Back to School

With August winding down and the school year starting again, it's time to say farewell to summer. It was a great summer with so many special memories and milestones! Now, there's the Open House nights, sporting events, teacher workdays, and first-day-of-school pictures. At UNCG, we had our first day of classes last Monday, August 22nd, and Boomer had his first day with students last Wednesday, August 24th. So far, I think the year is off to a great start for both of us! After making it through the first few days, we had a nice, relaxing weekend in Kernersville. On Friday night, Boomer went to the away Forbush football game at North Iredell HS. (Forbush won again, and they are now 2-0!) Normally I would have gone with him to the football game, but I spent the evening with my two-legged and four-legged nephews. Meg had a get-together with some of her work friends, so I came over just before bedtime. By 8:30AM, all of the boys were asleep. It was a pretty easy gig! I watched the Panthers pre-season game and read a little bit until Meg and Zack came home.

On Saturday, Boomer and I went to breakfast at Fitz's on Main, and then we went to the YMCA for a workout and to see Zander's last swim lesson. Later, we went out to dinner with our friends Jared, Ashley, and their one-year-old Harrison. We went to a new restaurant in downtown Winston-Salem called Camel City BBQ -- the pulled pork cheese fries were delicious! Just before dinner, Boomer snapped this photo of me. I'm at 29 weeks now -- 30 weeks on Wednesday!

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and it was a good report -- everything is measuring right on schedule, and the baby's heartbeat was 140 bpm. I will now go to the doctor every two weeks; my next appointment is September 15th. Time is going by so quickly! Next weekend is a three-day weekend, and we will be going to the lake with the Kennedys. Summer may be over, but we are still enjoying these last days of sunshine.

Friday Night Lights

Last night kicked off the football season for Forbush High School! It feels so natural to be back at a football stadium on a Friday evening. Starting back during Boomer's coaching days at Glenn HS, then during his time as an assistant principal at South Stokes HS, and most recently again at South Stokes in the press box doing the announcing and the score board, we have been at high school games ever since we met. It wouldn't be fall without those Friday night lights! This past Friday was a rainy evening, but there was a beautiful rainbow over the field during the 1st Quarter. Luckily the rain let up during the 2nd Quarter, and Forbush won 27-6 over Elkin. It was a good start to the season! Go Falcons!

I had not yet been to Forbush, so Friday night was my first visit to Boomer's new school. Putting on red, white, and blue reminded me of my own high school days as a Patriot at Freedom HS! Forbush is a 2A high school, with around 900 students and 100 staff members. It is about 35 minutes away from our house, and it is one of two traditional high schools in Yadkin County. (There is also an early college high school and an alternative high school.) Back in April, Boomer interviewed for the position, and after a few days of praying and waiting, he got the call from the superintendent. Within just a few weeks, he was wrapping up the school year at Nancy Reynolds Elementary and beginning the transition to Forbush. His official start date was July 1st. It was hard to say goodbye to the staff and students at Nancy Reynolds, since that is where he first started his career as a principal. He is excited though to be back to his roots at the high school. And what a big job it is! Already there have been many late nights and nights working at home. We know that the fall will bring big challenges as we balance work life and home life. We are so thankful for the support of our family and friends as we navigate Boomer's new job and a new baby. It has been an incredible blessing that Boomer would receive a principalship this early in his career. We are so thankful for this opportunity, and I'm definitely a proud wife!

Also this week, we survived our first birthing class! We signed up for the classes through my doctor, and the classes are for two hours for the next three Tuesday evenings. At the first class, we covered a lot of childbirth terminology, and we also learned our first breathing technique. There are about 12 other couples in our class, all having their first babies with due dates around ours. Many of the due dates are in October, so we have a little longer to go. Hopefully we'll remember everything we are learning now! There is certainly a lot we don't know!

A few more photos, last Saturday night we went to the Jim Gaffigan show with Sarah and Josh. It was beautiful weather to be outside, and we were laughing the whole time! Sarah and I are only a day apart with our due dates and are sporting matching baby bumps. This is Sarah's second pregnancy, so she isn't quite as clueless as I am! It has been such a special experience to be pregnant at the same time. November will be an exciting time for both of us!

