Milestones and Stories

I'm always behind in this whole blogging thing. I can't believe it's been two months since we made our big announcement and now we know that our little babe is a boy! So many great things have happened between those two moments. Here's a recap:

February was a blur. It was cold and snowy, but what else would you expect from the Midwest? Church was cancelled twice because of wind chill, and my work closed early on Valentines Day. We still went out for Valentines which was nice. There's this place called Corndance that our friends highly recommended and it was definitely worth the price and surpassed expectations. Absolutely delicious! I was also surprised by Wes with this precious necklace that came in the Little Blue Box. It is a jade bean. for our little peanut :) So thoughtful and perfect.

Our friends Baley and Ryan had their baby girl at the very end of January, and we have become a little obsessed with her. We have always loved hanging out with our friends, but now it's even more fun to hang out since we get to hold their little bundle, come home smelling like a newborn baby, and dream of the day when our own little one is here. Which still seems so far away! Especially when Wes tells me literally every day that it's taking too long and I need to grow our baby faster. I just ask him if he could do it faster and that keeps him quiet, until the next day :)

March has has also gone by so fast. During the first weekend of March, my brother Steve was in Kentucky for work, and he decided to come and visit us. He is the first Peterson to make it to our little home! It was a quick trip so I skipped work so we could take him to Notre Dame and around South Bend. South Bend isn't the most exciting place in the world, but more than anything it was just great to see the guy since both Wes and I are really close to him. I miss my brother and all of my family. It makes me even more anxious for graduation (less than two months away!!) so more of our family can be here and then we can all go home!

We had my ultrasound the second week of March to find out the gender and see the baby in detail. Can I just geek out for a second and tell you how utterly amazing it is! I have always had a great appreciation for life and the human body and the things that we as humans are capable of, especially after studying all of this in college. But seeing this living being in those grainy pictures, watching the tiny heart beat and measuring everything from the femur to the brain, I can't even put it into words how incredible it is! And that it is all happening inside of me! Wow. We have a huge print out of pictures from the ultrasound that is now hanging in our bedroom by the mirror - it was a bit too long for the fridge this time :) Our baby is healthy! And it's a boy! Everything looked perfect and he is measuring a few days bigger than my estimated due date. Which could potentially cause problems if he decides to come early - the bar exam is two weeks before my due date. That would be the one thing that would keep Wes from attending the birth of our first child. It would make a great story though...

Ignore the glare on the picture and look at our sweet baby boy with his hand by his mouth. We got to watch him swallow a bunch of times and suck on his hand. So adorable!

Here's the print out of pictures I mentioned. And you probably recognize this as the weekly "bump picture" place.

This is the first thing we bought right after the appointment and sent it out to our families! The little booties are my favorite <3

And then it was Spring break. And Spring was in the air! The snow was mostly melted, except for the huge mountains that had collected after all of the plowing. I heard birds chirping one morning and we had lots of sunshine! I took a few days off to spend them with Wes. We went to Michigan City, Indiana, to do some much needed shopping for me and as an excuse to get out of the house. I finally entered the realm of maternity clothes...I found some pretty good deals on tops and bought a pair of maternity jeans, so no more holding my jeans together with a rubber band. Then it actually became "Spring" and the weather has been undecided ever since. Wes is dying for warmer temps so he can head out to the golf course. I wish I could golf as well, but it's definitely not happening for me this season. I'm already prone to clumsiness and pregnancy has just increased that. So when you factor in my shifting weight and center of gravity and put a club in my hands, I don't think it will end very well. haha. I do just want to get outside and feel the fresh air and sunshine though.

That's about it for the more notable things. Life always includes the daily grind of class and reading for Wes and work and sleeping for me :) As far as the pregnancy goes, it's been pretty uneventful for the most part. And that's what you want, right? No sickness, no cravings, yet, beside Ramen noodles in the first trimester. but I was just craving anything and everything salty. I have experienced some of the random pregnancy symptoms like nosebleeds, congestion, and tender gums. And of course the common, constant need to eat and sleep. The back and hip pain is starting to settle in, especially at night after sitting all day at work. No stretch marks, yet, just 12 pounds heavier and quickly running out of regular clothes that fit!

