6 weeks...that's it?!?! I have a feeling that the next several months are going to crawllllll by. Everybody keeps telling me that it will fly by, but for now I have my doubts! :) I can't believe I have to wait 4 MORE weeks until I even get to go see the doctor for the first time!
Currently, Baby M is the size of a sweet pea and is growing like a weed! The weekly updates also tell me that Baby M is getting eyes, ears, a nose, a chin, and cheeks! Sounds like this little Poppy Seed is starting to look more like a baby and less like a tad pole! :) {Baby M, it looks like we are going to keep calling you "Our Poppy Seed Baby" for awhile, even though we know that you are already MUCH bigger than that. The nickname just seemed to stick and we think it suits you!}
6 weeks is definitely a weird time in pregnancy world - I don't feel or look pregnant and really the only difference in my day-to-day life is that I am living without wine! :) Well, I suppose there are some other differences, like trying to eat more "balanced" meals; going on nightly walks with Bryant & Belly; and drinking water, water, and more water. Normally I don't drink nearly as much water as I should, but lately I have been INCREDIBLY thirsty, so it has been really easy to get in the right daily amount. I still feel great - and I have only had a few afternoons where I felt a little sick to my stomach. I am definitely feeling tired, but that's not unusual.
Our excitement is increasing by the day and I CANNOT wait to start baby shopping! Luckily we have an empty room right across the hall from our bedroom that will be Baby M's new room. We couldn't be happier about filling it in the Spring! :)
A piece of advice that we received from several friends and family this week is to start looking for daycare now. Both Bryant & I will definitely have to go back to work after Baby M is born, so daycare is definitely in our future. I called one tonight and hopefully will hear back on whether or not we have a spot for next June soon. It is just crazy that we are already enrolling in daycare!
This weekend we are heading to Topeka and Manhattan for a golfing/shopping trip with Bryant's family. I am looking forward to doing some shopping since we are heading to Florida in 2 weeks for vacation with Bryant's family again! So excited! Hopefully all of these fun trips will make the time fly by. I should also be hearing back soon about whether or not I passed the Kansas Bar. Pray for me.
Until Week 7...
Bryant, Danielle, Belly & Our Poppy Seed Baby
Ticker
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Whoa Baby!
Family and friends...meet Baby M!
We're having a baby! As of now I am only 5 weeks...not very far, but we are very excited! We know all the rules about when you should start telling family and friends, but we just weren't able to keep this secret to ourselves. Because we live so close to so many of our family and friends and see them often we knew it would only be a matter of time before they guessed it on their own. We wanted to be able to share the news rather than to have everybody guess it, so we thought we would just go ahead and tell everyone! :) SURPRISE!
We could not be happier! Bryant & I have been talking about getting to this point in our lives for quite awhile now and it has finally happened! My first appointment with Dr. Hodny is not scheduled until September 28th (I will be 10.5 weeks at that point) - however according to all the Google Due Date Calculators, we should be expecting Baby M to make his or her debut sometime between April 20, 2012 and April 22, 2012. April 22 also happens to be Whitney's birthday! The due date seems like light years from now! I guess we will learn alot about patience over the next 9 months or so.
I cannot begin to describe how happy and excited we are to have our very own baby on the way! We have alot to learn, but I am absolutely positive that we will love this baby with everything that we have. Bryant will be an amazing daddy and hopefully Belly will behave and love Baby M as much as we do! :)
I am going to try to blog weekly about any pregnancy news and any other exciting details in our lives. With that being said, I'm sure there will be some posts that bore you to death. I apologize in advance, but through this blog I would like to keep a pregnancy journal of sorts that we can share with Baby M someday. I will try to keep all the fun stuff at the beginning... :)
Last week Bryant & I read in our very useful "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book that last week (4 weeks) Baby M was the size of a poppy seed. Baby M, we have been calling you "Poppy Seed Baby" and cannot get over how amazing this all is! You just might be stuck with this new nickname - even though you are definitely growing and are already bigger than a poppy seed! We cannot help but smile every time we talk or think about you! Currently, Baby M is the size of an apple seed. I think that it's kind of funny that all the baby books and websites measure the size of the baby in terms of food! :)
As of right now I really don't have any "symptoms" - although we also read that I probably won't experience any those for at least a few more weeks. I definitely feel tired, but I am always pretty tired - so that's nothing new. I also have had some minor cramping - which is a pretty scary feeling, but we have also read and heard from friends/family that the cramps are normal. Whew! I cringe thinking about the possibility of morning sickness, but know that it is all for good reason! Please be nice to me Baby M! :) I'm nervous about things that I'm not supposed to do and therefore I am basically just taking prenatal vitamins and avoiding doing anything that might be bad for me and Baby M (caffeine, deli meat, pain relievers (oh how I will miss Excedrin), etc.) I have been googling and reading like crazy trying to figure out exactly what I "should" be doing, but it seems like everything I read is contradicted by something else I read. Go figure! I cannot wait to meet with Dr. Hodny so I can start asking some questions.