Sweet Summertime

With the start of the school year just around the corner, we are enjoying the last of these summer days. Many nights we have fallen asleep cheering on the USA in swimming, gymnastics, and all of the other sports. I've learned, once again, that there isn't a sport that Boomer doesn't like! In between watching the Olympics, we've taken lots of evening walks around the neighborhood, gone on several weeknight dates, and had fun plans with family and friends. Last Sunday night, we went to the Winston-Salem Dash game with Sarah, Josh, and their little boy Luke, and Megan, Zack, Zander, and Maddox. Then just a few days later, on Thursday, we went again! One of Boomer's friends who works for the Dash got us tickets to the Flow Club/Founder's Club level. Boomer, Megan, Zack, and I ate our fill from the buffet, as well as the usual ballpark food of hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, and ice cream. With unlimited food and drinks, we hardly cared if the home team won! :)  (But they did!)

This past week, Boomer had the last of his four-day work weeks, a nice perk during the summertime. Since he had Friday off, I also took the day off. It was so nice to not set an alarm! After we got ourselves moving, we went to downtown Kernersville to a little 'greasy spoon' called Fitz on Main. It reminds me of a Morganton favorite, Pat's! 

We just missed the breakfast hours, but we will be back for the Principal Pancake soon. (And hopefully one day, for the Superintendent Special!)

After lunch, we ran some errands at Lowe's and Walmart and got in a workout at the gym. Then Megan, Mom, and Dad came over with a truckload of baby stuff! 

Meg has been storing a lot of Zander's and Maddox's baby stuff until the time that I would need it. While registering at Babies R Us and at Target, there were whole aisles that we passed by, because Meg would be passing those things along to me. So much money saved! In the truck, they brought the stroller, bouncer, play mat, Bumbo, and a special family crib that has been passed down through many babies. Not many of the items we will use right away; we are storing everything in a closet in the nursery for now. As the baby grows, we will pull out the things that we need. We are a little less than 3 months away from the arrival of Baby K, and it is exciting to have so many of the baby essentials already!  

The day ended with a date night at Olive Garden! Football season starts soon, so we thought we would take the opportunity to enjoy what may be our last sports-free, kid-free Friday night! The nicest surprise happened at the end of dinner -- I suppose I was eyeing the dessert of the table next to our's, and when the woman caught me, she offered me a bite! Of course I did not accept, but I laughed that I was "eating for two." After the family left and after we finished our dinner, the waiter brought the very same cheesecake for us! The family had ordered it for us. Such a thoughtful gesture -- and a reminder to pass along kindness!

The Dog Days of Summer

Since coming home from the beach, it's been back to the routine of work, errands, to-do lists, and adulting. Luckily, there have been a lot of fun things to ease the end-of-summer blues! Last weekend, my best girlfriends got together in Winston-Salem. It had been several months since we had all been together, and it was much needed girl time. We stayed together at Emily and Carrie's house, so it was a sleepover like in our high-school days. It is so special when we are all together! We went to a winery on Saturday (Childress Vineyards in Lexington, NC) and then out to dinner that evening. I am already looking forward to being back together in September when these sweet girls are throwing a shower for Baby K!

(posing in front of Kelly's car)

I celebrated my 3-year workiversary with UNCG Admissions on August 1st! I had three special visitors on that day to celebrate with me. My sister brought Zander and Maddox to campus, and we had lunch together at a pizza place nearby. Aren't they the cutest future Spartans you have ever seen?!

It is hard to believe that three years have already passed since I changed careers from teaching to higher education. I have enjoyed the challenge, and I love my roles and responsibilities of this new job. Here are a few photos from this first few years...I look forward to many more!

Onto baby news, my last doctor's appointment was earlier this week, and I had the dreaded glucose test. It actually wasn't so bad! I had been told about this rite of passage for all expectant moms, drinking the super-sweet liquid to see if your body is processing sugar correctly. Probably because of my love for soda, it didn't seem that bad to me! And I passed..whew! Also at the appointment, I heard the baby's heartbeat again (152 beats per minute), had my iron levels tested, and received the TDAP vaccine. It will be another four weeks until my next appointment, and then shortly after that, I will be going every two weeks until Baby K arrives!

We have also made some progress with the nursery and other baby prep. Meg and I went to Target together earlier this week to register. Also, the baby furniture arrived, and thanks to the help of my wonderful family, we brought it home and up the stairs (very heavy stuff!). Next step: putting it together!

