my sister in law added this to her blog yesterday......

cooper is doing his best impression of my smile... it sounds like my brother has been telling his kids this is how i always smile!! with my nose crinkled.

watching the newest SURVIVOR!! looks like a good one. they got all the elements of who if making this watch worthy... the old, the liars, the B*TCH, the good looking, the wierdos...everything! maybe again my family and i will have to try out for THE AMAZING RACE.... we got so close last time and i still wish we would have made that final cut! now with the cahnges in my life it will be hard..... but someday someday someday!! you never know! you still might see me on TV--and if not the amazing race.... maybe SURVIVOR!!!

Greys starts its new season tonight! so excited..... thank god for TIVO--b/c i will not have to sit for 2 whole hours... just about 1.20 with the fast forward! :)

been sitting here again searching for baby bedding! thanks for your comments and emails about where to find bedding! i appreciate it! i think i might be too picky. wish i could make it! :)

not only bedding but clothes too...... finding so many cute things!

and also drew has been vetoing my list of names forever! and last night i made him go through the top 100 names or 1000 or something and he found one! i am not going to Jinx it and say it now but it is not something i thought he would ever like! so today i am just calling him henry! and maybe tomorrow JAX! love that name.....

anywho here is my fashion preview for little baby barker!

why is it so hard for me to find boy bedding........ i am searching searching searching for crib bedding that i love and am having the worst time. I have found 2 that I like .... myabe when i see them in person I will change my mind and fall in love with them! I have in fact though found a glider and ottoman. :) Drew says the $2,500 one from pottery barn is out of the question so I searched for another one and have found some..... with a smaller price tag! Good thing I started off with wanting on with such a high price tag b/ now I look like I am budgeting so well!!!
we found out this week some of our best friends that are due the day b/f us are also having a baby BOY!! we are so happy for them and so excited to raise our little boys together! we used to live in the same town just a few miles away and now we live about 200 miles apart!! :)
I do not know if you are a Gossip Girl fan or not but I sure am!! not exactly sure why.... but it is addictive! i am hating on S a little....... kind of understand her but was no impressed Monday.
going to the CARRIE UNDERWOOD concert this weekend with the friends i mentioned earlier!! so excited.. i love her and think she is great in concert!!!
craving perkins--cinnamon french toast! when drew gets home i am going to see if i can get him to go! :) so cooking or cleaning up--i think it sounds fabulous!
Baby Boy Barker got his first package in the mail yesterday. Thanks Great aunt billie and mark for the present! love the bear! so darn cute!! :) he will love it too!!!!!!!!!
better get going.. gotta get my fun expense reports done and calls for today!!!

this weekend we got so much done.

with the help of drews parents we got the canopy off the lift. the boat out of the water. the beach cleaned up. the babys room emptied out. the boat cleaned out. the garage cleaned. the rooms moved around. it is so nice to have the babys room now empty. this afternoon i got most of the craft stuff out and moved down to my new room and now on the floor is stuff i think i just need to throw! there is nothing better than moving rooms around and finding all of that stuff that you did not know you had that you are so excited to find or ready to throw(that you should have forever ago..but did not)!!! :) i found lots of that throw away stuff--not too much that i was excited to have! but now the fun starts--we get to start picking out the fun paint colors and getting ready to get all of that done!

bailey and asia are not sure about what is going on around here today! sure hope they are ok when this baby boy comes home.

if not anyone want 2 cats???????.... the only down fall is one is bipolar and the other add and many other things that we are not sure what to even call them. i can not even explain! but i swear when its just drew and i @ home they are so great! how can you resist these cute faces???

better get going and watch cold case and criminal minds and i get to do my back stretchs and exercises! back to PT for me! i have a good friend who is a PT and is helping me out a ton with my back problems! she is a saint.

its a...............

this was the most amazing thing i have ever seen!!!

seeing this little guy move around and kick like crazy was so amazing!!!!!

when we first saw the screen the ultrasound lady told us..."well he is breach and that is the worst position to see the sex of the baby" and of course i was frieking out a bit.... but no more than 20 seconds later he was flipped around and was kicking my bladder. which by the way was so full (if you have done this you know). i think he must have done 20 flips in the 30 minutes we were there!

we can not wait to meet you!

i have been listening to my new sara groves that my dad bought and sent to me! thanks dad you are the BEST! i love it and can not stop listening to it! the words are so true.... and i cant wait!

we feel so blessed, are to excited for words and are so in love with this little boy!!!