Baby M - everybody is so excited about the news! We started by telling both of our families and close friends and then we started announcing it to everybody. I posted the news on Facebook yesterday and received an overwhelming response of congratulations! Turns out everybody loves babies! :)
Until the 6th week...
Love,
Bryant, Danielle, Belly & Baby M
We're having a baby! As of now I am only 5 weeks...not very far, but we are very excited! We know all the rules about when you should start telling family and friends, but we just weren't able to keep this secret to ourselves. Because we live so close to so many of our family and friends and see them often we knew it would only be a matter of time before they guessed it on their own. We wanted to be able to share the news rather than to have everybody guess it, so we thought we would just go ahead and tell everyone! :) SURPRISE!
We could not be happier! Bryant & I have been talking about getting to this point in our lives for quite awhile now and it has finally happened! My first appointment with Dr. Hodny is not scheduled until September 28th (I will be 10.5 weeks at that point) - however according to all the Google Due Date Calculators, we should be expecting Baby M to make his or her debut sometime between April 20, 2012 and April 22, 2012. April 22 also happens to be Whitney's birthday! The due date seems like light years from now! I guess we will learn alot about patience over the next 9 months or so.
I cannot begin to describe how happy and excited we are to have our very own baby on the way! We have alot to learn, but I am absolutely positive that we will love this baby with everything that we have. Bryant will be an amazing daddy and hopefully Belly will behave and love Baby M as much as we do! :)
I am going to try to blog weekly about any pregnancy news and any other exciting details in our lives. With that being said, I'm sure there will be some posts that bore you to death. I apologize in advance, but through this blog I would like to keep a pregnancy journal of sorts that we can share with Baby M someday. I will try to keep all the fun stuff at the beginning... :)
Last week Bryant & I read in our very useful "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book that last week (4 weeks) Baby M was the size of a poppy seed. Baby M, we have been calling you "Poppy Seed Baby" and cannot get over how amazing this all is! You just might be stuck with this new nickname - even though you are definitely growing and are already bigger than a poppy seed! We cannot help but smile every time we talk or think about you! Currently, Baby M is the size of an apple seed. I think that it's kind of funny that all the baby books and websites measure the size of the baby in terms of food! :)
As of right now I really don't have any "symptoms" - although we also read that I probably won't experience any those for at least a few more weeks. I definitely feel tired, but I am always pretty tired - so that's nothing new. I also have had some minor cramping - which is a pretty scary feeling, but we have also read and heard from friends/family that the cramps are normal. Whew! I cringe thinking about the possibility of morning sickness, but know that it is all for good reason! Please be nice to me Baby M! :) I'm nervous about things that I'm not supposed to do and therefore I am basically just taking prenatal vitamins and avoiding doing anything that might be bad for me and Baby M (caffeine, deli meat, pain relievers (oh how I will miss Excedrin), etc.) I have been googling and reading like crazy trying to figure out exactly what I "should" be doing, but it seems like everything I read is contradicted by something else I read. Go figure! I cannot wait to meet with Dr. Hodny so I can start asking some questions.
Baby M - everybody is so excited about the news! We started by telling both of our families and close friends and then we started announcing it to everybody. I posted the news on Facebook yesterday and received an overwhelming response of congratulations! Turns out everybody loves babies! :)
Until the 6th week...
Love,
Bryant, Danielle, Belly & Baby M
M.A.J.O.R. Life Changes
Well once again I will begin by apologizing for being such an awful blogger. My last blog was in April and at that time, as my previous post states, we were drinking a lot of champagne! Bryant & I were both going through MANY changes - most of which were very exciting...some which were a little scary. Since April we have had even MORE changes - and even MORE champagne! :) Let's break this down by month...
