Key Largo Vacation, Part 1

Greetings from the Florida Keys! We've been planning this vacation for awhile, but weren't sure if it was going to happen--at one point it looked like Hurricane Ike was going to hit Florida and Houston. Even though we still don't have power at our house, we decided to proceed with our vacation plans anyway. Hopefully, the electricity will be turned back on by the time we get home.
Today is our first full day in Key Largo. The weather is great and it isn't even close to being crowded-- it makes me wonder why we haven't vacationed during off season before. We started off the day lounging by the pool then took a snorkeling cruise early in the afternoon. The coral reefs were so beautiful and diverse. We saw a sea turtle, large nurse shark, 2 sting rays, lots of barracudas, various fish, and a few jelly fish (don't worry, we successfully avoided them). It was great fun!

You guessed it!

Yesterday my old obgyn here in Utah squeezed me in for my 20 week check up and ultrasound. So, we know the sex of our sweet little baby. Drum roll, please... it's a girl!!!!! Seventy percent of you guessed correctly. I've been saying the whole pregnancy that it's a girl. Brandon was skeptical at first, but came around to my way of thinking recently. I think some of my in-laws were surprised when we told them, but my family seemed just as sure as I was that it's a girl. Yeah for little girls!!! All I can say is there is going to be a lot of lace and ruffles and pink in our future.

Hurricane Ike

Just so you know, we survived Hurricane Ike and are safe. The storm hit us early Saturday morning (maybe around 2 am?). We woke up a few times during the night, but the house was surprisingly sturdy and insulated-- we barely heard a thing. At points during the storm we had sustained winds of 112 mph. Luckily, we have don't have any mature trees in our yard. Since we are about 70 miles inland we didn't get affected by the huge storm surge. After the storm passed we inspected the house and it looks like we don't have any damage to report. When Brandon gets home he wants to check the roof, but since we didn't find any shingles on the ground or experience leaking we are hopeful that everything is still intact.
The first few hours after the storm we had limited cell phone service, but the cell towers have since gone down. Like 99% of the other Houston residents we also lost electrical power. So, even though we have clean running water and gas, we can't use any electricity. We're hoping that it gets turned back on quickly, but some reports estimate that we might have to wait anywhere from 2-4 weeks.
Until the power is restored we are staying with my mom. Even though it was quite a drive, it was worth it (Can you imagine living without ac in Houston?). While we're up here Brandon is able to work at his company headquarters and I'm able to help my mom and grandma unpack and get situated in their new house; so we're both keeping busy. Another reason we decided to come up here is so that I can maintain my prenatal care (my doctor's office in Houston is closed and I was supposed to have my 20 week check up today).
Hopefully, we'll be able to go home soon. We love our neighborhood and little house. In the meantime, thanks for your concern and prayers. Please continue to keep the residents of the Houston area in your prayers. Lots of people are still suffering and it looks like it is going to be a pretty intensive clean up effort.

I hate hurricane season!

When I moved to Houston I didn't realize that I'd spend so much time worrying about hurricanes. Yes, we are pretty far inland and we rarely get hit with majorly scary weather, but it is a possibility. Even if a storm comes to Houston and we don't get wind or flooding damage, living without power (for any extended amount of time) doesn't sound like fun.
Our plan for Ike is to wait out the storm (so far it looks far enough away). Once it passes, if we are without power we'll try to secure a hotel room somewhere nearby. We do have a 72 hour kit, flashlights, candles, and a small supply of food storage; but I'm as nervous as can be. Tomorrow I'll give the tubs a good scrub so that I can fill them with water (that way we don't have to use the good bottled water to clean dishes and cook).
Brandon keeps telling me to stop worrying about things I can't control. I'll admit, it's good unsolicited advice, but sometimes I can't help myself (blame part on my natural disposition to worry and part on the pregnancy)...

Now that's an entertainment center!

As a Christmas present to ourselves last year Brandon and I splurged on a 50 inch plasma tv. Since our old entertainment center is built for a 30 inch square monitor our new tv has been sitting on top of the coffee table for the past 9 months.



For the past 6 months or so Brandon and our neighbor Graig worked together to build us a deluxe unit (because I couldn't find anything that I loved). It turned out to be quite the weekend project because of Graig's chaotic work schedule, Brandon's business trips, the summer heat, and issue of finding the perfect stain.



Last Sunday the stain was finally dry enough to move it into the living room. I love it! I'm so proud of Brandon-- it really looks great. Now I'm thinking it's time to focus on the nursery...