I felt my baby move for the first time around 18 weeks!! I think I had for about a week or so but was unsure if that was really him or just my digestive system doing its thing. And now being 20 weeks I feel him all the time! He is most active, or I'm paying the most attention, in the morning as I eat breakfast and at night after I get home from work. It brings a secret smile to my face every time - it's so incredible! I have started to feel him from the outside, too, but anytime I call Wes over and he puts his hand on my belly, the kid stops moving completely! He is already a tease, just like his dad ;)

Oh, and pregnancy brain is a very real thing - I feel like I'm going crazy some days. And Wes totally plays on this. Here's a story to illustrate: Tuesday I come home from work and pull out some cereal for my bedtime snack. I had just bought the box the day before on my day off, so I'm expecting a nice full bowl. And it only pours a half bowl, if that, and the box is gone. I was confused - this was brand new yesterday and I hadn't had any yet. So I ask Wes: How is this box already gone? And he said he had a bowl for breakfast but that was it. Okay...my mind is reeling trying to figure out where all the cereal went. I was certain I would've noticed an unsealed box at the store, so that wasn't an option. Wes couldn't remember if it was a full bag when he opened it or not. So the only plausible options were they jipped our box of cereal at the factory or we have gremlins. And I was serious about the gremlins... Wes then tells me that I have gotten up in the middle of the night before to go eat something. Wait. what?! I do not! Well, apparently I have, but I have no recollection of this. at all. But I have been known to talk in my sleep and even occasionally sleep walk, so how big of a step is it to eating in your sleep? So now I'm thinking I'm the cereal thief! I eat my half bowl, still very unsatisfied and stewing. I go back to Wes because there was still one other possibility besides me binge eating. "You're not lying to me, are you, Wes?" I asked him. Then a smile spreads across his face and he busts up laughing. And I get mad. haha. He had led me to believe that I was eating unknown amounts of food at night! And I can't remember anything these days, so for all I knew it could have been true! haha We had a good laugh about it. I just felt relieved that I wasn't completely crazy :)

And speaking of crazy - here's another story from this week: I am a deep sleeper and fall asleep very quickly. Wes is the opposite as a light sleeper and it can take him hours to fall asleep. This was the case on Wednesday night. Instead of counting sheep, he likes to tease me in my sleep. Silly childish things like tickle my face with my hair and such (I'm slightly worried how I will handle our son if he is like Wes haha!) He mostly just talks to me though. And we have carried on conversations plenty of times that I can't remember at all in the morning when Wes tells me about them. So, we were chatting, and I must have been dreaming about work, again, because I was trying to sell him an insurance policy. And something about "you can't say that in New Jersey" came up. Wes is cracking up the whole time, and I'm just in my half-asleep state getting frustrated with him. (My very faint memories of this have been greatly supplemented with Wes' account the next morning.) Wes gives me a hug to comfort me, but in doing so he kind of pulls my hair. This really sets me off and I say, "You're hurting my short hairs!!" And then I start to cry hysterically as I babble about my short hairs.

(My "short hairs" are a bunch of fly-away hairs about two inches long around my forehead area. I've always had lots of new hair growth but pregnancy has increased this growth. a lot. So I have a lot of new hair that's coming in and it is impossible to get it to do anything except stick straight up. And that morning had been particularly challenging to deal with the unruly "short hairs".)

By this point Wes is dying and just laughing at me while I bawl and get even madder at him for laughing at me in my pain with the "short hairs". He tells me to just go to sleep because I won't be nearly as upset in the morning. And so I did. And I was fine. And Wes had a fun time telling me about it the next day. He does a much better job telling the story, and it's probably not nearly as funny reading about it compared to listening to him tell it, but we got a kick out of it. So I hope you did too!