May:
05.02.11: Bryant moved home and began his new job as the Branch Manager of Farmers National Bank in Stockton. He trained for a few weeks in Phillipsburg at the main branch location and quickly caught on. Around the middle to late May he started in the Stockton office and has been loving it ever since! He has been doing a great job and is really excited about everything he is learning. We couldn't be happier with how well this new career change has gone!
05.06.11: I celebrated my 26th birthday - by studying for finals... Thank God this is the last year this will happen! :)
05.13.11: Belly & I joined Bryant and officially began living in Stockton at Ruthie & Verl's house. We couldn't be more grateful or appreciative to Ruthie & Verl for letting us (and Belly) stay with them for several weeks.
05.18.11: Lyla celebrated her 2nd birthday and Jenna celebrated her 1st birthday. Luckily we were able to see each of these sweet little girls at their birthday parties. They are both getting so big so fast it's unbelievable! Lyla is really starting to talk ALOT (in sentences) and Jenna is everywhere and in everything. Love watching these two little girls grow!
05.19.11: My baby sister graduated from 8th grade! Holy cow...she's going to be in high school and will be driving a car soon. Watching her grow up makes me very proud - yet also makes me a little sad...it's going too fast! I am so glad that we are now living back home so we can watch more of her sporting events throughout her next four years in high school.
05.21.11: I graduated from law school! WHOOOHOOOOO! This day had been highly anticipated! While it seemed to drag on forever - and at many times I actually thought that I would NEVER make any money - it has finally came to an end. My entire family and Bryant's entire family were able to make it to the graduation ceremony and we all went out for dinner to celebrate after. Later that night Bryant & I celebrated with our KC friends at John & Laura Schmidt's house. It was a fantastic weekend!
05.28.11: We celebrated my law school graduation (again) at my parent's house with all of our friends and family from Stockton. Again, it was an awesome party and we were all able to enjoy several margaritas. Not only do I have my J.D., but I can also make a pretty mean margarita after that night! :)
05.30.11: I began working as the Assistant County Attorney for Rooks County. I wasn't able to really get too involved over the summer while I was studying to take the Kansas Bar, but I was able to start getting familiar with everything and everyone. During this time I was getting very excited about passing the Bar and finally being able to REALLY start working.
June:
06.11.11: We moved into our new home in Stockton! So far throughout the months of June & July we made a few renovations and have been unpacking and trying to find a place for everything. The house has been wonderful and we have spent many nights hanging out on the back porch enjoying the summer with our friends. Since moving home I have been able to join the Bunco group (so much fun!), Bryant has been able to go golfing almost every Tuesday night for Men's Night and he also played on a softball team every Wednesday night. We are definitely staying busy. We couldn't be happier to be back home! We are really looking forward to our future here.
06.12.11: We celebrated Bryant's 29th birthday...by unpacking and cleaning the new house. Someday we will figure out how to celebrate our birthdays with a little fun! :)
06.13.11: My newest nephew, Eli Jacob Long, arrived! Born right on time, Mandy delivered a perfectly healthy baby boy. Both mama and baby have been doing great. He is such a doll and luckily we have been able to see him a few times this summer even though we moved back to Stockton and Mandy lives in Olathe. We were worried about how much we would still see Mandy & her family and Whitney & her family, but so far we have actually be able to see both of their families quite a bit!
July
07.04.11: Happy Fourth of July! We celebrated the weekend by hanging out at the lake with both of our families, including Mandy, Justin, Alex, Ethan and Eli - AND Whitney, Shaun & Lyla. It was a great weekend and was one of the last chances I would have for the rest of the summer to have any fun. For the next 3 weeks or so I would live in pure hell as I studied for the bar exam that was quickly approaching.
07.26.11 - 07.27.11: I took the Bar. This was definitely the most nervous I had EVER been! I was nauseous the entire 2 days and couldn't sleep or eat. It was a miserable week and I hope and pray that I never have to take that test again. It will take 6 weeks to get my results in, so I should find out if I passed around the middle of September! Wish me luck and keep praying for me.
07.29.11 - 07.31.11: We headed to Estes Park, CO to celebrate Bryant's Grandma Ostmeyer's 90th birthday party! We had a great weekend and it was so fun to see all of the Ostmeyers. While it was a short trip we are so happy that we were able to make it and to celebrate such a memorable event with everyone.
