IT'S A BOY!!!

Last Wednesday we had the big ultrasound. Darren and I were pretty convinced we would have another girl. After all we figured we only make girls. Well to our surprise we were told without a doubt this baby is a BOY! I was so excited and shocked. Darren was all smiles for the rest of the day. He would never admit it, but he really wanted a boy. We really feel this is a great conclusion to our family. Madison and Marli are so excited. Madison has said from day one that this was a boy, and so when we were told (and shown) it is a boy all she had to say was "I know".
I am really excited for the fact I can go out and buy new baby clothes and not just recycle what we already have. I get to redecorate the nursery and do the boy thing. I do have to say I am a little nervous to raise a boy. I have only known girls my whole life, so this is new territory. Luckily I have two sisters who have boys (well if Amanda would ever have hers). So I will have a few months of practice with them.
Overall we are elated, and can't wait for this new adventure in our family.

Misc. Things

Here is a list of a few things going on in our lives.

• Madison has decided being 5 is not fun anymore and wants to be 20. The most recent thing she is doing to prove her maturity is stuffing her shirts with socks. I have finally convinced her that we cannot do that outside the house. She really wanted to go to preschool to show off her new chest. I kind of miss her just wanting to wear my lipgloss.
• Marli, on the opposite end, has decided she wants to be a baby again. I recently bought my sister some baby gifts and she thinks they are for her. I have been looking at a few things for our baby and she doesn't understand she won't be the youngest anymore. It's hard for me to see her grow up. I wish I could keep her a baby. I am trying to show her attention and reassure her that she will be just as important to me when the baby comes as she is now.
• Darren is on this weight loss kick. He does the wii fit every other day. Jump ropes, does chin lifts and push ups every day. He really is looking good. I just hate how he is losing weight as I am gaining it. He has been determined not to gain any "sympathy weight". He is also busy with work. Tax season always does this to us. This is the first year they haven't offered overtime, and we are seeing how much we have depended on it over the years. I guess it's just another life lesson on living within our means.
• As for me, I am doing well. I am enjoying the second trimester and feeling great. I am in the awful in-between stage with clothes so that is not fun. We do find out what we are having next Wed. so that is something to look forward to. I also had a little luck recently. I won an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to see the Academy of Country Music Awards. The ironic thing is I won this exact trip a year ago. It was seriously a trip of a lifetime and something I believed was "once in a lifetime trip". Well, luck had my side again this year. Darren and I are really excited to have a little vacation. We leave April 4th, so watch for a trip report shortly after that weekend. This year my camera will have new batteries so I can capture some shots of my favorite stars.

Bowling Fun

We recently went bowling with the kids. We figured it would be nice to mix things up and not do the same activities we always do. Madison was so excited to play real bowling. She has become an expert at home playing bowling on the wii. Well she liked the actual game for about 5 frames and then decided it was boring. Marli loved it, but that too didn't last. By the end of the game they were both hungry and tired. So as much fun as it was for us to all go, we decided we should wait until they get a little older. Darren and I realized how rusty we are and were a little embarassed when neither of us even scored 100. I think we will stick to the wii.

The Boring Airplane Museum

Well 2 weeks ago we were up in Layton with our friends and decided to take the kids to the Airplane Museum in Roy. We went there because it was free, a major deciding factor for Darren. Well the girls liked it for about 5 minutes (which was 5 minutes longer than I liked it). We did find a fun little kids area that kept us entertained for about 45 minutes. Marli just wanted to run through the place hiding behind airplanes and Madison kept wondering if the planes were rides, and when she could get into one. The whole place smelled old and I felt claustrophobic in there. I guess what I have come to find out about myself is that I am not one for museums or places that don't hold interest for me. Drop me off at the mall, movies or home for a nap and I will be a happy camper.