What We've Been Up To...

These are just a few of the latest happenings in the world of Kramer. Enjoy and as always the photo gallery to the left will have bunches more.
Disciple Now Weekend was awesome...we had a great time with our youth group. This is Derek with his Freshmen guys...they are a crazy group!
Chad will be blackmailed for years to come with the photos we got of him! He was hilarious in a skit that they did.
The group having a blast while praising God and listening to Manic Bloom with our very own David Stevenson...so talented!
Sweet Kolbster and Mia...they have very similar knee injuries on opposite knees...Kolby just had surgery and Maria is probably headed that direction (stubborn girl:):)!! They had to take a break! No mosh pit for these girls...haha!
NICE booty shot Ems! Emily got some new low rise cargo pants and we were laughing hysterically at this sight of her booty...again I have no clue why it is turned sideways.

I have no idea why this picture turned this way, but Em was playing Peek-a-boo when we dropped my mom back off at her office. I thought her face was funny!

Look at the guns on my hubby...seriously though, I love this pic!
Emily and I went to lunch with my mom for her birthday and my sweet great aunts. They are Emily's great-great aunts. They were my grandma's sisters (she passed away before she got to meet Em as did my precious great-grandma). They would have loved Emily and I think it is such a blessing that Emily can at least have this connection to them. Thanks Aunt Mamie and Aunt Dodie for a fun and yummy lunch!
Mischevious little thing!

Emily's first carwash...the face cracks me up! Playing at the park

Although it looks like I'm about to rip her arms off, I promise I wasn't...she really was laughing!
Big helper...hope that lasts through the teen years!

Happy Birthday to My Mimi!

I'm jumping for joy that my Mimi was born!

Happy Birthday to my mom today! You are a wonderful mom and an amazing Mimi. We all love you so very much! I don't know what we'd do without you! Happy Happy Birthday! (Hopefully you'll get the full rendition of "Happy Birthday" this weekend from Ems.)

Random Shots

Emily and Caleb hanging out on her big girl bed. She has been in it for a couple of months and is loving the extra space for herself and her furry, cuddly friends.

How crazy is this? Her hair is above her shoulders when dry...when wet, we have a full-blown mullett...nice!!

I'm glad Emily has a cute suit that fits her (more on that below:). She loved finally getting to put on her bathing suit this morning! AND...yeah!...no swim diapers to soak up 100 lbs. of water or $100 of the monthly budget during summer months:)

What to do on a Rainy Day...

...well, you go get in the water of course! We had such a fun morning at the indoor pool with Em's friend Hannah and my sweet friend Heather. I have yet to purchase a maternity suit due to the fact that I refuse to spend $80 on a bathing suit...way too much for 1 yard of nylon and spandex! Not to mention the fact that I have only been able to find them online and why would I do that? I wouldn't be able to try it on and have the oh so glorious experience of seeing how huge my butt looks under flourescent lighting in front of a way too honest 4 way mirror! Can anyone feel my frustration? Anyone that has been preggers in the dead of summer that feels like sharing advice, I surely do welcome it. I told Heather that I may resort to wearing my 2 piece (non-maternity) and letting my belly be totally exposed. Hah!!!!

So because I had nothing to wear in the water, I watched from the sidelines. Heather was amazing as she played with the little ones, went down the slide with them, pushed them in the tire swing and on and on. I was really bummed that I couldn't get in. Hopefully I will remedy that soon. The girls had such a great time and I can't wait to go back. I really look forward to taking Emily to the pool this summer. I think she will love it. My child has absolutley no fear...which of course puts my in hyper-alert mode the whole time! I am looking forward to warmer weather, big belly and all!


Like I said, "No Fear!"

Ems and Heather

Ems and Hannah

Happy Easter...and Anniversary!

The last Easter with just the 3 of us!

Lots of "surprises" at Mimi's house.

The "spread" at Mimi's house. I had been craving fried chicken and my sweet mom made it and much more (as you can see). It was soooo good! We all thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of my mom's labor...thanks Mom!

Ems started to really get pooped and I caught this sweet picture of her with her Mimi.