07.31.11: Believe it or not - Bryant & I celebrated our FIRST ANNIVERSARY! Neither of us can believe that it has already been an entire year since the day we got married. We spent the day driving back from Estes Park, so we weren't able to do anything too exciting, but we did spend the day together and had so much fun remembering all the amazing parts of our wedding day one year ago. After we got home we ate a piece of our wedding cake, drank champagne, and took a shot of tequila that we brought home from our honeymoon! Cheers to many more! :)
08.01.11: I began working at Ed Hageman's private office, in addition to working as the Assistant County Attorney for Rooks County. Currently I am working under a temporary license, but hopefully by the end of September I will be fully licensed! Again...pray for me! :)
08.13.11: Bryant & I headed to St. Louis to celebrate the wedding of Grant Burchfield and Emily Varese. Bryant & Grant were fraternity brothers at KU and have been great friends ever since. Bryant stood up with Grant as one of his best men. The wedding weekend was definitely memorable and amazing! Grant & Emily thought of every detail and really made it special. We both felt very lucky to celebrate such an important day with them. Congratulations Grant & Emily! We love you both.
Whew! That was exhausting! Now that we're all caught up I'll try to stay more in touch and blog a little more. :) We hope that you have all enjoyed your summer and continue to enjoy what is left of it! (I'll try to add corresonding pictures soon.)
Love,
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
May:
05.02.11: Bryant moved home and began his new job as the Branch Manager of Farmers National Bank in Stockton. He trained for a few weeks in Phillipsburg at the main branch location and quickly caught on. Around the middle to late May he started in the Stockton office and has been loving it ever since! He has been doing a great job and is really excited about everything he is learning. We couldn't be happier with how well this new career change has gone!
05.06.11: I celebrated my 26th birthday - by studying for finals... Thank God this is the last year this will happen! :)
05.13.11: Belly & I joined Bryant and officially began living in Stockton at Ruthie & Verl's house. We couldn't be more grateful or appreciative to Ruthie & Verl for letting us (and Belly) stay with them for several weeks.
05.18.11: Lyla celebrated her 2nd birthday and Jenna celebrated her 1st birthday. Luckily we were able to see each of these sweet little girls at their birthday parties. They are both getting so big so fast it's unbelievable! Lyla is really starting to talk ALOT (in sentences) and Jenna is everywhere and in everything. Love watching these two little girls grow!
05.19.11: My baby sister graduated from 8th grade! Holy cow...she's going to be in high school and will be driving a car soon. Watching her grow up makes me very proud - yet also makes me a little sad...it's going too fast! I am so glad that we are now living back home so we can watch more of her sporting events throughout her next four years in high school.
05.21.11: I graduated from law school! WHOOOHOOOOO! This day had been highly anticipated! While it seemed to drag on forever - and at many times I actually thought that I would NEVER make any money - it has finally came to an end. My entire family and Bryant's entire family were able to make it to the graduation ceremony and we all went out for dinner to celebrate after. Later that night Bryant & I celebrated with our KC friends at John & Laura Schmidt's house. It was a fantastic weekend!
05.28.11: We celebrated my law school graduation (again) at my parent's house with all of our friends and family from Stockton. Again, it was an awesome party and we were all able to enjoy several margaritas. Not only do I have my J.D., but I can also make a pretty mean margarita after that night! :)
05.30.11: I began working as the Assistant County Attorney for Rooks County. I wasn't able to really get too involved over the summer while I was studying to take the Kansas Bar, but I was able to start getting familiar with everything and everyone. During this time I was getting very excited about passing the Bar and finally being able to REALLY start working.
June:
06.11.11: We moved into our new home in Stockton! So far throughout the months of June & July we made a few renovations and have been unpacking and trying to find a place for everything. The house has been wonderful and we have spent many nights hanging out on the back porch enjoying the summer with our friends. Since moving home I have been able to join the Bunco group (so much fun!), Bryant has been able to go golfing almost every Tuesday night for Men's Night and he also played on a softball team every Wednesday night. We are definitely staying busy. We couldn't be happier to be back home! We are really looking forward to our future here.
06.12.11: We celebrated Bryant's 29th birthday...by unpacking and cleaning the new house. Someday we will figure out how to celebrate our birthdays with a little fun! :)
06.13.11: My newest nephew, Eli Jacob Long, arrived! Born right on time, Mandy delivered a perfectly healthy baby boy. Both mama and baby have been doing great. He is such a doll and luckily we have been able to see him a few times this summer even though we moved back to Stockton and Mandy lives in Olathe. We were worried about how much we would still see Mandy & her family and Whitney & her family, but so far we have actually be able to see both of their families quite a bit!