Life is so good you guys. It's still hard to believe sometimes that all of this is real! Wes and I are so blessed :) I'll leave you with a few more bump pics!

14 Weeks

15 Weeks. I'm always rushing out the door to go to work when I snap these pics, but I really need to remember to close the closet door and pick up the mess on the floor! haha

16 Weeks

Almost 19 Weeks. I didn't like any pics I took at 17 weeks and totally forgot to at 18 with all of the excitement of the doctors appointment.

19 1/2 Weeks. I wanted to include this because I feel sooo much bigger in dresses for some reason. And I promise I'm happy - it was just a sleepy Sunday afternoon.

20 Weeks!

BIG news

First of all, THANK YOU! for all of your excitement and words of congratulations following our announcement last week.The outpouring of love and support for us and our little family has been overwhelming, and we are so grateful to have such wonderful family and friends! Our little peanut is already so loved :)

Obviously I've got a bit of catching up to do! Get ready for a long, but hopefully worth it, post. Let's back up to December...

Wes had finals mid December, and I had work. Finals is always a stressful time for both of us - For Wes since he's the one actually doing the work and taking the tests and for me because I feel his stress vicariously. haha. I finished up the training for my new position and jumped right in. Things are still going really well, and I feel like it is a much better fit than my old position.

Our apartment really started to look like Christmas when all of the Amazon boxes started arriving on our doorstep. That's basically how we did all of our Christmas shopping. We were able to do a little more this year as far as presents go since we didn't have to pack them in a suitcase to go home. So that was kind of nice. But we still missed home. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - work kept me distracted and busy, and it didn't really snow and I was just too darn happy about the baby news to be sad. We also loved getting the packages and goodies from our wonderful families! We still did the sibling gift exchange with both sides of the family, which is one of my favorite traditions. Once Wes was officially done with the semester, we enjoyed spending a lot of time at home not really doing anything, which was refreshing.

Christmas Eve was spent with our friends Baley and Ryan. We made a traditional ham dinner together, and it was absolutely delicious. Good food and friends made it feel just like home. We watched Elf all together and then split up to call our families. We talked to mine before dinner and to Wes' after dinner. This was really the highlight of the whole holiday season. I was giddy with excitement for days and even weeks. Really ever since I learned about our little secret at the beginning of the month. We facetimed/skyped and showed them this picture of our tree with two big stockings at the foot of it and one baby sized stocking. I was way too anxious to let my family figure it out on their own but Wes did much better with his family. Shannon's reaction is still my favorite because she figured it out first and just started screaming. haha. So the news is out! We are going to have a BABY!! Due August 12th. Our families were so surprised just like we had hoped and so happy for us. And we couldn't be more thrilled too!

Do you see Baby Harward's stocking? 

Christmas Day. It was really nice and quiet, especially after the big announcement day. We put the Christmas Breakfast in the oven that we had prepared the night before and got to opening presents. Pretty sure I did 75% of the unwrapping of gifts, but that's because I'm spoiled. ;) Wes was a good Santa handing out the presents and we even made it last over an hour. We both got some really nice things. I'm always blown away at how thoughtful my man is. We enjoyed the traditional breakfast and then played with our new toys like the kids we still are sometimes. We decided to go see a movie - the last part of the Hobbit. We really enjoyed it and it helped pass the time. We talked to family again and heard about their Christmas.

Sporting my Christmas jammies and a new beanie. And I guess the first bump picture at 7 weeks. :)

I got more ceramics to paint for Christmas! This is for January...

And I just finished these cuties for February.