I hope everyone had a truly blessed day celebrating the Resurrection! We had a wonderful day that began with an absolutely awesome service at church, followed by sweet time with family.

Emily had a big weekend with 2 egg hunts in 2 days. Some of our friends, Tanya (Tia) and Jake, invited us to their family's farm for a big Easter dinner and egg hunt on Sat. We had a great time. I wasn't sure if Emily would actually like looking for the eggs or that she would even care, but boy was I wrong...she LOVED looking for the eggs. Most every time she saw one, she opened her mouth wide and said "ahhhhhh!" Derek snapped some really cute pics of her being surprised. She did the same thing at my mom's house on Sunday. We had to have the egg hunt inside because it was so cold. That was a let-down for us, but Ems could have cared less. Needless to say, we currently have way too much candy in our house. It was a great weekend filled with lots of memories and realizations that this was our last Easter with just Emily. We enjoyed every second of it and look so forward to seeing our family grow. This time next year, we will have 2 sweet little ones...a 3 year old and a 7 month old...hard to fathom. God has been so good to us!

Onto some other very "miraculous" and fun news...I can now give a huge shout out to the Lord and tell everyone that reads this blog that if you don't believe in God's perfect provision and goodness...here is just one example! Our friends Jake and Tanya Gilmore are having a baby...I can't stand it! I am so excited!! Their due date is just about 3 weeks behind ours. Tanya and I have had so much fun talking over the last few weeks and I can't wait to walk this experience out with them. I feel like it is a gift from God for me too! Emily loves her Tia and Uncle Jake and I can't wait to see them hold their sweet baby in September! They are going to be (already are) amazing parents! Congratulations guys...we love you tons!

I have updated tons of pictures in our photo album (linked to the left). There are great pics of Easter, our Anniversary weekend, playdates with friends, Em's best bud Caleb's 2nd birthday, and some general cute pics of the last month's activites.

Tanya sent this scripture out with her email today letting everyone know their news and I have been dwelling upon it today, so I thought I would share:

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

Emily with her Tia and Uncle Jake last week. As you can tell, she loves them very much. Thanks for dinner guys...and Congratulations to an awesome couple and dear, dear friends!

The Best Husband In The World!

The front porch of the Byrn-Roberts Inn.

In front of one of the (I think) 11 fireplaces, all with original early 1900 wood and tiles...Amazing!

In our room just hanging out!

On March 15, Derek and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary! It was a wonderful weekend. When I was gone to Virginia with Emily, Derek finalized our plans to stay at the Byrn-Roberts Inn here in Murfreesboro. When I came back home, Derek surprised me with the news. I was so excited! Of course, I looked forward to it all week and it was as wonderful as I could have imagined. When Derek was making the plans, he found out that our anniversary weekend was the last night that the owners were going to operate the Bed & Breakfast. We ended up being the last paying guests to ever stay in our room! We thought that was a pretty memorable occassion. We were also the last guests to ever get the tour of the house...it has a lot of history. It was a beautiful place with so many luxuries. I'm sorry that we won't be able to go again and that I can't recommend it to friends.

We had an incredible time away together and I am so thankful that we did it! It was so fun and romantic! Thank you Derek for a wonderful weekend that I will always cherish and remember!!! I love you and look forward to as many decades together as the Lord blesses us with. You are an AMAZING husband and father! As Emily would say "Thanks Babe!":)

Emily's Antics Caught on Video!

I caught Emily, finally, singing on video. Derek has been encouraging me to try and capture her being silly and singing. I finally just got out the camera this morning and asked her to sing and she honored my request. She actually sings it a little more accurately most of the time, but I thought this was so much cuter. She LOVES to watch videos of herself right now and so it was hard to get her to stay in front of the camera! Oh and to explain the Thanksgiving bib...Emily informed me that she needed to wear it so she wouldn't get dirty. I then asked her if she would share her bibs with the new baby and she abruptly told me no and that the baby could just wear a shirt! Hope that changes before August.:) Anyway hope you enjoy...

Trip to Virginia!

