The Bargain Table!

Since we have lived here we have been borrowing our good friend Bethany's table and chairs. We needed to save up some money and figure out what we even wanted to buy so she was kind enough to lend us hers. Well, last fall when we went shopping for couches (because we were also borrowing Bethany's couches she is so great!) we found this great table. It is counter height and has this cool leaf that folds down into the middle of the table so you do not have to store the leaf anywhere and the table can seat 8. It was more than we wanted to spend so we decided to keep using Bethany's stuff until she came home to Greeley from Egypt in June. Well, it turns out that the principal from my school this year is moving with her family down to Guatemala to teach for the next 2 years and was selling lots of their stuff for super great prices. So we went to look at their table a few weeks ago and it was the exact one that we wanted!! When we were looking at it in the store it was over 600 dollars for the table and 6 chairs. We got the table and 6 chairs from my principal for 250 dollars. We are really glad that we waited to buy something. We were amazed at how much stores charge for each chair. Since we are about to have kids we didn't want anything too fancy and I really like the counter height tables. Next we need to buy some stuff for Jared and his siblings to follow. We are hoping we can find some great deals on Craigslist.

Carrying on the Spencer Family tradition...

So we went to our ultrasound appointment today and found out that we will be meeting Jared this October! We went into the technicians office and the first picture that came up on the screen was Jared announcing who he was and very clearly too! Mark had guessed a boy and I was going with a girl I think mostly just because I really like the name Lydia Grace and because all of Mark's siblings who have had children have all had boys first so I wanted to be the first to have a girl first but the Spencer tradition is a strong one! So good work to all those who guessed it was Jared. We are super excited to know!

JARED!

Its so fun to see him!

It appears that Jared is one cooperative and healthy little boy. The technician was a very nice lady and she really liked Jared for making her job so easy. She got all of the pictures that she needed right away and spent a lot of time making sure we saw all that we wanted to see. From the ultrasound Jared is developing just right. It was so awesome to see his little heartbeat (a good looking 4 chamber heart) and I loved seeing his little feet (not club whatever that is, the technician said that was good). We even got to see pictures of his brain! It was so cool. Right after we saw that it was Jared he held up one little finger saying he was number 1! So cute! Its amazing to me all the things that the technician could point out so easily and I am so grateful that this technology is available so we could see that Jared is doing really well. What a relief. Now we just have to wait until October!

Here he is number 1!

A Sudden Realization

Yesterday Mark and I went out to breakfast to celebrate the end of the school year. As we were waiting for our food to arrive I suddenly realized that more than likely I would not work full time again outside of our home for the next 12-13 years and even if I did work after the next 12 years it would be part time at least for awhile! I have been working somewhere full or part time since I was 15 almost 16 years old, 10 years now. It all started at Sutter Movie theater in Yuba City, California and continued through Idaho, Utah, Egypt, and Colorado. It would be cool to figure out how much money I made through the past decade but I do not like math so there is no way I am going to try to figure that one out.
The other realization I made was that, since Mark and I didn't have amazing salaries this past year here in Colorado, next fall when I am not working his salary alone will be more than what we made the past 10 months combined this year. Its really nice to know that when I am not working we will not be making less money. Its nice because it makes it easier to know that me staying home will not bring a huge salary decrease. We will make more! And fortunately, since we have not been making a lot of money we do not have an extravagant lifestyle so we won't all of a sudden have all these financial worries. I understand that there will be lots of other worries and that life will become more expensive but the nice thing is that salaries do increase over time (albeit very slowly for teachers). We will never be rich but we will be okay!
I am really looking forward to staying home with our kids. I know there will be days when I will want to be amongst other adults and maybe out working or just being stimulated somewhere but overall I think I am totally getting the better deal. My Mom was able to stay home with us kids for about 13 years and she always tells me how happy she was that she got to stay home with us. She started working when I was old enough to go to school since I was the youngest. Mark and I figure that we want to have 3 kids, somewhere around 2 years apart so 3 times 2 = 6, then add at least 6 years to that last kid who is born and there you go, 12 years! I think when I do go back to work I would like to work at a school somewhere so I have a similar schedule to our kids. Who knows how everything will work out but it is strange to think that I will not be going back to work this fall at a school or anywhere else.
We really are looking forward to this next phase of our life challenges/adjustments and all! Mark and I have had a lot of time to enjoy each other and just be with each other, almost 5 years, its been so nice! We have gotten to do so much and really just be together, the two of us so we really are excited for this October and all the subsequent ones too!

Taking a Poll and the last day of school!

As most of you are aware (because I write about it all the time) we find out on the 26th who is coming this October. I put a poll on the side of our blog and would love for people to guess. I am really not showing a whole lot but if you scroll down there is a picture of me from Mother's Day weekend. People at school have asked all kinds of questions about my eating habits and how I feel and none of my answers seem to make people think its one or the other.
AND today was the last day of school! Hooray!! As I finished my lunch duty with the 5th graders today I walked back into the building and just wanted to shout out to everyone that I never had to do lunch duty with those kids again, it was such a great feeling. I do have school tomorrow but there are no students so I will just be helping people pack up their classrooms and organizing stuff in the office. I hope there are enough things to keep my busy so the day goes by fast. My principal checked me out of my room today so I am in the clear! Its been a decent job but I repeat, I am so excited I do not have to see those 5th graders again.

18 weeks and 3 days!

Today I had another doctor's appointment and everything is going really well. My blood pressure and weight gain are on target and the baby is moving around although I have yet to feel it. What a relief! I had no reason to think there were any problems but I love going and being told by a medical professional that everything looks good and to get to hear our baby's heartbeat. Today Mark actually got to come with me because I got an appointment after 3:00 so he got to hear the heartbeat for the first time so he was very excited. It's just so reassuring to go and next week, a week from today we find out who is coming! Hooray!
In other news, last week my school threw a baby shower for me and one other teacher which was really super nice of them! So I got all kinds of fun things, all very neutral.

This week is also the last week of school so that is really exciting too. I have been thinking about the job that I have had this year and decided that it really has been a decent job. The last month really ruined the year for me because I had those rotten 5th graders. If I had not had to teach a class to them I would be fine with going to school for another 2-3 weeks! I am so happy I do not have to teach them anymore. What pains! So this week I am teaching my 3rd graders and working with the preschoolers and packing up the room. Its been nice. I do love organizing things.
Mark is still applying for any history job that comes up. He does have an interview tomorrow at a high school in Fort Collins which is a really good school district which also makes it a very competitive one so while we are happy he has the interview I am tyring to not get my hopes up too high. Please think good thoughts for us! A middle school job was also posted today in Fort Collins and Mark was reading about the school and principal and the principal graduated from.... Brigham Young Univeristy. Which doesn't have to mean anything but it would be great if it did! So that is a little update about us. Life is treating us really well!