New Years was pretty low key. We didn't even stay up til midnight that's how cool we are. I did take a little bit of time to reflect on 2014. It was a pretty great year - somehow they keep getting better :) We survived the coldest winter we've ever experienced, pushed through the blues that followed and made it to spring. We golfed a lot. We went to Manhattan!!! Our first real vacation since being married. Went home for another successful summer with Wes at the firm. Said goodbye to the Mustang and got two new cars. Finished out another great semester, got promoted at work - after keeping my job over the summer - and finally seeing that light at the end of the tunnel get brighter and brighter. And receiving the absolute best news EVER. Even though 2014 was wonderful, I already know that 2015 is going to be even better. We will graduate! And leave Indiana forever!! (I know I give this place a bad wrap sometimes, but it's been home for the last three years and I will always remember the good times here. When I think of our first years of marriage I will think of South Bend.) We will establish ourselves back in Utah and start real life. And we will welcome our first born child into the world! How could it get any better?!

January was all about the babe. I had my first appointment on the 7th. I was really anxious for it because we weren't sure how far along I was. My guess was almost right on though and we saw our little peanut and heard it's heartbeat for the first time when I was nine weeks exactly. It was such a happy day. All of my irrational fears about it all being a dream went away. That day it became real. I had another appointment this last week and got more pictures of our little one. All of my blood work came back normal and I'm doing well. I consider myself one of the very blessed and lucky women in the world to not have a single day of morning sickness. at all. I'm just grateful my mom passed along her fantastic pregnancy genes to me because I was worried after watching some friends and hearing about the awful struggles that some go through. I am just tired and hungry. all. the. time. Growing a human being is exhausting but in such a satisfying way. My belly is starting to grow. It was mainly a baby bloat that would get bigger the more I would eat during the day but go away come morning. But the other morning I woke up and it was still there, bigger than ever! So get ready to follow the bump pictures as I enter the 2nd trimester this week.

Bump 11 weeks. Don't mind the messy bedroom in the background :)

And 12 weeks. Sorry for the crappy cell phone selfies - I'll get better after 40 weeks of practice :)

Each day I am overwhelmed by how blessed we truly are! The timing is absolutely amazing and we couldn't have planned it better. But I know we can't really take the credit for the timing on this one. I know it is happening now because it is supposed to. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers in His own way and timing. He loves us more than we could ever comprehend. And he trusts us enough with one of His own. And that is something that brings me to tears because it's exciting and scary. But I've got Wes on my side and he is going to be such a great dad. This is what I've always wanted - I still can't believe it's actually happening!

How is it possible to love something this tiny SO MUCH!?

November!

{This was originally written shortly after Thanksgiving. I meant to post it then but was waiting on uploading pictures of our Christmas decorations to include them...which I didn't get around to until this morning and they're just quick snaps from my ipad. Sorry for the delay!}


And I thought that October went by fast! Where the heck has November gone?! Seriously though? I suppose it's a really good thing because we're that much closer to the end.

So I got a new position at work, and I think that it has definitely contributed to the speed. I was promoted to the rewrite team at Liberty Mutual and have been in training most of the month. I really like it so far. It's a new challenge and a new skill set. I was really excited when I got the news because they only had a few openings, and it was pretty competitive. Training has been okay, kind of boring, but it's been a day shift so I can't complain. My regular shift in the evening will start again this week.

The other BIG piece of news is that we traded in Wesley's Mustang for a freaking Mercedes!! He is like a giddy little boy still every time we go somewhere. It was only sad for two seconds when we reminisced about all of the good times in the Mustang. If you talk to Wes he'll say that that car is the only reason I started dating him. Which is totally untrue, but a lot of drives and important life talks happened in that car. Like when we first decided to get married. And let's not forget the many drives across the country in that puppy. But the reign of the stang is gone and we've entered into the world of Mercedes owners. The Mustang was getting old and was probably on the verge of some major problems. Not to mention the stellar job it does in the snow...not. The boy needed a new car and he was feeling left out since I got my Jeep. ;) Yes it's probably a bit extravagant, but he loves it and it's an early Christmas/graduation/we're almost done with law school almost a lawyer present. If anyone deserves it, Wes does. And my promotion couldn't have come at a better time.

It's hard to believe that winter is already upon us. I know technically it's still fall, but we've had several snow storms that have convinced me otherwise. I am begging and praying for a mild winter. Or at the very least, something mild in comparison to last winter because I really don't think I can handle the gloom and the cold and the depression again.

