Conventional "Wisdom"?

We are pregnant & due in September!Why are we announcing so early when conventional wisdom says wait until the 2nd trimester when it's "safe" to tell?
This is my 6th pregnancy but we only have 3 living children, so we are under no delusions that + test = baby in 9 months.
But here's why we think coventional wisdom is not the "wise" course for us:

1. I regret not enjoying the last pregnancy more while it lasted and want to make the most of every day this child grows.

2. We know from painful experience that you can lose a baby after the heartbeat is heard, after passing the 1st trimester, & after it's "safe" to tell.

3. Not announcing pregnancy because you might miscarry just reinforces the traditional stigma that miscarriage is something shameful. Each person who knows you are pregnant is an extra person who can support you if you have a loss. If no one knows you miscarried, you are isolated in your grief.

4. I get so big so fast that my belly announces itself quickly if I don't.

We are thrilled! A little more nervous this time, of course, but still hopeful.

Sweet "Home sweet gingerbread Homes"

Our townhouse hasn't sold yet. We've had 4 showings and really positive feedback, but no offers & it's hard to keep cleaning & stay hopeful week after week, but we're trying...
We have an idea of doing an open house with a GINGERBREAD theme. I found these adorable mini-gingerbread houses to serve w/ hot chocolate on notmartha.org
So, I'm excited about that. And if we don't get many visitors for the open house, then we'll just have to throw a party afterwards & show off the cutest gingerbread houses ever made!

Here's the gingerbread "townhouse" I made to look like the house we're selling (2 Story w/ balcony).

Anyone who has tips/ideas on selling a house in a buyer's market, please pass them along.

Our Scary Mess Monsters

With the firefighters taking front stage, it's a little hard to see the argyle golf socks pulled over the calves, but it was a great look. And here's our cute kitty:

Happy Halloween!

So Proud

I'm so proud of my brother...
Not just becuase he's an admirable doctor.
Not just becuase he serves our country.
Not just becuase he saves the lives of brave soldiers.
Not just because he's a fun and caring father.
Not just because he's my brother.
...but I think any of those things are reason enough.

I'm just so proud of who he is & of all he does.
And kuddos to my amazing sister in law who "holds down the fort" during his deployments. She's expecting a baby next month, so please send prayers their way!

Guess who

I'm thinking of someone:
who usually has a dirty face
who tries to talk to everyone, though it's sometimes hard to discern most words
who's often missing important items of clothing (a shoe, a shirt, etc.)
who sometimes takes things that don't belong to them
who walks funny because their balance is off
Did you guess a hobo?

Very close guess. Actually, I was thinking of most toddlers. Well, maybe MOST mothers keep their toddlers fully dressed with clean faces, but those tasks seem to frequently elude me.

Now you might see my label for this post & wonder "who would have more than one post to warrant a label like that?" The answer would be me.

I am a Mormon

If you haven't seen these videos, they are worth watching:
http://www.mormon.org/people/
I think it's a great media campaign since the LDS church is often perceived as a localized religion (i.e. Utahans). But, with over 12 million members- the majority of which live outside the U.S.- we are a faith of diverse individuals who are striving to raise strong families, develop personally & serve others according to universal principles which transcend time & culture.

But I love how they announce their religion like it's an AA meeting. Is being a mormon as taboo as being an alcoholic? Hahaha. It's like "I'm strong enough to admit it... I'm a licensed attorney. I'm a busy mom. I adore my husband. I love my life. My name is Julie & I am a Mormon."

Excuses

Here's why I haven't been blogging:

Since the bar finished, we've been busy getting our townhouse ready to sell. We've added a new sink and countertops, painted the kid's room, replaced a few interior doors, hung new window treatments, & packed away things for staging. We still have several things more to do (plus more packing & minimalizing). We hope to have it officially on the market soon.