July
07.04.11: Happy Fourth of July! We celebrated the weekend by hanging out at the lake with both of our families, including Mandy, Justin, Alex, Ethan and Eli - AND Whitney, Shaun & Lyla. It was a great weekend and was one of the last chances I would have for the rest of the summer to have any fun. For the next 3 weeks or so I would live in pure hell as I studied for the bar exam that was quickly approaching.
07.26.11 - 07.27.11: I took the Bar. This was definitely the most nervous I had EVER been! I was nauseous the entire 2 days and couldn't sleep or eat. It was a miserable week and I hope and pray that I never have to take that test again. It will take 6 weeks to get my results in, so I should find out if I passed around the middle of September! Wish me luck and keep praying for me.
07.29.11 - 07.31.11: We headed to Estes Park, CO to celebrate Bryant's Grandma Ostmeyer's 90th birthday party! We had a great weekend and it was so fun to see all of the Ostmeyers. While it was a short trip we are so happy that we were able to make it and to celebrate such a memorable event with everyone.
07.31.11: Believe it or not - Bryant & I celebrated our FIRST ANNIVERSARY! Neither of us can believe that it has already been an entire year since the day we got married. We spent the day driving back from Estes Park, so we weren't able to do anything too exciting, but we did spend the day together and had so much fun remembering all the amazing parts of our wedding day one year ago. After we got home we ate a piece of our wedding cake, drank champagne, and took a shot of tequila that we brought home from our honeymoon! Cheers to many more! :)
08.01.11: I began working at Ed Hageman's private office, in addition to working as the Assistant County Attorney for Rooks County. Currently I am working under a temporary license, but hopefully by the end of September I will be fully licensed! Again...pray for me! :)
08.13.11: Bryant & I headed to St. Louis to celebrate the wedding of Grant Burchfield and Emily Varese. Bryant & Grant were fraternity brothers at KU and have been great friends ever since. Bryant stood up with Grant as one of his best men. The wedding weekend was definitely memorable and amazing! Grant & Emily thought of every detail and really made it special. We both felt very lucky to celebrate such an important day with them. Congratulations Grant & Emily! We love you both.
Whew! That was exhausting! Now that we're all caught up I'll try to stay more in touch and blog a little more. :) We hope that you have all enjoyed your summer and continue to enjoy what is left of it! (I'll try to add corresonding pictures soon.)
Love,
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
Monday, April 4, 2011
Champagne Days
2011 has been pretty eventful for the Muirs! Life is rapidly changing before our eyes and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon...
In February we went to Vegas with the Glendenings and had the absolute BEST time! Nate & I both had a lucky streak - although, I'm not so sure that any of us brought any of that lucky money home with us...Vegas definitely won! We saw Mystere, a Cirque de Soleil show at Treasure Island which was amazing! We also went out for dinner at the Stratosphere - yum! We spent the majority of the rest of the time playing Black Jack and hitting up the slots. It was one of our best vacations yet with some of our very best friends - what more could you ask for!?!?
March was quite the month for us! We found out that I am officially going to be working with Ed Hageman at his office in Stockton and will also be the Assistant Rooks County Attorney - very exciting news! (Champagne!) I couldn't ask for a better attorney to work with and learn from. I am very lucky to have such a great opportunity. We also couldn't be happier about moving back home and living so close to so many friends and family. Bryant was also offered a job with Farmers National Bank in Stockton! (Champagne!) He will be the Branch Manager for the Stockton office. I am so proud of him and excited for him to begin a new career. He couldn't be happier! Bryant will be starting on May 2 and I will be moving home shortly after.
We also started the process to buy a home in Stockton! (Champagne!) As of now it looks like we should close around June 15, so there will only be a month or so where we are crashing at our parents - sorry moms & dads! :) We cannot stop talking about how excited we are to be back home and be able to slow down. The thought of being able to run out to the lake on a beautiful day makes me want to do cartwheels! I know Bryant is very excited about the 2 minute drive to work everyday.
Graduation is quickly approaching. I currently have 4 weeks of school left and then my VERY last set of finals! The BAR exam is becoming more of a reality and anxiety is setting in. I plan on studying for the BAR via the online course - that way I can move home with Bryant right after graduation, rather than waiting until after the BAR in July.