In happier news it was Thanksgiving this week! We had a small dinner with our friends Eric, Cambria, their two boys, Will and Finn, and their friend, Jordan. It was very pleasant and tasty of course. I was in charge of the potatoes and rolls and also brought a pumpkin roll. The Graham's have been in Indiana even longer than we have for med school, but Eric will also graduate in the spring. We love hanging out with them and their boys who are quite possibly two of the cutest boys ever. Will tells the funniest stories and cracks me up with his very vivid, active imagination.

After dinner we crashed. Wes fell asleep at like seven since we'd gotten up early to participate in the craziness to pick up the Xbox One. Spoiled man. I Facetimed with my family. It was so so good to see everyone and catch up for a moment. Of course I had to get more than teary eyed by the end of the call. I miss them all like crazy and hate that I have to miss stuff like the holidays. If I'm already crying on Thanksgiving I don't want to think about Christmas. But these will be the last holidays that we're apart like this! Thank goodness.

The rest of the weekend has been spent just hanging out. We decorated for Christmas! I'm rather excited about all of our decorations. What with our homemade tree, new nativity and growing Christmas village plus my newest ceramic piece it's feeling a lot like Christmas.

Our Christmas Village from Grandma Anderson. 

And one in the light. I just need to get a better (white) table runner for it.

Our first Nativity from Shannon! Not the best picture of it, especially with our kitchen in the background, but it is a beautiful set and I love it.

And the center piece.

I love the way this penguin piece turned out. He's so cute!

And of course our Diet Coke tree :)

And that about does it for November. It's amazing just how good life is and how I have so much to be grateful for. It's easy for me to see the negative sometimes and what's not going my way but that's just life. And for the most part mine is pretty darn great. I have THE most wonderful husband a girl could ask for. My parents and family are the most loving and thoughtful supportive bunch and I have excellent friends. I'm grateful for my job and what it enables us to do. I'm so thankful for my musical abilities and the great joy I receive from creating and listening to music. (New songs are up on soundcloud in case you missed it with more in the works) I'm grateful for my health and the miracle of life. I could go on and on as usual but I will refrain from my long winded tendencies inherited from my father ;) to end with a few last things. I'm grateful for the chance to be better every day and my Savior that makes that possible. I'm grateful for His love and the love of my Heavenly Father. I would be much more of a basket case without Their love and the knowledge that my prayers are always heard and answered in time.

{insert clever and witty title here}

October. Where it's gone, I do not know.

Here are the highlights:

General Conference weekend - always uplifting, relaxing, and motivating. It's also sad for me in some ways. Mainly because of all the memories and traditions that surround those weekends twice a year. It's another specific reminder of how much I miss my family.

We got callings at church. Wes is teaching Gospel Principles, and I'm teaching Relief Society.

Grandma Anderson came for her annual visit as she trekked across the country. She treated us to dinner at Legends on campus, and we enjoyed her company and gave her a place to sleep for a night. We talked sports, current events, family, and Christmas. I always like hearing old stories and about Wes' Grandpa - I wish I could have known him. Grandma also came bearing gifts! It was just our nativity set that we didn't have room for and another addition to our Christmas village, but it felt like Christmas since it was a bunch of things for the holiday.

We're not coming home for Christmas this year. A tough decision and I'm a bit sad about it but also excited to experience a new kind of Christmas this year. It just means I get to look forward to graduation that much more when family will come to us!

Wes had fall break. We're a quarter of the way through this last year! It was a pretty uneventful week for Wes while I worked all week. We did hangout with our friends, and we also went to dinner at Tippecanoe Place, which is an old mansion in downtown South Bend that has been turned into a restaurant. It was fun to be able to tour the house, but to be honest the food wasn't worth the price so it was a little bit of a let down. But still fun to say that we've been.

