Traveling on Two

Over the last two weeks Jentry has been diligently working on riding her bike without the extra wheels.  She has been talking about it all summer and finally decided she was ready to gave it her all.  It didn't take her long to master the sport.

First she practiced with her dad last a couple of weeks ago.  My aunt and uncle have a cabin next to Joey's house and Uncle Craig said he had a great time watching her learn.  He laughed that Joey was completely out of breath from running beside her by the time she got it.

Then she gave it another go this week with me.  I was totally surprised at how little help she actually needed.  She was truly doing it all on her own!  What a proud parent moment.  I couldn't help but be slightly emotional.  The past few months have involved some major milestone moments and I'm not sure I can handle much more.

That night we celebrated and sent a video of her riding to everyone we know (almost).  The very next day she came home from school, dropped her book bag and asked, "Can I ride my bike over to the neighbor's house to play?"  Ugh...and it begins.  Bye bye baby girl.  Sniff sniff.  Please be careful.  Thank goodness I am going to have a new baby to cuddle soon!

What a Zoo!

Saturday we all managed an entire day at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.  Looking back, I'm not sure if we went to the zoo or the zoo came to it...either way it was a fun filled day!

Friday evening I drove my mom, niece Anna and Jentry to Granny Mary's new house in Tekamah.  The girls were quite excited about a girls only slumber party.  After a night of countless sleep interruptions, I felt as if we had accomplished a true sleepover as I was exhausted by 8:00 am.  After breakfast, we loaded up and headed to the zoo.

We arrived there bright and early!

We started in the Wild Kingdom Pavilion were the girls got to ride in the old Jeep.

Next we headed through the Lied Jungle and the girls had a blast checking out the monkeys but Granny thought she could do without the humidity.

We stopped for a quick lunch at the TreeTops Restaurant and then headed to see the big kitties at the Cat Complex.  Then it was time to meet up with Kelly and Isaac.  Finally, all three kiddos were together again and we could continue on our journey.

Jentry's favorite thing in the entire zoo?  The water globe of course!

We toured the Desert Dome, and Aquarium before boarding the train.  

After the train ride around the entire park, we checked out Anna's favorite animal, the Zebra, before heading to the IMAX Theater for a showing of Penguins in 3D.  The kids always have fun with the cool glasses and by the time the credits were rolling two adults and one child were sound asleep.  I will be kind enough not to name any of the snoozers by name. 

We ended the day with a picnic snack while Isaac and Kelly went to check out the Jungle.  Jentry decided she wanted to go again and tagged along for a second time.

By the time we got to the cars and got everything and everybody in the right place, I was completely zoo zonked.   The kids actually did very well and only had a few moments of ugly.  The weather was beautiful and many memories were made by all.

Monkey 1 and Monkey 2

Day 1,691

Day 1: May 9, 2009 - I met my Nathan for the very first time at Cappy's Bar & Grill in Lincoln, Nebraska. For a blind date,  it was actually very relaxed as we were with a group of friends listening to an 80's hair band.  We talked, asked questions, shared stories and laughed the evening away.  At the end of the night, we exchanged phone numbers, however neither of us called each other until...

Day 243: April 17, 2010 - We ran into each other at Buffalo Wild Wings after the Nebraska Football Spring Game.  My friend, Lilian, noticed Nathan first and pointed him out to me. I said hello on our way out of the restaurant and told him that we were going to Knickerbockers to watch a friend's band that night.  He later admitted that he noticed me first but was to shy to initiate a conversation.  Thank goodness he wasn't too shy to come find me later that night or we never would have had...

Day 256: April 30, 2010 - Our first official date at The Grapevine.  I was so excited to see him again and get to know him better.  I am sure I asked way too many questions, however he seemed to enjoy my company.  We continued our conversation on his tailgate after the bar had closed.  I remember wishing the night would never end so I could tell him...

Day 501: December 31, 2010 - I LOVE YOU!  I could not believe how far I had fallen for this man and wasn't even upset that he did not reciprocate the words until...

Day 621: April 30, 2011 - We celebrated our one year anniversary with an amazing dinner at Dish followed by a beautiful gift.  Nathan gave me an amethyst ring and said the ring was a promise that he would one day ask Jentry and me to...

Day 970: April 13, 2012 - Move to Sutton so that he could...

Day 1,052: July 4, 2012 - Ask me to be his wife.  Little did he know that in just five short months we would be saying...

Day 1,209: December 8, 2012 - I do!  It was a beautiful day full of memories that will forever be in our hearts.  This day marked the beginning of a very special family of three that would only be for a short time because...

Day 1,442: July 29, 2013 - We're pregnant!  It was still quite early so you can imagine my surprise as I stared at those TWO pink lines.  Could it be true?  Really? My heart immediately opened and made a perfect space for this precious little baby. The next few weeks were filled with joy as my mind wrapped around the idea of being blessed as a mother not once but twice! Oh how we already love you little Baby Mack and how difficult it was to keep you a secret.  So...

Day 1,483: September 8, 2013 - With great joy we announced it to the world.  Well, first we started with the grandparents. Together Nathan and I transformed a Pioneer seed sign into our own baby advertisement and hid it alongside a row of other seed signs in the test plot just west of his parent's house. When my parents arrived, it was up to Nathan to somehow convince them all to walk out to the test plot. This was no simple task as it was nearly 100 degrees outside and no one in their right mind would want to take a walk along the cornfield for no apparent reason. After taking a quick tour of the new bulk bins and Jan's garden, Nathan finally made a move and told them to go check out the "vandalized" sign in the test plot. The grandparents were actually quite gullible and no one questioned the walk in the heat except for Jentry. She thought we were crazy and whined the entire way. Finally, we reached the sign that looked different from the rest.  It didn't take them long to figure out our secret. I was so relieved to finally be able to share the good news but now the real wait begins...

Day 1,691: April 4, 2014 - Our Due Date!  Now having already had a baby five weeks early, I realize that day 1,691 will most likely not be the day we get to meet our precious baby, however that day, whatever the number, will be one of the most important, memorable, life changing days of our entire existence and we could not be more blessed.

Thanks be to God for this precious gift of life!

Baby Mack just hanging out upside down and waving to the camera!