Sunday was my parents' 40th wedding anniversary! In this day in age, 40 years is quite the accomplishment, so my brother, sister, and I decided to throw them a big bash to celebrate their blessed day. However, we wanted to pull off a surprise party, so we planned the event for Saturday night, and my parents believed they were going to dinner with their best friends.
Stressful though it may have been at times during the planning, it was all worth it when my mom and dad walked through the doors and everyone yelled "SURPRISE!" It literally took my mother 20 minutes to get her wits about her, as she fought back tears and worked to overcome the surprise she felt.
I have to say that my parents not only raised 4 great children (yes, I said 4), they also have some of the most wonderful friends in the world. I have grown up watching them all with awe -- they are all unique and each couple has its quirks, but they all celebrate life in such a way that you can't help but have a good time when you are around them. I have grown up to be the person I am because of the community of friends surrounding me, and as one of my parents' friends likes to tell me, he is honored that the children of his friends have grown up to be his friends as well.
All of these wonderful friends and family members contributed to the party by bringing a dish of food, and we had gnocchi and cake as well. There was so much food left over at the end of the night, we could have left it for the Superbowl party the next day! I can't express my gratitude to those who attended and especially to those who brought a dish of food with them.
My contribution to the party was a replica of my parents' wedding cake. I had to use a 40-year-old picture (see above) to get the design, and it lacked some definition, but I think I managed to make a smaller-scale version of the cake. I was pleased with it, and I am awfully picky about my cakes. And more importantly, mom and dad were happy to see it. They even cut it and relived their wedding day by shoving it up each others' noses!
Meanwhile, Rachel has been her usual adorable self. She received some princess dress-up jewelry and some "clacker" shoes (as she calls them) for Christmas. She looks so ladylike, with the exception of the nose-scratching! She is obsessed with her Leapster Explorer game. I love it because it is educational. She is learning to count, learning to write her letters, and every day she continues to amaze me with what she knows! She is very much a visual learner, and she watches the game do something and then attempts to do it herself. I am so proud of her!
Baby #2 was moving a little bit a week or two ago, but I haven't felt as much lately. I think it will pick up quite a bit over the next few weeks. I go to the doctor for my 16-week check up on Valentine's Day. I am excited to hear the heartbeat again, in the absence of feeling the movement. Duane and I tried brainstorming some names the other day...let's just say it didn't go well. He is looking for a name with meaning, possibly something Italian to represent my heritage. I hated all the Italian boy names and the girl names he suggested weren't what I would prefer. He felt dejected after a while, so he gave up. I will have to try to find some "meaningful" names and make a list so we can narrow it down from there. Luckily we have about 5 months, and we just have to get it narrowed down to 2 names of each gender.
Things with the pregnancy have gotten better. My nausea has faded to almost nothing, my energy is back, and I am popping out just slightly (see 14-week photo to your left). I need to start exercising -- I sound like a broken record about that, but I just can't make it to the gym after work because Duane's car is out of commission and his van doesn't have a back seat, so he can't pick up Rachel.
Speaking of Duane, it appears that he got a big promotion at work! We are thrilled. Nothing is in writing yet, but his Regional Manager announced it on a conference call with all the other regional managers, and apparently they think the world of him at his company. So one of us is being rewarded for our hard work! Maybe he will get a company car so I can get back to the gym...
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