Here's a picture of the place that I took last year as we drove by:

Autumn is in full swing with the leaves changing and the cooler air. It's actually been quite pleasant. And my dad keeps me informed of all the weather forecasting as he is my personal weatherman all the way in Utah. ;)

I've been working on painting some ceramic holiday pieces like this cutie:

And this for Thanksgiving:

I've also been writing some new music and revisiting some old stuff. I broke out my recording equipment this week and some good things are coming. I hope to produce some Christmas favorites this year as well. We'll see how ambitious I am.

I got to FaceTime with all of my nieces and nephews in their costumes at my parents' Halloween party. I miss my kiddos! They all looked so cute, and I can't believe how much they've changed since I last saw them. And that's probably about as much Halloween-y we'll get this year since I have to work and Wes will be studying for a test at 8:30 am the next day in Michigan. Party animals right here! ;)

We've been watching Downton Abbey as it airs in Great Britain with Baley and Ryan. We still miss Matthew and Sybil from the show but it's a good season so far.

I've also gotten hooked on Gilmore Girls. Netflix keeps us company when we're apart, and when we're together we dream of life after law school. And that pretty well sums up the month! Some more good things are ahead in November.

Indiana

We left Utah on a rainy Saturday morning, early. Both Wes and I had just finished up work the day before, and Wes had school on Monday and I had to be back at work. The drive across the country is never as fun, if you can even use that word to describe it, at the end of the summer, and we were dreading it that much more having two cars! But we were equipped with walkie-talkies and audio books and so it wasn't that bad. The plus side was not having to worry about cramming all of our stuff into the mustang since we have my jeep now.

We front loaded the first day and made it half way through Iowa. I got a speeding ticket in Wyoming, but it's really Wes' ticket. He was in the lead the whole trip and had the cruise control set at 89 mph. We were close to a town and it was around eight in the morning and I had fallen behind a little and was speeding to catch up to Wes. Of course a cop was around. Once I got to Wes, I see the cop right behind me out of no where and radio Wes to slow down. So we do. And the cop rides me for a couple of minutes. We move to the slow lane and then he decides to throw his lights on. Awesome. Wes keeps going while I pull over. He stops a mile up the road to wait for me. I'm freaking out and fuming and trying to get the sleepies out of my eyes. I was really hoping to get away with just a warning, but of course he gives me the ticket since I'm an out of state driver. He said he'd cut me a break since I was wearing my seat belt. Oh thanks officer, not.

All in all it could have been worse and I just ended up with a $60 ticket, a bruised ego, and a smug husband. Okay I'm exaggerating about Wes being smug, he very well could have been ticketed as well, but he did comment that I now have two tickets on my record and he's still squeaky clean. ;) I was mad but I got over it once we got to Nebraska. Then all thoughts turned to how much I hate Nebraska. It's way too long. And I was also paranoid about getting pulled over again.  We still pushed it, because as Wes will tell you each 5 mph that you can go faster is another hour off of the trip, and didn't have any more encounters.

Until the next day in Illinois. But it wasn't with cops. It was with the toll road. We totally spaced getting cash for the tolls. Because they only take cash. Which makes no sense. But that's Illinois. And we have to stop every so often and pay another few dollars. For both cars. Ugh! We were able to take a voucher basically for the first two that let us pay online later but that's the most that you can pay online. So we stopped at a gas station that thankfully had an ATM. Now it was Wes' turn to be upset - this is the kind of stuff that ticks him off. We eventually made it home that day around two in the afternoon.

Our adventure wasn't over yet because then came the unpacking, cleaning, and organizing our apartment that hadn't been inhabited for three months. Thank goodness the Indiana summer hasn't been very warm, so the mustiness and bug situation wasn't nearly as bad as last year. Though our bathroom door was so swollen it wouldn't close and there was some kind of mushroom/fungus growing out of the carpet and the door jam by the bathroom. There was a leak from the ac in the apartment above, but that's all been taken care of now.

