I'm sad...

No, not because I thought he was some incredible person or anything. But this one major piece of my childhood is gone. This was the first "tape" I ever owned. I loved it. I loved Michael Jackson. I still love his music. (really I like the stuff that's older than this tape the best) I can't believe he died. And say what you want about his life (well, how he lived it), and it's probably all true, but he was such an icon for what he did. I think what I'm the saddest about is that he never seemed to get his life straightened/figured out. All that fame, yet all that oddness.

Well, here's to a music legend, our 80's music prince of pop, and a man who's music will stand the test of time.

Thanks for giving me so many good music memories, Michael!

Life at 36 weeks...

Ok I'm only doing this because I have friends asking to see!!! :)

I had a red letter day at my OB check yesterday. I don't have group B strep! yay! It's not that big of a deal, but I had it with AnnMarie, and it's just one more thing, IV, etc. You know.

Also, I'm dilated to a 1 and 50% effaced! woohoo! I know---some of you are like, what's the big deal? Well, I never progressed that far with AnnMarie before her due date, so it's exciting for me this time. And---I am very aware that I could just sit at a 1 for the next weeks, but still, it's good to know that my body is doing things a little faster this time!
I am busily checking things off my list preparing for our trip to the hospital and life at home with baby Clark.

Here's to a fabulous next 25 days!

Father's Day and Lake LBJ

This weekend we were treated to a relaxing getaway trip to Lake LBJ. (Thank you, Purdys!!!!!!!!!!!) (aka Angie, Caryn, and Kacey's parents) It was wonderful to have a last little time away from home before baby arrives, and I realized it had been forever since I had been on a lake/boat. This lake house is special though because I spent many a weekend here as a teen and have many fond memories. It was so neat to bring my husband and daughter here to experience it too. Kind of surreal!

It was great! Now, we won't go into how hard it was for me to pull myself out of the water much less tread water at 9 months pregnant! Forgot about all my added weight! :) I'm sure it was quite the sight to see for everyone else...

Here are the three munchkins of the lake...Stacey, Wyatt, AnnMarie

btw---I am realizing that I have now posted two pictures in the last couple weeks of my daughter in either A)Disney wear or B)Dora wear

Please know that we save these strictly for pajamas, sheets, or the occasional bathing suit (...thank you, Gigi :) :)

Hello Dahhhhhhhhling....

The munchkins on the boat! (Wyatt was not too keen on the picture idea, but he did like the boat ride!) :)
Aw...This little one LOVES her daddy. We are very thankful around our house for a daddy who works hard, loves us more than anything, and takes such good care of us.

On our way home from the lake we stopped by my parents' house to celebrate Father's Day. Here are all of the fathers in attendance (plus Lukey). Yes, that is a lot of testosterone in one family. All of my friends who have sisters---just so you know---the TV remained on NASCAR all day. It was their day I guess...

Four generations of Jurgensen men! Josh on his FIRST Father's day! Congratulations!

What's up, CUZ?

I know you want to see some more pics of little Brooks!!!! Here ya go!

In his cradle at Gigi's---she made him this quilt!

I just want to squeeze him!

A happy weekend, a happy family, and lots of happy fathers.

VBS week

Last week our church had VBS. It was great for AnnMarie and I to get out of the house each morning and since I was a volunteer, she got to come. We're doing whatever we can to help us count down the days until Clark arrives! :)

Here are a couple samples of her artwork...

Doesn't she look just MORE than excited to be there??????? :) I promise, she did have a good time. I think she just didn't like to have to pose with these "rockstar!" props.

Supper Club

I guess the food on the face could have given away that this picture was taken at supper club... :)

My friend, Kimberly, is a fabulous photographer (she also took our Christmas card pic), and I just had to post this shot she caught of AnnMarie.

We have such a good time getting together once a month with our families (kiddos and all), and I'm so thankful for our newfound Waco friends!

Super Swimmer!

Last week AnnMarie had her first set of swimming lessons. She did great! She has always loved the water and can swim around independently with floaties on, but this was her first chance to be brave and learn to do it with no floats! I was so proud of how she kept trying even on day 2 which was a little rough, but by the end of the week she was so proud to show off her new skills! Here is her official certificate from Mrs. Sandy:

Maybe we should have worn our sunglasses...

Doing the "monkey crawl" around the side...

"Swimming through hoops"

She went under for the first time! yay!

Her little swimming group: (Jake, Aiden, Brinley, and AM)

We have found a new sweet friend in little Miss Brinley. She is a fish! Aren't these two cute?

Aw. We looooooooooved Mrs. Sandy. She is a GREAT teacher! We'll see ya next summer!

Now let's hope our new skills will continue...

One last Texas visit...

...with our Rackers besties. :(

Ok, really and truly I am happy for Holly because she is moving back to her hometown where I know she wants to be! But---it is farther away from us! :) And, I know, I know, I did it first, I moved away from McKinney so I really can't say anything. hehe

AnnMarie and I headed up to McKinney to get one last bit of quality time in with our friends before they officially became Oklahomans (again, sort of).