Bakewell Beach Vacation 2016

We just got back from a wonderful week at the beach! This vacation marks another trip and another state for Baby K!

This is the fourth year in a row that we have gone to North Myrtle Beach, and each year we have stayed at my parents' friend's house called Monkey Business. It is the perfect house for our group, even as our group continues to grow each year!

 

We arrived last Saturday for a full seven days of sun, sand, and relaxation. After settling in and going grocery shopping, we grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs at the house and then went for a walk on the beach. Each day after that usually began with a wake-up from my nephews, Zander and Maddox. No alarm clocks necessary with those two around! :) Then we had a nice routine of eating breakfast and getting ready to go to the beach. In between breakfast and the beach, Mom and I fit in a 3-mile walk each day. She walks pretty fast so it was a good workout! We would then get out to the beach, either as a group or in small groups, between 10AM and 11AM. 

We would spend a couple of hours at the beach and then head back inside in the mid-afternoon for lunch and naps (for both the little boys, but sometimes for the adults, too!). For dinner, we rotated between going out and cooking in. For our nights out, we went to two of our favorite places, the Flying Fish in Barefoot Landing and Dockside in Calabash, NC. We would usually go for an early dinner, between 5:00PM and 5:30PM, to beat the crowds and to make sure our little boys would be in good spirits. Here are a few pictures of our crew just before going out to dinner!

 
During our week at the beach, it was a great coincidence that Boomer's parents and sister were also there! Bret, Cathy, and Carlin were staying less than 2 miles from us. My parents, Boomer, and I met up with them for dinner on Thursday night at a great restaurant on the water, called Molly Darcy's. 

One of my favorite parts of the week was when Boomer and I would go for walks on the beach. It was great quality time to talk about the past year and the year ahead. I am sad that the week is over...but it is exciting to look back and to look ahead, too!

Until next year...

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

When I found out that I was pregnant, I was actually on the road! I was in Maryland for a recruiting trip for work, and I had this feeling that maybe I was pregnant. In between visiting high schools and attending college fairs, I went to a CVS to buy a pregnancy test. I didn't actually take the test right then, but I packed it in my suitcase to bring back to North Carolina. When I got home, Boomer and I went out to dinner at a local BBQ place, Little Richards. We were halfway into our meal, with Boomer elbow-deep in a plate of ribs, when I told him that I had bought a pregnancy test. I think we both kinda laughed and sat there in disbelief. I still hadn't taken the test, but my instinct already told me what it would say. It wasn't until the next evening that I took the test with Boomer waiting outside of the bathroom. In hindsight, I wish I had had some sweet way to tell him that he was going to be a father. But, I also think it was a special moment when we both found out together. There were hugs, tears, nervousness, laughs, and a bit of fear all at the same time! 

Since then, Maryland isn't the only state that Baby K has visited. In the last few weeks, we have been to several different states and even another country! 

Disney World - Orlando, FL: March 25th - April 1st

This trip had been in the making for quite some time! It had been my parents wish to take my sister, her husband, their two boys, Boomer and me for a week-long trip to Disney. Growing up in Florida for the first few years of my life, going to Disney was always special for our family, but it had been many years since we had been back. My parents have always been very generous, and this time, they went above and beyond! My dad spent a lot of time researching the different resorts, meal plans, restaurants, fast passes, and other Disney hacks. It was truly magical staying on the property, eating with the characters, and seeing my nephews enjoy the whole experience. We had so much fun! While we came back quite tired, we made a lot of memories. My sister did a great job documenting the trip on her blog. Check it out!

At this point, no one knew that I was pregnant, so Boomer and I snapped this picture early one morning before we hit the parks. I did have one episode of morning sickness (the day we went to Animal Kingdom), but I recovered quickly. 

Side note: I am actually 8 weeks! Remember, I miscalculated... :)

Las Vegas, NV: May 20th - May 23rd 

"You went to Las Vegas pregnant?!" Yes, I went to Las Vegas pregnant! By now, my closest friends knew my news, and aside from swapping alcohol for water, I was still able to experience Sin City. One of my best friends, Coley, had it on her bucket list to celebrate her 30th birthday in Vegas, so early in January, we began planning the trip. I had never been to Vegas before, but I knew that celebrating with Coley would be the perfect time to go. We had so many good meals, enjoyed relaxing poolside, caught a Cirque du Soleil show, and stayed up way too late. Somehow this preggo chick was able to keep up with the rest of the girls! I am so thankful for my group of girls. We've traveled many places together (Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Charleston), but this trip certainly tops the list! I'm hopeful that my wonderful hubby will go on daddy-duty so that I can continue to enjoy some girl-time after Baby K arrives!