Time is a very strange thing. Once we got back, it felt like we never left South Bend. The only evidence that we had gone home were the memories in our heads because time keeps moving forward whether you go along with it or not. And time has brought us our third and final year at Notre Dame. Oh my goodness! We are so close! And I am ready for the time to speed by. But not too fast that we can't have a little fun and really make the most of our time left in South Bend.

So back to the grind we go. Wes jumped right back into school. It's going to be another good semester for him. And I'm back at the call center. But it's good. I feel a renewed motivation and have some good things to work towards. A pay raise can do that for you. It's back to the late hours, but I'm already used to it again.

We were released from our callings in the Plymouth Branch and so we are back in the Notre Dame ward. We're sad to not see our friends down in Plymouth anymore, but are excited to make new friends.

We had a great summer. We have been so blessed with how well things have fallen into place. And we will continue to have a great year. Now that the sadness has worn off, I'm excited. I'm excited to plow through these last few months and make the drive across the country one last time. I'm glad to be back in our apartment with all of our stuff. I missed my piano and my guitar! I've taken a hiatus from songwriting, but I'm feeling that itch inside me to start again. And most of all I'm glad to still have Wes by my side through everything. He's the reason why I'm Indiana, and it has been, and will always be, worth every second.

Thanks for reading and following along, and most importantly thanks for your love and support! So here's to another school year with a new look for the blog and more adventures and stories from Anna and Wes!

UTAH

We got back from Manhattan on Thursday afternoon. Unpacked to repack everything in the mustang, did laundry, bought some snacks and went to bed by eight. Got up at three and drove straight through from Indiana to Utah. We've gotten to know I-80 really well. We made it Friday night around eleven that night to the Harward's and began our summer!

I went right back to work on Monday. Liberty Mutual was good enough to let me transfer to a local office for the summer. What a blessing! I really enjoyed my time in the Riverton office. I met a lot of great people and continued to work hard at my job. It was also nice to work a regular nine to five shift and no weekends for a few months.

Wes started his job at the firm the following week. He absolutely loved working at Stoel Rives. The work, the people, the paycheck, everything! I loved being able to see his excitement and hear it in his voice as he would tell me what he could about his work. I am so happy that he loves what he has chosen to do professionally.

He worked in the Chase tower downtown Salt Lake, and I visited him on occasion to meet up for dinner and stuff. We got to go to several different firm activities and sponsored events such as dinners, a Real Salt Lake game, and a concert at Dear Valley. It was nice to get a taste of the future that we will have with this firm.

Between my job and Wes' we stayed very busy, but we did find time to see family and friends. And golf of course. We golfed once, if not twice, every week, and often with my brother Steve and my dad. I have really learned to love the game, and I improved so much over the course of the summer! We had a blast trying out different courses all around Utah.

Some other highlights would include my 23rd birthday, Wes' 26th, our 2nd anniversary, buying a 2nd car for me, and the many summer holidays and family get togethers. Our birthdays and anniversary were pretty low key this year because of our Manhattan trip and buying a jeep liberty for me, but still another great year celebrated together!

We stayed with Wes' parents for the first part of the summer and then moved in with Cassi and Logan into their beautiful new home. We are so grateful for their hospitality and loved being able to stay with family. We were all so busy we hardly got to do much together, but it was still a lot of fun.  We just barely missed the birth of baby Shad by a couple of weeks. He looks darling from the pictures and we can't wait to meet the little guy.

We saw my family frequently as well on random weeknights and for Sunday dinners. There are several summer birthdays in the Peterson family so we had lots of celebrations and parties. I was also reunited with my cousin Becca who had returned from her mission in February!

It was just good to be home. In every sense of the word. Utah is my home. It's where I was raised, where my family still lives, and it's where I want to be. The summers at home these last two years have been such a great way to recharge my batteries. I've liked Indiana and I wouldn't trade my time here with Wes for anything, but that still doesn't make it hard for a girl from the West to be away from everything she loves and knows to be stuck in the Midwest. I miss the mountains and the dry heat. I miss the familiarity and the community. I miss my favorite local restaurants and all of the things to do. I forget about a lot of those things, except for the missing people, when I'm in South Bend and so it all comes back to me when I'm home. I'm so grateful that it's only eight months until we'll be back for good! We've never lived permanently in Utah as Anna and Wes, so I'm looking forward to that time.