We started our visit with lunch at Peter Piper Pizza. McKinney has a brand new one so it was actually nice and not crowded at all!

The girls on the "ice cream ride":

The next day we went to the Allen spray park (which was so nice!), but everybody else in town had the same idea I think. :) We had fun and got to see our old playgroup, but as soon as the school buses arrived and elementary kids filed out, that place cleared out! It was kind of nice to be on the other side of that coin, and not be the "teacher chaperone" for once!

Here is most of the crew enjoying some good ol' watermelon...(Riley, AnnMarie, Emmy, Carson, and Jack)

Now, even though Riley looks pretty as a picture here, she took a turn for the worst as we were heading to our cars. Let's just say she "got sick". Poor thing!

So, since we didn't know how strong this stomach bug was, we decided to head out and stay with our friends, Emily and Jack, for the rest of our time up there.

Giving my precious peanut, Carson, a farewell hug...

These two just belong together. AnnMarie still calls her her "best friend" and talks about her every day. It breaks my heart that she can't see her all the time anymore! We'll be penpals, Riley! :)

We had a couple relaxing days with Emily and Jack. (Well, for the most part===these two superheros did get a little "siblingish" some of the time.) :)

Batgirl and Buzz...

Having a picnic in the living room. AnnMarie thought this was really cool.
Thanks, Emily, for being a perfect "spur of the moment" hostess as always! We were so glad to get to enjoy an unexpected visit with y'all as well.

Holly, you know I can't say much because the tears will start flowing, but we remember all of our times SO fondly with the Rackers in McKinney (from being single Dallas teachers all the way to being married pregnant mommies) and cherish all of these times in our hearts. We'll be lifelong friends! :)

May Happenings

The end of May just flew by for us, and I wanted to document some pictures to remember why it did!

AM's friend, Cody, invited us to "Practically Picasso" to paint with our other playgroup friends. We were excited because we were first timers. The kids painted the cutest little plates, and of course AnnMarie loved it!
Our buddy, Watson, (who Mommy has a crush on) had a firetruck birthday party, and the real fireman was a BIG hit with the little boys---not so much with the little girls. :) Here is the bday man soooo proud!

Making a craft at the party

We spent Memorial Day relaxing and grilling in the backyard with Mom, Mimi, and Gramps. Dad and Luke were hiking in Gatlinburg. Here is AM relaxing on my "layout chair", as she calls it. Mommy was barefoot and pregnant in the little blow up redneck pool! :)Aaaaaaahhhhh....

Memorial Day was a little different for me this year. I always knew why we had the holiday, but now, after knowing my friend, Stephanie, and reading her blog I have a new perspective and it won't ever be the same for me. Her husband, Jimmy, is in Afghanistan, and remembering our fallen soldiers and why we have our freedom hits VERY close to home. Thank you, friend, for changing my focus! :)

They're contagious...

...Pregnancy symptoms I mean.

At 5:00 this morning AnnMarie wakes up, and she's got two problems:
1)"baby" fell off the bed (don't ask me why she can't just climb down and get her when it's no problem for her to hop out of bed and come see us after we tuck her in at night...)
2) she needed to go potty

So as I stumble into the bathroom to help her "tee tee", she looks up at me with a sigh and says, "Mommy, my feet are swollen".

I'm telling you I almost "tee teed" myself. :) Didn't know these symptoms of mine were becoming an epidemic!

A Pregnancy Update

So this is the best I can muster up in the blogging world right now.
I have this long list of blogs that my Type A personality is bugging me about for not being done. And then I go more and more crazy because the list keeps getting longer with every event we go to, etc.
I have so much to do (or that I want to get done) before Baby Clark gets here. But I am having ALOT of trouble getting motivated to do anything. Maybe because my belly is HUGE and getting heavier by the minute. If I had a nickel for every person that said "there was no way I was going to make it 6 more weeks" or "you were not that big with AnnMarie" or "whoa, you're going to pop any day now, right?" or "gosh, that's a big boy in there"...I'd be a rich girl. :) Those comments don't bother me, I just think it's funny. But--my feet are swelling on a daily basis now and the babe is getting really heavy.

All this could sound like I'm complaining, but I'm really not. I'm even one of those people who is borderline annoying about how I really do like being pregnant. (or maybe I should say I don't mind it)

Soooooo, I am wondering now if I'll go all the way or if I'll have him early. hmmmmm....
I saw a friend today who had her baby at 35 weeks which is what I'll be on Sunday. Ah! Reality! Maybe I should start getting things done like finishing the details on his nursery or finding a "going home" outfit or getting a cute pair of PJs for the hospital....the list goes on. Nah, I think I'll just fix another full glass of crushed ice and chomp down happily. (It's ALL I want these days!) weird because I'm not anemic

Well, this was really random and "journalish/diaryish" of me, but I just wanted to post something to 1) make myself feel better about not being in the blogging mood; and 2) document a little of what's going on at 34 weeks along with baby brother.
Let's hope I can muster some serious motivation soon! :)