Hey Y'all,
So we are still here in the Great White North known as Minot! Boy does it get cold up here! We are not too frost bitten just a bit chilled at times since we mainly stay inside. These past several months have seemed to disappear but the snow has remained. That is right, it is almost April and we have yet to see the grass! We are staying warm and busy though getting ready for our little girl to arrive in July! That is right, I said GIRL!!!! The Pope family curse has finally been broken and our precious Evolet will be here in no time!
I have to say we were both surprised when the ultrasound technician told us it was a girl but we were just as excited! It was truly amazing to see her moving around on the screen but it is still surreal. Now we are just getting used to saying "daughter," "girl," and "she" as well as stocking up the nursery with diapers, wipes and all the other things we can fit in there. We also enjoy feeling and watching her move around. 24 weeks and counting! July cannot seem to get here soon enough!
Needless to say our family is so super excited to welcome her into the world. Ricky's mom came up for a week to visit us for Ricky's ha-birt and our baby shower. It was a very welcome visit! We had so much fun sewing and chatting about everything we could think of! I am certainly a blessed woman to have such an amazing mother-in-law, who loves me like her own. Anyway, so Robin and I had been sneakily planning her visit, but Ricky found out! So we greeted her at the airport with lots of hugs and a nice warm truck to get away in. Unfortunately she did not bring any warm weather with her from Texas. Instead it decided to snow, and snow, and snow some more. We didn't let that get us down though. We just opened the blinds, turned on some music and sewed away! Sam loves his Abi, especially after she shoveled the back porch! Did I mention how blessed we are to have her in our lives? So Friday we went to Sakura, which is a fun fry-in-your-face place here in town, for Ricky's ha-birt. For everyone who doesn't know, we celebrate half birthdays and call them ha-birts. The special person gets half a cake, half a present, and the supposedly half of a celebration but usually its just half a cake and card with a fully celebration. Anyway, we certainly did not do anything half for this ha-birt! We went home stuffed to the brim and with tons of leftovers! Saturday we went to our favorite little bakery, Sweet and Flour then showed Mom around town. We finished Ricky's ha-birt celebration by going to see the new Oz movie. We all enjoyed it, especially the popcorn! Then we went to Joanns for fabric and crafting supplies and patterns. Sunday was my baby shower so we went to church on base so we could be close by and yes, it was still snowing! That afternoon Mom and I got ready to go celebrate our Evolet with some of my wonderful friends up here. My girls Katie, Erin, and Melissa pulled out all the stops to give me a beautiful shower! All my girls absolutely showered me with love and gifts. I certainly oohhed and ahed over all the adorable little things we received. It truly was memorable! So Monday, I knit while Mom worked a bit then we showed her where we go swimming! Don't worry, we are in an indoor swimming pool that is nice and warm year round. Tuesday we hit the ground running on our sewing again. Mom taught me how to read a pattern and sparked my craftiness up again hehe. She also made an adorable dress for Evolet which I know will just be too cute on her. Wednesday came way to soon and we had to say farewell for now. We will definitely be seeing her again very soon! So after all of fun from that weekend we both crashed! Having fun is exhausting haha.
We are now getting ready to celebrate Easter with our friends! This is such a blessed time for us knowing that our Lord and Savior Jesus died for us. What a reason to celebrate! Ever lasting life just with one choice! Jesus is good! We hope you have someone to celebrate this wonderful time with as well.
It has certainly been an eventful few months and the next few are not getting any less eventful. We look forward to continuing to settle in here and to seeing the beautiful summers that we have heard so much about! So for now stay warm and God bless!
Love,
Ricky and Lauren
"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay." Matthew 28:6
