Bump.

I started back at work today and dare I say I'm excited for the school year?!  Getting the classroom organized, sorting out all the brand new supplies, decorating the walls and door... it really got my pumped for when the kids show up next week!  I was even a little bit sad to think that I won't be here for the entire school year - leaving for a big chunk in the middle of the year when the babies are born was kind of bumming me out, even though I know I'll feel differently when they actually arrive!

Part of being back at work means that I am actually, oh you know, showering, blow drying my hair, putting on make-up, and coming up with a decent outfit to wear (which is tough when none of your clothes fit!)  I pretty much wore the same pair of yoga pants or gym shorts with tshirts all summer and for real NEVER blow dried my hair or went further than some blush in the make up department.  In fact, one day I was up at school working on some stuff and I saw one of my students from last year.  She looked at me all confused like with her head cocked to the side and said, "Are you wearing make-up??"  I told her no and she said, "You look really different!"  I told her she had never seen the {Summer Me}!

So anywho, since I made myself look presentable today, I figured why not take some pictures to document the bump!  I have not been taking photos of myself at all since getting pregnant, not really out of choice, but more out of lack of reason to get the camera out, since the summer has been so laid back.  Other than some photos on our vacations, I have no photographic evidence of the baby bump.  Until now!

6 months and some change.... or 25 weeks, for those of you familiar with this whole confusing pregnancy-week-talk.  I get confused by it all the time and have to do the math to remember if I'm five months or six months along....  Big sister pups making an appearance!

Travels

Today is my last Monday of summer break.  Oh my.  I have mixed emotions about going back to work.  I am excited to see all my work friends on the regular again, and super pumped to see my kiddos from last year, who I really have missed!  I have even been dreaming about seeing them again, which is kind of odd. I am also anxious to meet this year's new class of kids, but I kind of feel like I won't like them as much as I liked last year's class.  I know I'm going to see all the second graders and be like, "No!  Come back to first grade!  I neeeeeeed youuuuu!"

Now don't get me wrong.  I am also super bummed that summer is over.  Like everything fun and carefree, it flew by.  We have been out of town SO MUCH over the past three weeks.  It was fun to travel and get away from the Texas heat, but I am also kind of bummed that I spent so many of my last lazy days packing, unpacking, packing again, driving, flying, and just generally not at home.  It's always fun to get away, but being back at home is pretty awesome too.  My plan for this last week of break: NOTHING.  Just me, sleeping in, floating at the pool and generally not doing anything.

Here's a quick rewind of where we have been over the past several weeks.  Just looking back through it all wears me out!

At the end of July, we jetted up to Pittsburg for Mark's college roommate's wedding.  It was fun and the weather was awesome, and got to see several of Mark's OSU friends, which is always a good time.  It was the babies' first official wedding and they seemed to enjoy the festivities.  I know I enjoyed the half glass of champagne I allowed myself for the toasts.

After Pittsburg, we came home and repacked our bags for a getaway to Colorado Springs.  We met my sister and brother-in-law up in CO and spent five days in the mountains, where it rained every afternoon and the highs were in the 80's.  It was heavenly.

Here we are at the top of Pike's Peak, 14,000+ feet up in the air.  We drove up the mountain in our little rental car, which was fun and also incredibly freaky.  I felt like we were going to fall of the edge of the road several times!

We took some pit stops on the way up the mountain and walked around.  I was super out of breath and had to take breaks as we climbed up some rocks on one of the stops, but the views up top were worth the panting and chilly temps.

Bros up top.  They dressed opposite that day, can you tell?

Here's my sister and I one evening after we walked around the lake at the Broadmoor, where we stayed.  Holy cow, I cannot recommend this place enough.  It was beautiful and the staff were so friendly and nice.  Behind us is the building we stayed in.

Here's the view we woke up to each morning at the Broadmoor.  I miss those mountains and that crystal blue lake.  Sigh.

We also ate awesome the entire time we were in Colorado Springs, and even hit up one breakfast diner twice while we were there, we loved it so much.  One day we hit up the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which is a zoo on the mountain.  I don't know why my pictures didn't upload on my computer, but we got the FEED and PET giraffes!!!  It was the neatest thing ever, and I would totally recommend this zoo to everyone who travels to CO Springs.  We'll have to come back in a few (several) years with the kiddos.

Three days after getting back home from Colorado, we hit the road again, this time road-tripping it to Small Town, Kansas for a Mark's cousin's wedding.  The 17 hours in the car, there and back, were brutal on six-month pregnant me, but let it be known there were plenty of bathroom breaks and stops to get out and stretch.  The wedding was charming and sweet, the perfect little farm town shindig.  I haven't uploaded any pictures of the weekend yet, since we just got back last night, but picture sitting on hay bales while the bride and groom said their vows under a huge oak tree, and plenty of country music and cowboy boots at the reception.  I think it's safe to say that was our last big weekend out of town before the babies arrive, which is okay by me!