We had a great trip to Virginia! Emily did really well on the flight and traveling in general. She slept great in a different bed and with fewer naps than usual...I was really proud of well she adjusted to new surroundings. One thing is for certain and that is that we have definitely entered the age of 2 and all of the independence that comes with it!
Emily and I got to spend time with family and were able to spend a lot of time with her great-grandmother (Derek's g-ma) that just had surgery and is just not able to travel anymore. She was loving every minute that she was able to spend with Emily. It was so sweet seeing them together! Unfortunately we didn't have the camera yet and I didn't get any pics of them on the digital. Emily also loved seeing her cousins and of course the bittersweet story there is that we just don't get to see them much.
We had such a wonderful time and am thankful that we had the time to spend with everyone. I can't wait until we can travel again, hopefully with Derek the next time.

Kissing Halmi goodbye!

Explaining Elmo to Grandpa

Fun times with Aunt Rachel and cousins.

Loving on Elmo in the bathtub!

Tagged...Again!

Well, I have been tagged twice now and have yet to respond to either of them, so I am going to attempt both. Bear with me! Rebekah, I'm with you...this telling of my soul might make a few people never contact me again...hehe!

10 Random Things About Me:

1. There is a word in the English Language that literally makes me shudder, cringe, want to vomit, etc... I will go to any and every length possible to avoid this word. For obvious reasons, this word will remain a mystery to many of you and to those of you who already know it, if you let the cat out of the bag, just remember I am really okay with revenge and it will be oh so sweet!:)

2. Gross but true...you know the smell of fresh rain on warm cement or the smell of fresh soil? I LOVE that smell and actually crave eating dirt when I smell it. SO weird I know. I ate dirt when I was younger and the doctor said my body must need some mineral that it isn't getting otherwise. There was actually a group of Native Americans that used to eat clay for the same reason...that provides me comfort when I think I am a complete weirdo!

3. Seems strange after my admission in #2, but most everyone knows that I am a germ freak. Rebekah and I can really understand each other! Lots of people kept telling me that it would fade after our first child....ummmm....no, it didn't. If anything, now I have a whole other person to try to keep free from the cruel germs waiting to permeate her little body! Oh and Rebekah...the airport bathroom thing...just wait until Caroline is potty-trained and has to use the public restroom...gag!!!

4. I absolutely love to cook and try new things. I frequently will look in our cabinet and just make something up. I think that is the most fun, figuring out what flavors and textures go well together. I have trouble following recipes b/c I always want to do something to them, although I do still use many recipes. My love for cooking definitely has been handed down from g-grandma, to grandma, to my mom...we all love to cook and I never see them measure anything or rarely follow a recipe. I have to say it makes it a bit hard to make the favorites my grandma made...no recipes..uggghhh!

5. I clean when I get stressed out. I find that when I clean, I don't have to think about the thing that is on my mind. I also clean when I want to relax. I have trouble relaxing knowing that I have things to clean...the problem with this...there is ALWAYS something to clean. I have gotten better about letting things go.

6. My husband, the king of hypotheticals, will appreciate this one. If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only have one food for the rest of my life, I would choose sushi. One of my first meals after Ems was born was sushi. After this baby is born, I'm going to eat sushi until I go crazy...for now I'll be sticking with different types of non-fish rolls...bummer!

7. There are two children that I met in Honduras almost 8 years ago (and have not seen since) that I pray for all of the time. Whenever I am not feeling thankful, I think about when I met them. I think about what they might look like now and what they are doing. I still have a ring that the little boy gave me and a sticker that the little girl put on Derek's nose. I hope to see them in Heaven someday!

8. I love to do creative things! I love to paint and do things that I can look at later knowing my hands did that. Someday I would love to have a room just for my crafts and sewing. I would also love to take classes for painting and sewing. I also have a secret dream of writing and illustrating a children's book someday.

9. My original desire went I went to college was to become a pediatric surgeon. After weighing the pros and cons of time in college, money spent on college, the demand on my future family etc...I changed my mind. I had to do some major soul searching, but eventually decided that I still wanted to work with children and decided to teach. Truth be told, I enjoyed the actual teaching, but most of all, I just LOVED being with the kids I taught and building relationships with them.

