The beach and other happenings

We are back from a wonderfully relaxing and beautiful weekend at the beach!  Unfortunately, I have no pictures to show you this time since I forgot the camera.  

Some of the highlights include: 

1.  A walk every day

2. Sitting and reading on the beach enjoying the great weather  

3. Morton's Steakhouse on Saturday night 

4. Renting tandem bikes with some friends and riding on the boardwalk to get fresh doughnuts

5. Spending time with family and Tom!

Last night, I started the last graduate class I will ever take, a four-hour class called "Inclusionary methods."  Tom also started a three-hour class last night, "World Civ" so it will be busy for both of us, especially him since he is working full time.  Both classes are three weeks long so it will be over before we know it.  Tom really likes his class, his professor is one of Tom's favorites.  My experience last night was the opposite.  My professor spent four hours reading her powerpoint last night with only one fifteen minute break the whole time.  Yuck. Five more classes to go! 

The zoo!!

So...you may be wondering, what I am doing with all this extra time now that I am done student teaching? Last night, when Tom got home from work, he really wanted to go surf at LBI so we drove down there and I took my camping chair (Christmas present from Amy) and a good book, read a little and watched him catch some waves.  Sorry, no pictures of that as I forgot to take the camera with me!

Today, a friend who lives nearby and has two young children asked if I wanted to go with her and another friend to the zoo.  I can't even remember the last time I went and since today was supposed to be really nice.  I thought it would be fun.  It was really a blast.  Our friend got a year pass to the zoo which covers the whole family and any guests you bring with you for as many times as you can go in a year.  She thinks she has probably gone at least 15 times so she's got her moneys worth.  And of course the kids love it.  Her kids are really cute, here they are sitting on a couple of hippos...

This was in the "rare animals" section of the zoo.  
Cheetahs
Baby giraffe...apparently, the adult giraffe's had died.

   So cute!! She is quite a ham!

Tonight we're going over to a friend's house for dinner and then will be at the shore all weekend through memorial day.

By the way, anyone have any suggestions on a good way to get into baking fresh bread.  I know Christy makes it by hand but would that be too complicated for a beginner like me and should I look for a breadmaker on craig's list or something?  Tom eats a lot of bread and now that I am home more, I would like to make it for him. 

Time for an update

After experiencing such madness this semester with student teaching and leading the musical at church, it has been such a welcome change to have some extra time on my hands to finally putz around the house and clean, cook and bake.  I am even thinking it actually might be fun to follow in my families footsteps and start making my own bread which I never had the time for before.  I have also been meeting a girlfriend for long walks about 4 times a week (when I say long, that means 5 miles) and catching up with her while we enjoy the weather.  I finished painting the baby room and it is ready for the furniture to be moved in.  I painted it a very nice green color and did all the trim in white since the furniture will be white.  I will put some pictures of the room up once I get the crib, changing table and dresser set up so you will see what it looks like. 

Last week, some of the PBU girls threw me a little shower.  It was really nice, I walked in the room and they had set up a clothesline with baby girl clothes, here I am looking at them all.  

It is time for another preggo update...I am now 30 weeks along and have quite the little belly.  There is no denying it now.  I got a few maternity dresses to wear when it gets hot in the summer, but so far, have gotten away with not buying too many clothes thanks to Amy lending me a lot of hers. 

Whew! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind but student teaching is finally over and I am officially "certified."  I had a much better experience at this last school and actually enjoyed getting to know the kids and teaching so it wasn't all bad. :) 

I knew that I wanted to get some painting done once I had time so here I am in my respirator that Tom insisted that I wear when painting despite having all the windows open.  I decided to do the bathroom and had fun doing it.  Walmart paint by the way...only $13 a gallon and it turned out great.  The only problem is, no one knows what they're doing there so you have to be patient when you go to get paint matched.  It took the guy at the paint counter a good 45 minutes to figure out how to match my Benjamin Moore swatch to their paint matcher. 

See the shirt I am wearing?  It says "baby on board."  The baby is holding a bottle and is riding a surfboard.  Amy bought it for me and I wear it all the time!

                    The finished product....

Tom and I went to Belmar last weekend.  Here he is coming out of the water.  He can stay in the water for hours while I am content to sit under my umbrella and read my books or go for a walk. 


This is Tom's buddy "S." They were joking around and wrestling and Tom was pretty much on the ground the whole time getting beat.
I think to be nice, "S" let him get a picture where he looked like he was winning.

Pictures of the baby room to come soon!  I painted it today but want to wait til I have everything in place to post it. 

Preggo update

Here I am at 26 weeks, one week away from the dreaded 3rd trimester! I think I finally look pregnant huh? Just over the past 2 weeks so many people came up to me in church and said, "Dawn! Congratulations! I had no idea you were pregnant!"



2 weeks and counting down until I am finished student teaching!! I like being at the school where I am but it has been a lot of work and I have been looking forward to getting the "baby room" painted and organized when I have time. May 1st will be my last day there.

Tom's big news

Hi everyone!  Sorry we haven't posted in a while! School has been keeping me busy but I have a few moments to update you on what's been going on...

I am feeling the baby's kicks more strongly now that I am 24 weeks along.  Another appointment with my doctor on Tuesday is coming up.  Hope to get a good report!

Tom has been super busy with work.  It has been a little stressful for him I think so in his spare time he gets away for a surf.  This morning he went to breakfast with the guys from his family and then will be going to surf (despite the high winds today!)

This week, Tom was offered a big promotion at work and he decided to go for it.  On Friday, the Dean announced his new position to the rest of the staff...his new position will be "assistant dean" and is a big step up from where he is now.  I am so proud of him and am still in a state of disbelief!  We will still be able to keep our housing so we won't have to move and they want him in the position so much that they are willing to work with him to make sure he still gets his certification.  He will start in a few weeks! 

An update

Well, after many bowls of chicken noodle soup and many cups of tea, I woke up this morning feeling so much better so I am thankful this cold did not last very long. Even though I complained about being sick, I guess I should be thankful...I have not gotten sick in a long time and Tom never caught my cold so all is well. Who knows? Maybe I will develop a stronger immune system being surrounded by children in a school!

It was such a nice, sunny day, that after spending hours working on lesson plans, I was able to coax Tom into going on a walk with me (he hates walking) but I told him it would be good for me and the baby so that did the trick! It's funny how a few days ago we had snow!