"Top down, seat back, rollin in my Cadillac"

Well friends, last week the father of the little girl I was babysitting for lost his job. (It sounds sad, but he is happy! He now gets to do something he's been wanting and meaning to do for a while: go back to school!) Well, with him having lost his job, they can no longer afford a babysitter so my schedule became free and clear (until August 24 when I start a new babysitting job). So when my little sister's friends bailed out on their road trip plans with her the same day, guess who got to take their place?

Aw yeee-ah!



We are sportin the grandpa look in my dad's sweet boat-on-wheels. This was us right before we pulled out of the driveway this morning. We are enjoying a leisurely pace as we drive up to Michigan to visit family and relax on Lake Michigan. We're having a blast so far! We had a great time on our stop in Atlanta. We are resting for the night in Tennessee. I am grateful for this time I get to spend with my little Jessy-Poo (aka Jessica) before little baby peach arrives!

From High School to Grad School and Beyond..

Happy 3-year anniversary today to the sweetest person I know! We've been "Stace & Kim" for more than seven years now. Here's a glimpse of our past:

(I can't believe I'm posting this pic for all of you to gawk and laugh at!)
May 2002: 17-year-old Stace's high school graduation right after we made it clear to one another that we had crushes on each other;o)...what was he thinking?!)

Spring 2003

February 2004

April 26, 2004...a day that will live in infamy

May 4, 2006: Stace returns with honor from his mission! (This pic is before he was released...I was so nervous!)

May 4, 2006- the first hug after he was released!

July 22, 2006: sealed for time and all eternity to the man of my dreams and the girl of his dreams. Absolutely certain there never was a couple more in love than us (a wise sage-- institute director-- once said if you don't feel this way then there's something wrong...so I hope you feel this way too! :)
And a glimpse of our future:

June 2, 2009
Last year we went out to Osaka for our anniversary (which was the locale of our very first date) and this year we went to Moe's! A beautiful example of how the life of a grad student is quite meager, indeed:) especially one who has a baby on the way! It's all part of the journey...Moe's anniversary dinner and all, and I am so excited for where this humble-beginninged journey will lead us:)

Please (please, please!) Help Us Find a New Home for Kitties!

As you may know, Stace and I recently found out we are pregnant, and as of today I am 5 months along. I have decided, along with a very sad husband, (after much heartache and deliberation), that it's best for us to find a new, good home (or homes) for our two kitty cats, Colby and Jordy. We love them very much, but again, feel it's best. One reason being, my dad is deathly allergic to cats, and if we keep them, Grandpa Sundstrom will never be able to visit his own grandson. So if you or anyone you know is looking to adopt a cat (or two cats), please let me know!

Colby is about 1.5 years old, and Jordy just turned 2. They are both neutered males. They both like to play! We would like to keep them together, but have had Jordy all by himself and he does great (and snuggles a lot) when it's just him. Mister Colbs is a lover and will be happy as long as he's loved in return and given food:) They both like to eat...like their current owners:)

PS: please don't think we are horrible people! It makes us so sad to think about losing them :*(even as I write this Colby is snuggling on my lap)...but...we gotta do what we gotta do...

If you could help us find Colby and Jordy a good home we would be so grateful!

The Colb-Meister!

Jordy!

Halloween 2007: Stace dressed us as Dwight and Jordy dressed up as Garbage from "The Office"!

God's Words Never Cease

Good morning to you all (or afternoon, or evening...whenever you're reading this)! I just wanted to share this video with you. This is a video clip of one of my very favorite talks I have ever heard by one of the leaders of my church. The talk is given by one of the twelve Apostles whom the Lord called to lead and guide the Church on the earth today, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

I just watched this clip and am now in need of a few tissues as the tear stains still reside on my cheeks. I know that the words which are spoken in this video are true; that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are both divine witnesses and testaments of the Savior of the world, of you and of me, Jesus Christ. I love my Savior so much, and I know He loves us with a love so pure, so unconditional, and so strong that we could never fathom its immensity and beauty.

Click (or copy & paste) this link to watch this short message.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_xl_AR0IRs

It's a BOY!!!

We got to go to our ultrasound appointment a week early-- we were scheduled for July 21, but I called on Monday to see if there'd been any cancellations and there had! So we went in yesterday at 2:30 and found out (for sure) we are having a sweet little boy!

We are soooo crazy-excited! It was so fun to tell our families! I called my dad while he was on his way to Alaska and he seems to be coming around to the idea that his baby is having a baby ;) and was very excited. My mom was at work so I had to wait what seemed like forever to tell her. (Three hours!) I called all my siblings and they were all so excited too! Stace's family jumped in the car when we told them we had, in fact, found out and the gender so that we could surprise them in person. It was so fun to have them here to celebrate with us! I rushed home after getting off work at 5:00 after going to Publix to get a cake mix and frosting and baked a cake that I dyed blue. That way, they'd have to cut open the cake to find out whether it was a boy or a girl! We took videos and lots of pictures, but I don't have time to post now because I have to leave for work. More to come!

Love love love!

Stace is WEIRD!!!

Not the usual blog post title you see a gal writing about her husband, eh? Well...y'all...I think its high time I let Stace out of the normal closet. Some people already know this about him...though not many (definitely his brother and sister do)...as Stace is also a quiet, humble person who never seeks the spotlight. (Though he was in a band performing in front of millions for years! hehe...I exaggerate a bit...but he also just happens to LOVE music.)