10. I have a weird and very real fear of falling and knocking my teeth out! Whenever I trip, which is quite often, I immediately get scared and think I am going to knock out a tooth! I hated the idea of playing softball b/c of this. I got braces in college and had to have 1 tooth pulled. I was totally fine and then Derek and I got in the car and I looked at the hole in my mouth and just cried and cried...it was so awful seeing that hole between my teeth. I am in for a nightmare if I have to ever get dentures!

I'm sure that I'll think of a bajillion things later that I could have said or not said, but for now, I'll leave it at this! Now onto Tag #2 (sheesh)

I was tagged by Laurie Vinson, so here goes! Here are the rules:

1. you have to post the rules before you give your answers.

2. you must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name).

3. after you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and your answers.

4. at the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details).

PAIGE:

P--perfectionist...unfortunately! But wow the Lord is REALLY showing me the weaknesses in this area of my life.

A--a lover of life and people! I get my energy from being around others. I love to spend time with people and find out who they are and what their stories are. It is awesome to see the hand of God in other's lives! And, in general, I just love life. Who doesn't have yucky days? I sure do and I struggle with lots of things, but I feel so blessed when I think of the life that God chose to give me!

I--independent...and here again, I am constantly learning from the Lord that I cannot do things apart from Him. (And I wonder where Emily gets this from...hehe!)

G--go-getter! I love to try new things and tackle new obstacles!

E--energetic! Well, no shocker there...if you have known me for at least 30 seconds!

There you have it! Now, if you are up for it, I tag the following people to do one of the tags(or both:):

Judy, Laura Watson, Nicole (if you ever read this), and Laurie...a tag back at you for the 10 Random things about yourself! I can't wait to see what you guys write!

Update!

Just a little news to share. Emily and I just returned from a trip to VA to visit family. We had a great time and we sure missed Derek. I wish that I had pictures of Emily seeing Derek at the airport last night for the first time in 10 days! She began running and (very loudly) yelling Daddy as everyone around us laughed in amusement. It was too sweet and funny!

I came home to an immaculately spotless house (thanks to my sweet husband) and we ate pizza and spent some fun time together before putting the stinker to bed.

So more on our trip later...I just wanted to let everyone know that we got to hear the baby's heartbeat this morning and it was amazing. Our doctor told us that the baby is VERY active...not sure how that makes me feel right now...thankful obviously and a little nervous:) Next month we will find out whether to begin thinking about boy or girl names. We can't wait!

A quick shout out to sweet Judy for posting some pics for me on her blog...but good news, the camera situation has been resolved and as soon as I get settled, I will post some VA pics. That is all for now...we'll be back in a few days!

Growing Up!

Big news here! Emily is in a real big girl bed now. We (ahem...Derek) moved the bed into her room a few nights ago. It is so cute seeing her climb into it, and frustrating at times, seeing as how little Miss Independance MUST do it on her own! We can read books with her on the bed now without the fear of collapsing her poor little toddler bed.

The bad news is the mess that is now in the baby's soon-to-be-room. It is a bit scary so the door is staying shut until I muster the stamina to tackle that organizational nightmare. I figure after we find out the gender, I'll feel a bit more motivated, although I'm sure I'll get in there and begin organizing before April.

So, just thought I would share about Em and her new big changes that she always seems to embrace like a champ. Sorry no pics again...hope to remedy that soon.

Sweet Boy!

Okay so with the exception of Emily, I am pretty sure this is the most beautiful baby ever! I know I'm a bit biased, but oh my goodness, Noah Christopher is so pretty...ummm, I mean handsome! My sister-in-law just sent me these pics and I had to share them. I didn't even ask first!:) I am so proud! I will get to hold this sweet little toot in about a week and I can't stand it. This is what makes being away from family such a major bummer! I am an aunt again...now I just need my oldest brother to get on the ball...hint hint!!!

Quick Baby Update!

We had an appointment for Baby#2 this morning and wanted to let you all know that I think we have a dancer on our hands!