It looks like we only have a few more things that need to fall in place - which means there are at least a few more champagne bottles in our future! We are still trying to sell our house. We have been on the MLS for 33 days now and have only had 2 different couples look at our house. One of the couples has been here 3 times in the past week and should be making their decision by tomorrow - if they do make an offer, they will need to close by April 27...AHHHH! Keep your fingers crossed! I also need to start focusing on the BAR so that I can pass with flying colors...or just pass...I'll take either one! :) Hopefully we will be packing our house up in the next month and making our move towards home and the rest of our lives. CAN'T WAIT!
Cheers!
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
In February we went to Vegas with the Glendenings and had the absolute BEST time! Nate & I both had a lucky streak - although, I'm not so sure that any of us brought any of that lucky money home with us...Vegas definitely won! We saw Mystere, a Cirque de Soleil show at Treasure Island which was amazing! We also went out for dinner at the Stratosphere - yum! We spent the majority of the rest of the time playing Black Jack and hitting up the slots. It was one of our best vacations yet with some of our very best friends - what more could you ask for!?!?
March was quite the month for us! We found out that I am officially going to be working with Ed Hageman at his office in Stockton and will also be the Assistant Rooks County Attorney - very exciting news! (Champagne!) I couldn't ask for a better attorney to work with and learn from. I am very lucky to have such a great opportunity. We also couldn't be happier about moving back home and living so close to so many friends and family. Bryant was also offered a job with Farmers National Bank in Stockton! (Champagne!) He will be the Branch Manager for the Stockton office. I am so proud of him and excited for him to begin a new career. He couldn't be happier! Bryant will be starting on May 2 and I will be moving home shortly after.
We also started the process to buy a home in Stockton! (Champagne!) As of now it looks like we should close around June 15, so there will only be a month or so where we are crashing at our parents - sorry moms & dads! :) We cannot stop talking about how excited we are to be back home and be able to slow down. The thought of being able to run out to the lake on a beautiful day makes me want to do cartwheels! I know Bryant is very excited about the 2 minute drive to work everyday.
Graduation is quickly approaching. I currently have 4 weeks of school left and then my VERY last set of finals! The BAR exam is becoming more of a reality and anxiety is setting in. I plan on studying for the BAR via the online course - that way I can move home with Bryant right after graduation, rather than waiting until after the BAR in July.
It looks like we only have a few more things that need to fall in place - which means there are at least a few more champagne bottles in our future! We are still trying to sell our house. We have been on the MLS for 33 days now and have only had 2 different couples look at our house. One of the couples has been here 3 times in the past week and should be making their decision by tomorrow - if they do make an offer, they will need to close by April 27...AHHHH! Keep your fingers crossed! I also need to start focusing on the BAR so that I can pass with flying colors...or just pass...I'll take either one! :) Hopefully we will be packing our house up in the next month and making our move towards home and the rest of our lives. CAN'T WAIT!
Cheers!
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Looking Forward to 2011
Lots of exciting things have happened over the past few months...and I thought I was doing so much better at blogging! In early November I took the MPRE (ethics portion of the BAR exam) and I found out a few weeks later that I passed! :) Whew! One part of the BAR down - only a million to go. I also finished my 5th semester of law school in December. After waiting what seemed like years, I finally got all of my grades and am still doing really well! I was a little worried because I definitely felt like I wasn't being as pro-active and staying on top this semester, but this was actually one of my best semesters yet.
Bryant also got his first buck this year! For our wedding I gave him a Remington rifle and he was so excited to get our there and use it. Bryant & Verl went out early Saturday morning and he got it within just a few hours. Although, it sounds like it took many more hours to clean it...gross. It was an eight-pointer! We are so excited about the deer jerky in our near future - and someone is excited about putting the rack on our wall. I'll give you a hint - it's not me. :) Good thing we have a "man cave."
Several holidays have came and gone. We had a great Thanksgiving at home with both of our families. On Thanksgiving Day we spent time with the Muirs at Shirlee's house - lots of good food and card games! A few days later, we had Thanksgiving at my parent's house - which again was filled with food, food and more food!
We also spent our first Christmas as a married couple at home this year. We actually were able to stay for a little over a week! We spent Christmas Eve with my family and went to Midnight Mass (which was actually at 5:00pm) and opened presents. Then we headed off to Ruthie & Verl's so that we could wake up there on Christmas morning. We had an awesome breakfast, opened presents, and then headed to Grinnell to spend the day with the Ostmeyers. Being at home with both of our families and our friends was as great as always. Although, I think we both came back about 10 pounds heavier after spending so much time at our parents' houses.