He has been soooooo goofy lately! Which really is nothing new. But I think his antics have been kicked up a notch. He makes me laugh non-stop. And it's just me and the cats who witness his crazy quirks. Just since I have been writing this (no, he has no idea I am dedicating a blog post to his goofiness), he has done and said about twenty things to make me laugh. I tell him often, in the most loving of ways, that he is the weirdest person I know. We both just laugh.

Don't let his cute, calm facade fool you... ;-)


I would not have it any other way. While he is a silly, silly goose, he is also such a kind and good and loving person. He has a pure heart, and unwavering integrity. It may be a cliche, but he really does make me want to be a better person.

I am so glad I get to have him, my own personal comedian, for eternity:o) (Hopefully! If I am good!)

Fun-Filled Evenun'

Tonight was lots of fun! Stace and I went to Chick fil A with our good friends/ cousins, Amelia and Trent (and Trent's mama Judith!), and dressed up like cows to get a free meal! Amelia had printed us out costumes. Because Amelia and I were wearing black and white we were true cows and were able to get the full on free meal. Because Stace and Trent weren't wearing all black and white (and they simply put on our costumes after we'd ordered) they were only allowed a free ice cream or milk shake...which was fine with us! mmm...

I would post the pic I took of Stace and Trent in their costumes, but Stace probably wouldn't like that too much! :(

Afterward we went to Target to get baby shower gifts for our friend, Brittany.
And...duh duh nuh nuh...

Little Peach now has his/ her (his) very first box of diapers!!! Ya!
It was exciting to get them!

I got me a job! (And 4th of July on the side)

Yay! So Stace and I went and met with the family with the 1-year-old girl I referred to in my last post and I pretty much fell in love with the baby. She didn't stop smiling the entire time we were there. I really liked the parents, too. We struck a deal where I work less hours but earn more pay than what they'd originally offered-- sweet! There were several job options floating around, and this job was definitely the best option for me. I start tomorrow!

I feel so blessed. Stace and I were talking today about the future, more specifically,where he will get a job once he finishes his PhD. It's important where Stace goes right when he graduates because it kinda sets the bar for his options of where he can go in the future. I told him I just know, no matter what, we will be okay. We will end up where we should be. We prayed and prayed that we would end up where we should for Stace's grad school...and look where we ended up. Out of all the places he applied, Gainesville is the best place we could have possibly gone, now that we're having the baby. We definitely did not see that coming!

Even though we stress and we agonize about how things in our lives will work out, everything always works out beautifully in the end. I feel that Heavenly Father is looking out for us so much more than we deserve. I know that all the good things that happen to us in our lives are blessings from Him. His eyes never blink as He watches over us. And when I say "us" I mean all of us, of course!

Below are some pics of Stace and I's Fourth of July outing. We went to the botanical gardens here in Gainesville. What a beautiful place! Got some good exercise...or at least we both probably lost about five pounds worth of sweat each. Yes, I'm the genius wearing the long-sleeve shirt in July in 98 degree weather...all in the name of being festive. (I don't own a short-sleeve red shirt, ok?!) Yes, I'm also the genius trying to rock a pencil skirt at 18 weeks pregnant...in 98 degree weather...all in the name of *trying* (key word) to be cute and festive. Scuse the momentary lapse of rational thinking and judgment on my part.



I love this pic of Stace but hate it of myself...so I cropped myself out:)

Giant bamboozles!

Giant lily pads! I wanted to jump on them...

Beat It, Mangos and Moola

Now the baby can hear me and what's going on around me, so last night as we were going to bed I said "Stace, you should sing to the baby!"

Stace then proceeded to put his head near my stomach and sing "you wanna be tough, better do what you can so beat it, just beat it!" Oh muh goodness!

I laughed and gave him a little luv-tap and said "no! Do not sing Michael Jackson to our baby!" hahaha...I mean...I just don't want Michael Jackson lyrics to be the first thing he's ever heard his daddy sing. (Notice my use of "he" and "his"...I don't even think about it before I say it...it's natural because I'm positive we're having a sweet little boy!)

Anyway...I realize I'm only blogging about being prego! There's nothing much else going on in my life. I am desperately searching and applying for jobs. I did put up an ad on Craigs List to be a nanny/ babysitter and last night got what seemed to be a super-duper gig: 50 hours a week with a 1-year-old little girl. Good amount of hours (earning more $) and only taking care of one child while preggars. But then she told me she'd pay me $250 a week...that's um...$5 an hour. So it looks like I might be working as a teller at Capital City Bank, which is just fine! I will just be so grateful when I actually get a job (not if, but when, trying to stay postive). We are seriously in need of some extra cash flow, so I just need to earn some dough so we can go ahead and pay off our rent for the rest of the year. When we signed the lease for the place we're living, we had every intention that I'd have a job, too. We like where we live: it's safe, quiet and an all-around nice place. Plus it's abut $1000 to break the lease! So...we really don't want to move!

In other news, Stace began T.A'ing (teacher assistant-ing) yesterday! The class is a Masters-level course (he never even got a masters, he just went straight to the PhD-- so proud of that boy:) called "Fixed Income Security Valuation." He said it's "basically just bond stuff. Treasuries, Munis, Corporate Bonds, Mortgage Backed Securities, etc." Riiiighhhtttt...it all goes over my head.


17 weeks and 3 days today!
The baby is the size of a large mango now:)

BTW!!! I felt the baby move for the first time on Saturday! Which was Stace's birthday! And we will be celebrating our 3-year anniversary by finding out the baby's gender! And we found out we were pregnant 2 days after my birthday!