19 weeks and 3 days.....

we finally took some pictures.... i probably should have looked a bit better... but oh well!

58 hours. and 28 minutes until we find out what the sex of this baby is! it is so funny to see the poll we have going...... so far it is girl by far. but that boy vote keeps creeping up!!!

so EXCITED to find out!!!! this baby better cooperate @ the ultrasound!

look @ these creative and inspirational ladies!!!!

These hats are so georgeous!

go to THIS blog to check them out and get one for yourself!

this is my sisters neighbor SUSIE--so she is always getting fun new stuff for mandy to photograph.

She is so talented and crafty!

love these hats!!!

great gift ideas...or of course for yourself or kids too!!!

and of course the other person is my sister who is the photographer! go see her blog to check out her work! she has a talent that not many people have! i am so inspired by her!

can not wait for her to take our maternity and newborn pictures!

we have......

• the saturday of labor day we headed to a friends out on turtle lake! windy windy windy but their yard made for a perfect day out in the sun! and they are due in about 3 weeks! another girl!
  
• then sunday we had a end of the summer party @ our house on labor day! besides the wind we had a perfect day! we took out our boat and drews gramma and grandpas pontoon and beached up where it was calm as can be! grilled, played bean bags and then the guys stayed out late... doing who knows what???


• we also attended "rollag" the steam threshers reunion with my parents on monday! still windy but it was a fun day!
  
• mom and dad found us a great dresser for the baby---one i can paint and make so cute! so exited!


• last weekend we stayed @ the birdwells.... mandy went with us shopping to help us decide what we really need for this baby... b/c god knows i want one of everything!
  
• saw miss jayden play soccer! so cute! she just started kindergarten and seems to be loving it!
  

becoming a family of 3

how things can change in life...
(i felt the baby move for the first time on saturday!! i thought maybe b/f i had felt it but now that i really have felt it i know! i am so excited and the doctor said today that i will start feeling that soon almost everyday!!!)
we spent this past weekend in mnpls and i think for the first time i noticed how many things have changed in our lives...
we did a lot of shopping for strollers, car seats, clothes, maternity clothes.........i do not get it.... my husband thinks buying maternity clothes is fun (well i guess it is) but i would much rather be buying stuff @ the express or urban outfitters........... but nope.. motherhood maternity is where i spent my money!!! oh and of course aarchivers too! i had to get something--craft weekend is coming up soon!


these are my new loves..

i love love love this stroller! so easy and portable! can not wait to get it!!!
speaking of the baby (dale jf--as drew calls him or her) we find out NEXT THURSDAY!!!! i am so excited... i tried and begged a bit to find out this week but they really like to find out after 20 weeks. oh well it is coming soon! just hard to wait!

look @ this!!!

i got the privilege to be the guest jacker! CLICK HERE to see the jacks.
i was asked by VEE.... on of my very favorite scrappers!! she has the best style!
go over and check out everyones jack and dont forget to play along! thanks vee!!!
be back later

love this song

wish i could get it on my playlist but not available...

my sister had me listen to her CD once... and i just fell in love with this song

how could you not?? with these great lyrics!

I Can't Wait
by Sara Groves and Don Chaffer

When you reach the proper age

I will teach you to read and you can turn the pages

How to dress and tie your shoes

Your one plus ones, and your two times two's

And you'll teach me

Of hearts and dreams

And all the most important things

And all that i have lost along the way

And I can't wait
As you grow, I'll show you things

How to ride your bike and kick your legs out on the swings

To fold your hands and bow your head

How to say your prayers before you go to bed

And you'll teach me

Of hearts and dreams

And all the most important things

And all that I have lost along the way

And I can't wait
How do you sleep so peacefully?

How do you trust unflinchingly?

How do you love so faithfully?

How do you dance so joyfully?

Oh you'll teach me

Of hearts and dreams

And all the most important (essential) things

And all that i have lost along the way

And I can'tNo I can'tCome teach me

Of love and dreams

And all the most essential thing

And all that I have lost along the way

Cause I can't wait

the week is almost over.........

labor day is already here..... yikes! this will be the last big weekend of all of the weekenders here in DL. It is amazing how many boats will come of the lake now and the locals will come back out to play!!!!

Getting some cleaning done in the scraproom--which is totally needed and I am so excited to the rooms moved around in the house for our new addition! We got lots of work ahead of us!!! We always do...