Our doctor had scheduled us for another ultrasound to double check some things and we had no idea that it would be as in-depth as it was, but what an absolute and unbelievable blessing it was to see that little miracle move. I am not kidding when I tell you that the baby was bouncing up and down. Derek asked me if I had caffeine that morning. I hadn't even had much sugar, much less caffeine. So we don't know what was going on, but I really think that it was just a sweet little unexpected suprise and gift from the Lord. I just can't describe this little one's movement...it was amazing!

Everything checked out great. The baby seems to be healthy and thriving. I feel pretty good and can't complain at all. I just wish that I had a way of posting the little munchkin's pictures.

On a side note...some people have asked if I have an idea of the baby's gender. Everytime, I would think that's crazy...how would I have any idea. I had no clue with Emily until they told us. Thus far, I have been referring to the baby as "Baby." Occassionally I would say "she" but I think that is b/c of Em being a girl. Today, as soon as I saw the baby on the screen bouncing around, I thought, "wow look at HIM move!" Now this could mean absolutely nothing and probably does, but it was weird that Derek had the same thought. I'm sure this means it is a girl! HAHAHA!!!! We'll find out in April...or maybe not:):)

That's it for now. Looking forward to hopefully finding a way to share pics of the baby soon!

Happy Day of Love!

I love how well Lauren captured Emily's personality in this picture!

...And this one, she looks so mischevious!


Although these photographs were (obviously) not taken by me and are a couple of months old, I am posting them for two reasons: the first being that I finally printed some out the other day off of the disk from our amazing photographer Lauren Gill (link to the left;) and was reminded of how absolutely beautiful the photos are, the second reason is that I believe our camera has bitten the dust. I cannot express how bummed I am about that. I didn't want to post without some pics...I thought it might be a bit too blah! Anyone that has any camera suggestions, feel free to share.

It has been a while since we posted. Besides being surrounded by sickness by pretty much everyone we know, it has been pretty chill around here. I got a nasty stomach virus and then Derek got the flu! Emily has been good thus far, but I am definitely holding my breath. So, we have been recovering from all of that and just laying low.

Emily is a hoot these days! Her verbal skills are really taking off and she blows us away with her memory. It scares me thinking of the future. She is a dancing and singing machine and is throwing some wonderful 2 year old fits. She loves to pretend and laugh. She helps me cook, is so compassionate, very independant, and is still such a cuddlebug. It is so fun to continually see her personality develop. These days she loves to ask Baby #2 how he/she is doing while patting my tummy and kissing it. We keep telling her she is going to be such a wonderful big sister and that she will always be our baby...we think she will take on the role like a champ! Soon she will be moving to a full size bed and her toddler bed will go back to being a crib. I asked her the other day what color sheets she wanted for her new big girl bed and she very matter of factly responded, "Umm...pink with flowers!" The next day it was purple with polka dots and just yesterday she said black! Go figure, she is an indecisive girl!

And for an update on the potty thing...it is going great so far. I was amazed myself! She is using the potty like a big girl and is of course enjoying the benefits of the sugar high from the Smarties and suckers. For a kid not accustomed to candy, this was a BIG deal for Em and she has loved every second of it! I know that there will be tons of skeptics, but I have other friends that have done it as well, and would highly recommend the 3-4 day potty training thing to anyone who has a toddler that is showing potty readiness signs. I will admit it is a lot of work in the beginning and it means staying in for about 5-7 days. But if you are in a position where you can do it, it is really worth it. The first couple of days were tough but it quickly got much better! We encouraged and praised her a ton and we very animated throughout the whole process, but it really has paid off. Anyone with any questions please feel free to ask!