We were also able to spend New Years Eve at Stockton. Nate & Julie invited us to their house to celebrate - which was so much fun! We have lots of resolutions and anticipate that 2011 will be a great year - although 2010 will be pretty hard to top! :) There are only a few things that could make 2011 better...
*Unfortunately, I took little to no pictures over the holidays, so I don't have any to post. :(
This past weekend we went to the Chiefs playoff game - which while disappointing, it was still alot of fun! :) Currently Bryant is back to the grind at work and I am sitting at home organizing for my LAST semester and waiting for classes to start up again. We have decided to get back on the diets again, as one of our resolutions is to be healthier. So far we have done awesome - although it's only been a little over a week...but we're optimistic! I have been spending alot of my time grocery shopping and learning how to cook healthy. I have already made quite a few meals at home and have planned out all of our meals for the next couple of weeks! Lets hope I can stick with this resolution. Quitting smoking is next on my list. I have already cut WAY back - but now need to figure out how to give it the final kick. Any suggestions? I have considered Chantix, but am worried about side-effects. (Sounds kind of stupid coming from a smoker, right?!)
Only one semester to go and then I prepare to take the BAR exam. This summer is going to be tough - but at least I won't be living alone in Wichita. I plan on doing BARBRI, the review course for the BAR exam - so that should help to keep me on schedule and motivated over the summer.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all! :) Cheers to 2011!
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
Bryant also got his first buck this year! For our wedding I gave him a Remington rifle and he was so excited to get our there and use it. Bryant & Verl went out early Saturday morning and he got it within just a few hours. Although, it sounds like it took many more hours to clean it...gross. It was an eight-pointer! We are so excited about the deer jerky in our near future - and someone is excited about putting the rack on our wall. I'll give you a hint - it's not me. :) Good thing we have a "man cave."
Several holidays have came and gone. We had a great Thanksgiving at home with both of our families. On Thanksgiving Day we spent time with the Muirs at Shirlee's house - lots of good food and card games! A few days later, we had Thanksgiving at my parent's house - which again was filled with food, food and more food!
We also spent our first Christmas as a married couple at home this year. We actually were able to stay for a little over a week! We spent Christmas Eve with my family and went to Midnight Mass (which was actually at 5:00pm) and opened presents. Then we headed off to Ruthie & Verl's so that we could wake up there on Christmas morning. We had an awesome breakfast, opened presents, and then headed to Grinnell to spend the day with the Ostmeyers. Being at home with both of our families and our friends was as great as always. Although, I think we both came back about 10 pounds heavier after spending so much time at our parents' houses.
We were also able to spend New Years Eve at Stockton. Nate & Julie invited us to their house to celebrate - which was so much fun! We have lots of resolutions and anticipate that 2011 will be a great year - although 2010 will be pretty hard to top! :) There are only a few things that could make 2011 better...
*Unfortunately, I took little to no pictures over the holidays, so I don't have any to post. :(
This past weekend we went to the Chiefs playoff game - which while disappointing, it was still alot of fun! :) Currently Bryant is back to the grind at work and I am sitting at home organizing for my LAST semester and waiting for classes to start up again. We have decided to get back on the diets again, as one of our resolutions is to be healthier. So far we have done awesome - although it's only been a little over a week...but we're optimistic! I have been spending alot of my time grocery shopping and learning how to cook healthy. I have already made quite a few meals at home and have planned out all of our meals for the next couple of weeks! Lets hope I can stick with this resolution. Quitting smoking is next on my list. I have already cut WAY back - but now need to figure out how to give it the final kick. Any suggestions? I have considered Chantix, but am worried about side-effects. (Sounds kind of stupid coming from a smoker, right?!)
Only one semester to go and then I prepare to take the BAR exam. This summer is going to be tough - but at least I won't be living alone in Wichita. I plan on doing BARBRI, the review course for the BAR exam - so that should help to keep me on schedule and motivated over the summer.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all! :) Cheers to 2011!
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
Monday, November 1, 2010
Hello November
Another holiday has came and gone. For Halloween this year we spent the evening at Shaun & Whitney's Halloween Party. We had such a great time and loved seeing all the cute little girls in their costumes. They are all so stinkin' cute! I feel sorry for the first little boy that comes along - he is going to be severely out-numbered! haha
Also, my mom and little sister came to KC for the weekend. We went to dinner with them Friday & Saturday night and also went to my nephew, Ethan's, football game on Sunday. It is hilarious watching 2nd graders playing football - so cute! Mom & Hannah spent the large majority of the weekend shopping - I'm sure they had a great time!
