Moved to Santa Cruz!

We packed up the important stuff...

And made it to Santa Cruz in one piece! 

Ada loves her new home, this picture is of her the first morning here.

We are almost out of boxes and I'm looking forward to hanging pictures on the walls. It's such a crazy process, moving. The day after we arrived, I put some books on my dresser. Just having them lined up and in some sort of order amidst the boxes and chaos made me feel better.

We live right on this lagoon. Ada likes watching the ducks land on it in the evening.

Having fun watching the guys from our ward help Papa unload our truck. 

I was so impressed with how many guys showed up. They didn't know us before we moved here. Not only did they give of their time, but many brought their young sons along. It was so neat to see these good fathers teaching their sons about service and the true essence of charity by their own examples.

I was thinking what I would say if anyone asked us who helped us move in. I would have told them that they were my brothers! That's what we truly are, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Some notes about Santa Cruz:

- I have seen more beards and dreadlocks in my one week living here than in the rest of my 26 years on this planet!

- Everyone in our ward has been so welcoming and sweet. They have gone out of their way to help us, include us, and make us feel important. The next two years are going to be wonderful because of them.

- We are so close to the ocean that the difference in temperature is staggering. It will be 72 during the day and then 50 at night. Brr!

- We saw a Mystery Machine today, it looked exactly like the one from Scooby Doo! Although Matt said that the guy needed to repaint it, it was looking a little "Shaggy" har-har! 

- I also have seen more people dancing and talking to themselves in the grocery store than anywhere else I've been before!

This Face

is awesome.

I'm so glad I caught it on camera :)

We have been busy around here...

entertaining guests

playing at the beach

cleaning and packing boxes

soaking up our last days of summer on the central coast

spending time with family & friends

scouring craigslist for part-time jobs

working (that's for Matt)

& raising a very busy baby girl!

I still have lots of catch-up blogging to do...but don't know when the mood will strike to do so. 

I've had a Kauai post saved for a while, but the pictures are all wrong.

Anyone else having trouble in blogger? I think it's the new publishing format.

It's not letting me drag and drop pics like I want to.

Anyway, we are moving next Wednesday.

Matt & I make a good team, he likes putting boxes together & I like packing them. 

It's like a game, to see how well I can make things fit. Like a puzzle. Anyone with me on that one? It's like rearranging to see how many dishes you can fit in the dishwasher at once

It feels like we just.did.this.

Santa Cruz here we come!

Oops...

So one of two things has happened here.
1. They have our car confused with the neighbors on the other side that blast metal music late at night.
or
2. They are referring to the night we were drilling down squeaky floorboards before the new carpet was put in.

Either way...
At least we know how to spell!

Sandy's New Home!

After living at my mom's house for 12-13 years, Sandra Lucille Johnson Miller has moved!
She now resides with Matt & I :)
Here she is sniffing out her new digs.

She's out to discover!

Look at that speckled tongue hanging out! She was so curious and trotting from room to room.

All pooped out after inspecting every inch of her new home.

I think she's gonna like it here :)

29 Weeks...7 1/4 months

Here's a picture of my cankles! They appeared after 4 hours of sleep and 8 hours of packing, cleaning, and moving in 105 degree heat.

Here I am the day before the big move, taking a break from packing & the heat in the Hammett's kiddie pool. It was HOT! We will never forget the time we moved during the worst heat wave of the year!

Trying to be a good sport and smile :)

How far along? 29 weeks
Total weight gain: 15 lbs!
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Yes, please! Naps after a day of hard work are lovely.
Best moment this week: Having a classroom full of first graders say, "Awwwe!" in unison when I told them my baby is a girl :)
Movement: Is constant! She's crazy. I love it. I was pushing her elbow (possibly shoulder?) yesterday and she was fighting back.
Food cravings: Nothing too specific as of recent. I just like food in general :)
Gender: Girl.
Labor Signs: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Not being winded after walking up stairs!
What I am looking forward to: Wearing my old jeans.
Weekly Wisdom: They need to turn the A/C on in Sacrament Meeting. There are just too many hot bodies in there for a pregnant lady to handle!
Milestones: My mom bought Ada's crib for us yesterday! Can't wait to put it together :)

Baby is now the size of a squash!
Baby's energy is surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath her skin. And since she's growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), things are getting kind of cramped in the womb. What all this means for you: Get ready for some more kicks and jabs to the ribs.

We're Alive!

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves :) 

Poor, tired hubby.
I'll catch up on everything soon...