Got some fun pages done of my beautiful niece J. With all the geat pictures her mom takes of her I get some really fun pages.... thanks mandy for letting me use your pictures and of course your beautiful daughter as my inspiration for my pages!

monday monday monday.
as pathetic as it may sound i am so excited for the HILLS tonite! i am maybe a bit obsessed with the show. and soon all the good shows will start again. CSI, CRIMINAL MINDS, LAW & ORDER SUV.. gossip girl.....i could go on and on.
getting my scraproom all cleaned up and out b/c soon when i am @ scrap camp drew is moving it to its new room downstairs. i think moving will be a good idea for this room..i will get rid of a bunch of stuff i did not even know i even had and there just is nothing like a new space! hopefully i can get it painted b/f the move.

bettiejack!!!!

this jacked rocked! go see for yourself on scrapjacked. her work rocks and it was so fun to do my version.

thanks ladies and bettie for this awesome jack!

i love my nieces & nephews!!!

i love willy wonka

there have not been many things i have craved so far through this pregnancy but of course the one thing i am craving all the time is so hard to find anywhere! willy wonka grape laffy taffy......probably not the best for me but i sure do love them! i have found one gas station about 30 miles away and one grocery store in SD with them!!! i tried to get away with the small bars or the long string ones.... but nothing compares to the real thing!!!
i obviously do not have much to talk about....
sitting here watching the Olympics..i love gymnastics-- not a huge fan of these 13 year old Chinese girls though! sorry but if you are pretty much owned by the government of course they will lie about your age! ridiculous!!!!!

172 days to go.....

it wont be long b/f we finally know if this little one is a boy or girl! i think drew and i are the only ones that think it is a boy. i have not real reason but that very predicatable necklace test.. it has told me for years that i will have boy boy girl.........and who would not trust that?!?!?! well obviously no one else does b/c everyone seems to think that there is a baby girl in there!! well whatever we find out we are so EXCITED!!!! i am anxious to get working on the room... and get the house in order! and my dad is making the crib. he has made one for my sister and brother too.... they are so beautiful can not wait to see it!!! better get working on it dad!! :)
got some fun pictures from this past weekend to post later.... need to get them uplaoded!
got to spend lots of time with my mom @ the cabin. she was watching the birdwell kids.... so i got to spend some time with all of them. then friday drew and i got to take j for an overnight. we took her out for pizza and then ice cream and then of course i kept her up till midnight.... oops... and we then kicked drew out of bed and had a real sleepover. she was such a sport and even went to a jewelry party with me in the morning b/f we finally headed back to the cabin. one of my favorite things about j is that she is very stylish and is very interested in clothes and what she is wearing. so b/f we are getting in bed she tells me we need to get her clothes out for saturday and lay them out. so we did just that. found her dress, underwear, headband, clip and all and layed them out on the floor in an orderly fashion. i wish i could be so orderly.
be back later

with wefest bring over....summer is coming to an end....and sadly so has drews cut off john deere shirt! back to the closet it goes! the third day of wefest he thought it would be a great idea to cut the sleeves of this shirt and try to pull it off! thank goodness no one there would even notice.. becasue half of the people are wearing no more that permenent marker on their bodies.... so really he won best dressed! anway it (summer) has flown by.... like it always does.

this years wefest was great! bring a big country fan i was loving taylor swift and sugarland. they were the best by far i would say! of course kenny was good but i have seen him enough times where it is always the same! we had a good time with friends all weekend and even got to go tubing down the ottertail with my sister, rich and their friends!!

last night i got to spend some time with my mom and my niece and nephew j & j!! we had some much fun @ the cabin.... jayden is an expert in mancula...i could not believe i got beat by a 5 year old! the were loving the water.... it was a wee bit cold but we went in anywho. made sand castles. the are just my favorite kids ever!!! it is so fun to have them around this summer... and soon there will be a third! hope they will love their new baby brother and baby cousin barker! they will all be such good buddies!! :) i cant wait!

besides work... we have not been doing too much else!

we had a doctors appt yesterday and everything looks good..... the heartbeat by far is always the best part. it always bring tears to my eyes no matter how many times i have heard it! i still can not believe in less than 25 weeks we will be parents. we were sitting in the waiting room yesterday making lists..... boy oh boy do we need to get in gear. in a couple of weeks we will find out if we are going blue or pink and i will be in full force. drew is scared for that say to come for the sheer fact that he knows the buying will begin! :)