As for Baby#2, everything seems to be going well. We have another ultrasound on Feb. 19th and would love your prayers about hearing a heartbeat and seeing a healthy baby! I am showing a little bit and a couple pairs of pants are getting a bit snug. I feel much better than even a couple of weeks ago. Right now we are getting close to the end of 12 weeks! It is going by so much faster than with Ems. To answer some of the questions that some of you have posed: No, we haven't even considered any names...Yes, we most likely will find out if this is a boy or girl (I just don't think I can wait, but we'll see)! I am getting more excited and less anxious every day. I am finally beginning to rest in knowing that I have to rely on God to give me strength. I know that sounds so trite, but it is so easy for me to try and do everything outside of Him...and then I realize I can't! Many hard lessons have been learned b/c of my trying to go at it alone! I know that I can only be the wife and mom and friend and servant that He desires me to be through Him. Resting in that has really brought me much peace over the last few weeks! I also began reading I Samuel and meditating on how Hannah so trusted God with her son! The history that came from her trust and reliance on God encourages me so deeply! I am sure I will struggle more in this area but thank God for His Spirit in us!

On other notes...Derek and I had a fabulous time at the Predators game the other night. The only downer was that our friends that we went with were Red Wing fans. I was so bummed for them...I kept telling Heather that she was turning me into a Red Wing fan b/c they were getting killed so badly that I felt sympathy. It didn't help that the Predator fans seemed a bit more harsh with their verbal banter than normal. It was such a fun night! And of course, I am so excited about tonight! Yes, I get to spend the evening with my wonderful hubby (who already hooked me up with candy this morning), but isn't it wonderful that VDAY is on Thurs. this year....the same night as LOST!!!! What better way to say I Love You!!!! I have a fun evening planned for us as a family and it of course is made all the better by LOST being on...I can't wait! I know some of you just don't understand and I feel very sorry for you...Really!:)

On that note, I will leave you with a big "Happy Day of Love"!!! I hope you all get to spend some great time loving on others and feeling loved yourselves! Enjoy it!

(Keep scrolling down for some more cute pics of the stinker!)

More Fun Pics!

Running Around in Undies...Elmo Style!

Potty-training has officially begun at the Kramer's! Emily and I ventured out to Target on Thursday to select new underwear (sorry, I don't say "panties"...I grew up with 3 boys) and of course Ems picked out the Elmo and Zoe pack! She was so excited that it was a struggle to get her to stop taking them out of the package. She held them the whole way home in the car.

So we were in full swing yesterday morning and it was difficult at times...I had to clean up some pee pee a few times, but after her nap she started going to the potty like a champ. She thankfully made it through her nap yesterday and all night last night without any accidents. I really couldn't believe it! This morning she went multiple times and even climbed onto the potty by herself. I think the next hurdle will be the poop issue. I am sure it will be a little freaky to do this action into a big white hole when she has pooping in her pants for the past 2 years! I could totally tell that she was feeling the need to poop this morning. So, I waited and waited and still nothing. We'll see how it goes this afternooon. Either she will take on the big scary white hole and get a sucker or Elmo will be needing a serious bath. Either way, I am so very proud of her for being such a big girl! If this whole potty-training in 3 days thing works, I'll let you guys know.

Onto other Kramer happenings, Baby #2 is getting ready to go into his/her 9th week of development (really 7 weeks). I feel very similar to how I did with Emily. I have lost my appetite a bit and certain foods, while not making me actually toss my cookies, really sound gross to me. Although, I told Derek right before we went to bed the other night that I was craving fried chicken. Not just any old fried chicken, but the chicken from my grandma's restaurant in VA. I don't guess I'll be fulfilling that craving any time soon!:) I am seriously considering calling Cracker Barrell for take-out tonight! The other thing that is really strange, keeping in mind that I am pregnant in the completely opposite season, is that I cannot get warm. I feel like I am constantly freezing. Last weekend when Derek and I got home from church, I put on thick velour pants, a long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, and got under 2 blankets and was still cold. Ridiculous!!

Well...the stinker is due to wake up soon and until she retreats for the night, I'll be following her like a magnet to be sure that we really follow through on the potty thing. I never thought I would be so animated about pee and poop...ahhh, a mom's life...it's a beautiful thing!:):) I am thankful for every second of it!

Lots and Lots To Catch Up On!!!!

