is such a patient dad, and definitely makes up for my flaws as a mother. I'm so lucky to have you Tim. Thank you for everything you do for us. Happy Birthday Stud! ;) 28 looks mighty fine on you! 

Halloween 2014

What to be…what to be?? I found this hilarious little lobster costume in Utah and it was a whopping $6. I hadn't decided what we were going to be, and a lobster just hit me right in the funny bone. I also figured that we could easily dress up as chefs and make it a family affair. Easy enough, right? (i was initially thinking of being a planet, and show-casing my round belly, and Renne could be an alien, and Tim an astronaut…but I ran out of time to make my "rings" and couldn't find anything martian for Renne to wear - i'm such a dork!) I prefer home-made costumes any day, but Renne "boiling" in her pot was the cutest thing I had seen in a while!

She absolutely loved her lobster hat. She demanded to wear it for several days afterward. She would put it on and laugh at herself, like she knew it was funny. It was priceless. I, of course, let her wear it any time she asked! How could say no?

Trick or treating with mom and dad. 

She would give the quietest knock on the door, and then just stand there in amazement. She always said "Dank-eww" nice and clear, but her "Trick or treat" was pretty tough to make out - hehe! She equally loved helping handing out candy to all the fun kids that came by our place. She is such a sponge, and loves to watch and copy other kids. I'm so glad she gets to have a sibling soon! Being an only child just wouldn't work for this girl.

 Renne adores her uncle Jon - who took these pictures for us. He was making her (and Tim) laugh!

My mom caught this sweet moment earlier that day at her house when we were trying on costumes. I love her expression here. It's such a privilege to watch your child discover the world. I would love to know what she's thinking...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love the Whiddens!

Utah Trip

In October we were so blessed to be able to go to Utah for a whole week!! We got to go to conference, see some football, do some shopping, explore Park City and of course spend some really great quality time with lots of family. Renne absolutely loved seeing her cousins, and I was in heaven with all the willing hands to help entertain her. 

Cooper is the sweetest, doting babysitter. He was so concerned about Renne, and would take her and play with her for hours. She thought it was the best thing. I love seeing cousins play together. I wish the Whiddens all lived closer. We cherished the time we got with Ben and Andrea and the kids. I seriously owe them my life for all the babysitting they did for us!

Cooper and Renne cuddling 

This is Renne's "smile" lately. Love my crazy girl

Temple Square visit

My girl and I at the temple

We stayed in Park City with Nana and Papa, and it was such a treat for Renne to have them to herself before they left on their mission. I am so thankful she got that quality time with them. 

I need to frame this one!

Look at them! I'm so lucky!

Yes, it must be said - I was as tired as I look. That's a preggo-Ash face right there. I can't believe how much it changes me. I like to think that i'm giving all my health, beauty, BRAINS and energy to the baby :) It's really flown by this time, but it is still a trial for me. It took me along time to admit that without feeling embarrassed. Despite not feeling super energetic, we were able to get done most of what was on our "list", and do pretty much all that we wanted. Renne was a great sport in the car, and I am so thankful we got to do a trip just our family of 3. Tim is so helpful and the best daddy. I couldn't have another one this soon without him. He is my rock.

Beautiful Park City in the fall

My busy girl, always on the go!

Spending an entire week with Daddy was the best treat!!

Riding the gondola

BYU football

"quick Timmy, we need a picture" - haha!

our pathetic attempt at a selfie?...

There is nothing like being in the conference centre. The spirit is so strong, and hearing those messages was such a boost for me. It was the nicest luxury to be able to spend that quality time with Tim away from Renne. I really needed it. We were able to see two sessions together - Saturday and Sunday morning, and Tim got to go to Priesthood with both his dad and my dad. They even made it into a picture of some men in the ensign!

We also got to do a temple session in the Salt Lake Temple, which is something i've been wanting to do forever. It was amazing. That place is ginormous and I couldn't get over how organized everything was. I got lost a few times! There's so much going on, and everything is much bigger scale, it was easy to take a wrong turn. The change rooms alone were a maze! It was so neat to think that I could've been sitting in the same seat President Monson did last time he did a session! The spirit was so special in there.