San Diego, CA: May 31st - June 4th 

After spending Memorial Day weekend at the lake with the Kennedys, I had the opportunity to travel to San Diego for a work conference. This trip was my first time to California. The conference was hosted by CIVSA (The Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association) at the beautiful Loews Coronado Bay Resort. The conference had about 400 attendees, all professionals in higher education, with most working in Admissions. Many of the other conference participants supervise the student ambassadors at their institution as I do at UNCG. It was a fun week of learning and networking. And another state for Baby K!

Niagara Falls - Ontario, Canada: June 21st 


These next two photos are taken only a day apart, but since I technically crossover on Wednesdays, I was in Niagara Falls at 19 weeks and then Toronto at 20 weeks. Both photos were part of the #KennedyBallparkTour. The trip was planned around seeing a Blue Jays game at the Roger Centre, but since Niagara Falls is only about 133 km (approximately 80 miles) from Toronto, it seemed like a worthwhile day trip. And it was! We took a MegaBus from downtown Toronto to the Falls. We had only a short amount of time there, but we made the most of it. We took several photos of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (pictured below) and the American Falls. We also ate at a Tim Horton's, a Canadian fast food chain, and bought a Niagara Falls Christmas ornament to add to my collection. 

Toronto, Ontario: June 20th - June 23rd

After spending a day at the Falls, we returned to Toronto where we ate dinner at the top of the CN (Canadian National) Tower. It is the needle shaped building in the background. The round section is the restaurant, observation decks and glass floor levels. The meal we had at the restaurant was delicious (prime rib for me, duck for Boomer), and while we ate, the restaurant rotates a full 360 degrees in 72 minutes. The food and views were amazing. The next day, we went on a boat tour along the harbor and islands near the city and then went to the Blue Jays game. The Blue Jays played the Diamondbacks and won 5-2. That means we crossed off another park on the #KennedyBallparkTour, bringing the total count to 7. During the trip, we talked about which park we would go to next year and how travel would be quite different with a 7-month old. We hope we can still make it work!

Pretty soon, we will be going on the Bakewell Beach Trip to North Myrtle Beach. That will add one more state to Baby K's travels. Stay tuned for a pic... :)

A Labor of Love

Maybe I shouldn't be using the word 'labor' yet, but we have been working hard to get ready for Baby K. We accomplished a major item on our to-do list this week -- painting the nursery! Boomer was not a part of this fun task, but luckily I had the help of my wonderful parents, Baby K's Grammy and Grandpa. Several weeks ago, Boomer and I decided to relocate the guest room and convert that room into the nursery. As a guest room, it was a turquoise blue, a leftover color from the previous homeowners. It wasn't an ugly color. We have lived with it that way for the last 5 years, but I wanted fresh paint for the baby's new room. Going to my brother-in-law Zack for his expertise, I chose a light gray (Austere Gray by Sherwin-Williams). 

Armed with the paint and all of the supplies, Mom, Dad, and I started painting around 9AM and finished up just after 4PM. We got into a good rhythm, with Dad outlining the ceiling and floor, Mom doing the white trimwork, and me with the easy job of rolling. We were a good team! It brought back memories of the summer of 2010 when Boomer and I first bought our home. The original homeowners had chosen every bright color you could imagine. In fact, the paint, although only cosmetic, was a major negative when we were weighing the pros and cons of the house. We knew right away that we would have to paint! In the downstairs, each room was a different color: a salmon orange, a bright lemon, a lime green, a sky blue, and a lilac purple. It took a solid week of non-stop painting and many wonderful volunteers to paint the entire downstairs and the upstairs master bedroom. Of all the original colors, we decided to keep the turquoise blue in the guest room, but it was time for a change.

I'll keep you in suspense for the 'after' pictures. For now, you will have to envision an empty room but with a beautiful gray paint. Next on the to-do list: FURNITURE!