Yes!! The Kramer's are still alive and blogging! The last couple of months have been CRAZY with activity. There is so much to share with everyone. We really had a wonderful Christmas! We missed family that couldn't be with us for sure, but we enjoyed our time with our little family and thankfully we did get to spend some time with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law. Christmas morning of 2007 will always be VERY memorable for the Kramer's. We had a cozy fire, watched Emily open a few gifts, read the Christmas Story together, and as most of you know by now, I gave Derek some really surprising and wonderful news! Derek's Christmas present will arrive a bit late, hopefully a week or so before August 31, 2008. I know it is a long time to wait but I think the crying, pooping, bundle of joy will be well worth it!!!

So, yes, we are expecting Baby Kramer #2 in August and we are thrilled!! I promised lots of friends that I would never announce this type of news on the blog for the first time, so most of you already know, but for those of you hearing it for the first time...Surprise!!

We had our first appt. last Mon. and everything went very well. It was just as amazing and emotional to see this little one's heartbeat as it was to see Em's. I never get over how miraculous life beginning truly is! God is so amazing!! We are really looking forward to this wonderful new season of our lives. I have already had my freak-out moments when pondering two kiddos instead of one, but I am already dreaming about the face and hands and toes of this little miracle. It seems like so long from now, but I know August will be here before we know it. Emily keeps telling me where the baby is by patting my lower belly and then puts her fingers together to show us how tiny the baby is...too sweet!!

So, besides the baby news, we have had lots of visits with friends from all over. The Moore's from Cali came for a few days and the Baker's drove from Texas. Both families are in seminary and we miss them like crazy. Within a year, both of these dear friends moved across the country and being able to catch up face to face was a huge blessing. It was so fun to catch up with Rebekah and Ginny!! As usual, saying good-bye was so hard, but the laughs that we had while together made it so worth it!

We also got to hang with our great friend Nick, also from Cali, and his girlfriend "That One" according to Emily. For some reason, Em kept calling Nick "Nit" and Steph was "That One." Good thing that Steph has thick skin! It was fun getting to meet Steph and always a blast catching up with Nick.

Another big event, I celebrated my 32nd birthday!...Man I'm getting up there! My friend Nicole organized a birthday lunch with just girlfriends and it was so special to me. I have never had just girlfriends get together for my birthday. It will be a memory that I always cherish. Derek was creative and sweet as usual and gave me a booklet, that he made:), full of a day of the things I love like a massage, a lunch date with a girlfriend, and coffee. Now I just have to find the time to do it! Later that night, we went to dinner with another couple and then Derek surprised me with a very rich chocolate, chocolate cake with strawberries. Overall, my day was such fun and I felt so special!

One last visitor to the Kramer pad was my sweet friend Judy and her hubby Brett. They came in just last weekend and got to be here on Em's 2nd Birthday. They brought her the cutest ROOTS shirt from Canada...of course it was pink with gitter...that was more for me from Judy:) I think Emily actually prefers blue:) We had some time to catch up and unfortunately no time for spades...ahhh, one day...I can only hope!

And...as for little Em's turning the big #2, it was lots of fun. Her buddies came and they all decorated their own cupcakes. All of the kids did such a great job. I was so surprised that there were no major catastrophes or spills! Most of all, it was a fun day with family and friends celebrating the life and miracle of our sweet little Emily Paige!

One last thing to celebrate is the birth of my new nephew, Noah Christopher! I can't wait to get my hands on him. This is what makes being far away from family so difficult...the big moments that you inevitably miss out on! Hopefully I will see him very soon.

That about sums up the last month or so. I am sure that I have left out some stuff, but this post will have to do for now. I need to get some rest because we start potty-training tomorrow!!! Woot! Woot! We'll see how that goes!:) I'll leave you with a couple of pics at the bottom. As usual, when I go forever without a post, I did some major updating to the photo album. Just click on the link to the left of this post for the Kramer Photo Album....oh yeah and there is a video of the munchkin blowing out her candles...pretty funny! You'll see that she had a little help...thanks Gabe!;)


Christmas Night

Derek opening up his "GIFT" from me! hehe!!! I believe he said, "Are you serious?" Emily was absolutely clueless...Derek may injure me for posting this, but I love that I was able to capture the moment he found out!