AND - my older sister, Mandy, announced to our family that she is EXPECTING!!!! She just had her first appointment and found out that she is due June 15 - which seems like forever from now. We are so excited and happy for their family. YAY for another addition! Currently we have 5 nieces and 1 nephew...so I'm hoping they have a little boy! :)
In less exciting news, we also tried our first Garage Sale this weekend. It was pretty much a bust - I don't think we did nearly enough advertising. The good thing is that now we have all the stuff we don't want sitting in the garage - so it'll be that much easier getting it together to take to Goodwill! The house seems pretty empty now that most of our decor is put in storage - but it actually feels great to be nearly clutter-free.
This upcoming weekend I am taking the MPRE (the ethics portion of the BAR exam) so wish me luck! Immediately after taking the test we are heading to the KU/CU football game...let's hope we show up this time!
Hope you all had a great and safe Halloween!
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
Also, my mom and little sister came to KC for the weekend. We went to dinner with them Friday & Saturday night and also went to my nephew, Ethan's, football game on Sunday. It is hilarious watching 2nd graders playing football - so cute! Mom & Hannah spent the large majority of the weekend shopping - I'm sure they had a great time!
AND - my older sister, Mandy, announced to our family that she is EXPECTING!!!! She just had her first appointment and found out that she is due June 15 - which seems like forever from now. We are so excited and happy for their family. YAY for another addition! Currently we have 5 nieces and 1 nephew...so I'm hoping they have a little boy! :)
In less exciting news, we also tried our first Garage Sale this weekend. It was pretty much a bust - I don't think we did nearly enough advertising. The good thing is that now we have all the stuff we don't want sitting in the garage - so it'll be that much easier getting it together to take to Goodwill! The house seems pretty empty now that most of our decor is put in storage - but it actually feels great to be nearly clutter-free.
This upcoming weekend I am taking the MPRE (the ethics portion of the BAR exam) so wish me luck! Immediately after taking the test we are heading to the KU/CU football game...let's hope we show up this time!
Hope you all had a great and safe Halloween!
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Looking Ahead
We have officially decided to put our house on the market! We don't actually have to move until August 2011 - but we figured with the current real estate market that we might as well get a head start and see if we can get rid of it before then. Since we are putting the house up so early, we run the risk of someone buying it right away and having to put everything in storage and rent an apartment until I finish up school and taking the BAR. But, after weighing all the options - we figured this risk is minor in comparison to being stuck with a mortgage payment after we have to move in August.
We still don't know where we will be living at this time next year - but are hoping to get everything settled sooner than later. Right now there are not any interviewing opportunities through the law school and nobody seems to be accepting applications. Hopefully in the Spring there will be more law firms interviewing on campus - but I'm not holding my breath... I am actually surprised at how I've handled the unknown so far. I am a CRAZY planner and normally not knowing if/where I will have a job upon graduation and where we will be living would put me over the edge. Now, I'm not saying that I'm not worried and stressed over it - but I am definitely not at the point I thought I would be. I think Bryant's "it'll all work out" attitude is starting to wear off on me finally! :) At least one can hope...
This past week we have been going through everything in the house to try to de-clutter and make it presentable to sell. It is amazing how much stuff we have accumulated over the past 2 years of living here! We are having a garage sale on Saturday to see if we can get some of the stuff off our hands. I'm a little worried that people will be disappointed when they find out we don't have any kids clothes or toys for sale... My nephew, Ethan (7 years old) called me the other day to ask, "What's Bryant giving up for the garage sale?" He has been eye-balling all of Bryant's "toys" for years! It was pretty hilarious - and I'm sure he'll be disappointed to know that stuff isn't for sale. He did however inform me that a garage sale isn't exactly a "garage sale" if toys aren't involved. Oh well - it's worth a try! :)
We plan on putting the house up within the next few weeks or so - after we do some minor fixes. We are planning on trying to do the For Sale By Owner thing at first to see if it'll work out. It will be more work but the money we will save by not using an agent will be totally worth it! If you know anybody who is looking for a place in Eudora - send them our way! :)
Hope everybody is doing well and has a GREAT Halloween! We are so excited to see pictures of everybody's costumes!
Bryant, Danielle & Belly
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