The summer months always seem to go too fast. It was over before we knew it. We were able to squeeze in last bbq's and a camping trip and golf and then it was time to go...

Manhattan

It's been a little while. Time to sum up the last four months...First up, Manhattan.

That city is simply incredible. I now understand the draw and the desire to be there. Truly a one of a kind place.

We flew out on a Friday morning with our friends Baley and Ryan and made it to the city by lunchtime. Took a taxi from the airport to our hotel. Oh the hotel... It was a great location for our nonstop trip but it was tiny and old and hot and literally at the back door of the Ritz. We can all laugh about it now, but at the time it wasn't the funniest. Anyway, we dropped off our bags and headed out to explore Times Square.

I'll be honest - my first impression was "It's so dirty and it smells like cigarettes and garbage!" Hahaha but I got over that quickly and the city eventually stole my heart. And I stopped looking down at the ground and started looking up. Up to not run into people and up to look at all of the amazing buildings! It's shocking how massive they are!

So anyway, Times Square. Our first stop was Hard Rock Cafe because we were starving. I know Hard Rock is not just in NY, but this was my first time eating there, and it was delicious. I soon found out that everything just tasted better in NY. Then we just wandered around all of the stores. There is so much to see. And I am awful at remembering to take pictures. I may get around to posting some but Baley is the photographer and you should wander over to her blog to see pics. That night was all about Wicked at the Gershwin theater. Oh my goodness!!! It is worth all of the hype because it is an amazing show! Still my favorite show we saw and the highlight of the trip for me.

Saturday was spent on 5th avenue. And this was Wes' favorite day because he bought his briefcase. From Tiffany's. Very fancy :) It was fun to window shop and guess the prices of sometimes hideous articles of clothing. I kept thinking how much my sister Rachel would love to be in the fashion district! She lives and breathes this stuff. We saw Aladdin on Broadway that night.  Another fantastic show!

Sunday was spent in Central Park at the Metropolitan. A single afternoon is not nearly enough time to explore this place. Seeing the history and the art was incredible. We took a breather and then had reservations at Tavern on the Green. What a beautiful restaurant. And delicious food! And a very pleasant way to spend Mother's Day.

Monday was our very touristy day at the Statue of Liberty, Elis Island, and Ground Zero. I am very grateful for each of these sites and what these monuments mean. It's fitting that today is 9/11.

We went to the Top of the Rockefeller that night and saw the incredible view. The city is something else at night. When I think Manhattan, that is the first picture that comes to mind.

Our final two days were a blur of more site seeing - a carriage ride through Central Park thanks to Baley's cousin, another broadway show, Matilda, more shopping, more food, Wall Street for Wes, Chinatown, Little Italy, Grand Central Station, Junior's Cheesecake, and a boat cruise around the island, not all in that order. I came away with an I heart NY shirt, two scarves and a fake Luis Vuitton from Chinatown, the cutest wedges from Macy's and two adorable Dooney and Burke handbags, and a love for the city that will never go away.

Everything about the trip was perfect, and we loved having our friends with us! I also loved watching Wes in his element. This was his third trip and he was an excellent tour guide. I know that if he wasn't married and didn't want to have a family he would most definitely be working his way to a large firm in the city. But I'm glad that I am married to him and he doesn't have to work the ridiculous hours and we can just visit this place we both love often.

The week long adventure made my feet and ankles swell up like a grandmas and Wes' heels were literally bruised from all of the nonstop walking.  This made for a welcome drive across the country where we got to sit down for a whole day.  But really. This drive from Indiana to Utah was one of the easiest and quickest things ever. But I'll save the rest of that for part two: Utah!