We're Pregnant!!!

I'M PREGNANT!!! I haven't said that out loud enough, it's just too weird still. I am 15 weeks today, due on June 2, 2011. Baby is the size of an orange. Sam and I found out about as quick as you could, so we've known since I was 4 weeks and kept it quiet for 2 full months before we got to Houston for Thanksgiving and I could tell my family in person. Actually we told his parents in England via skype the weekend before. It was so fun surprising my family with not only the news that I'm pregnant but that I was already 12 weeks when I told them. The pregnancy has been great so far. I say that now sitting here with severe congestion (I read that can be normal, weird), and have been struggling with headaches. But other than that - I've only been slightly nauseous at times, no throwing up, I still have my tired moments but am out of the 1st trimester coma, and everything else has been great!

We had our first ultrasound at almost 10 weeks, you'll see the little blob below. Then our 2nd ultrasound was actually during my nuchal translucency test at 12 weeks 5 days (it's NUTS how much they change in a couple weeks) and the tech was kind enough to give me some photos! Little Pip (our baby's nickname) was sucking it's thumb. That was way too cool for me to see, it was really fun actually - the tech was letting me watch it swim around and roll over and sleep for about half an hour. Sad Sam wasn't there, no one was allowed with me during the test but he was also busy having Lasik eye surgery!

This brings me to the question "Where are you going to give birth?" Actually...we'll be back in Houston end of February/beginning of March! That is right when our visas here expire and it'll give me 3 months back in Houston before the baby comes home. I will be SOOO SAD to leave Vancouver but it will also be so great being back around family and friends AND back in our house that we only got to live in for about 3 months before moving here. I have so many ideas for the nursery!

So, I don't really have bump photos to show yet. I basically just look kinda bloated right now. Oh and we'll find out the sex in a few weeks so I'll post that news when I get it. Sam is the happiest dad-to-be and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have a husband like him, especially during something so life-changing like this! Love to you all, will post when I have another update. xoxo

"Thank you for being a friend" (RIP Blanche)

This past weekend my 4 best friends from college came to Vancouver! We try to get together at least once a year, now that we live all over the place it's not as easy to do as it use to be. Kelly flew in from LA, Abby from Houston, Katy from Minneapolis, and Christy from Dallas. Unfortunately even though it was the end of May, the weather in Vancouver was real sucky. Cold and drizzly the whole time. We made the best of it though! We had plenty of hanging out time watching old videos of us from college (so embarrassing), ate lots of sushi, drank lots of wine, went crabbing - which the girls LOVED, also spent 1 night in Seattle which was a blast. If you're ever there - go to a place called the Crab Pot, they pour all this amazing seafood all over the table and you just chow down. SO YUMMY! It was so good to have everyone here, even though 5 girls and 1 bathroom is a bit tough...Sam stayed at a friend's house half of the time, ha. I have known these girls for 12 years and I know we'll get together at 40 and watch videos from this trip and find them just as embarrassing as the videos from our 20s! LOVE AND MISS YOU GIRLS!!

Chilliwack B&B

A couple of weeks ago, Sam and I decided we needed a weekend away from the city with the dog. We especially needed a weekend together since we are pretty much away from one another the whole month of May! Me in Houston, Sam in England, now he's on his way to the Yukon, Reno, and finally my girlfriends are coming for a visit, yay! We went to this B&B in Chilliwack (1.5 hrs east of Vancouver on the Fraser River) last year and loved the owners so much and had so much fun so we knew we'd be going back. It's also such a beautiful place. We visited Harrison Hot Springs and also Bridal Falls which is the 6th biggest water fall in Canada. I heart British Columbia!!

Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

One of the many secluded coves/beaches on the island

Our little (& VERY simple) hut on the tiny island

Sunrise on our last morning on Little Corn Island

Rum & Cokes!

Me on my 30th bday

After our "life-affirming and harrowing" boat ride to the island. SO HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!!

Granada, Nicaragua photos

Katy and I trying to choose pottery after just learning how it's made by a local potter.

Sunset at the Cathedral

Katy, Bo, Sam, Tiff on top of a Spanish Fort in Lake Nicaragua.

Learning how to make cigars, turns out it's not easy...ours looked awful!

The local kids loved watching videos of themselves on my Flip.

Locals still use horses to get around, it's not all for tourists.

Gorgeous Cathedral in the Parque Central.

Dirty 30 Trip to Nicaragua

(Finally have a pic to post, sam is working on the others)
We're back from Nicaragua!!! And I'm in a new decade of my life and VERY excited about what is still to come in this short time we are all blessed with on this earth. We have 700 pictures to sort through before I can even begin to upload them to this website or anywhere else. We spent a few amazing days in Granada, pretty much the oldest city in the western hemisphere. Then we flew a tiny (scary) plane to Big Corn Island off the Atlantic Coast. After 1 night there we realized it just wasn't what we wanted so we caught the first (SCARY) boat ride to Little Corn Island, 1.5 square miles, no roads or cars, hardly any electricity, lots of backpackers, and gorgeous white sandy beaches. What an amazing trip! Lots of hilarious stories of no electricity, no toilet seats, mice, lots of pepto bismol, and never knowing what the next day would bring us. But also soo many great stories of private lagoons, dollar beers, 6 dollar lobster dinners, me being the dog whisperer to the strays, monkeys on strings, oh and i have a tan!!! What an amazing 30th birthday, couldn't have asked for a better birthday really...and getting to spend it with Sam and 2 of my best friends Katy & Bo, she turned 30 too! So much fun...I have a hankering for a rum and coke right now.

Pictures to come soon, stay tuned!!

Vacay Here We Come!

We leave in 3 days!! YAY!! I can't wait to go somewhere new, be with great friends, have lots of time with my hubby, get some sun, drink some beers, have some laughs, and see my family during our Houston layovers. I've got all my tank tops, shorts, and skirts ready to go. Lots of travel size bottles, we're up to date on our shots, and have taken our first malaria pills. They're suppose to be good for your face but of course I'm breaking out, ha. Sad to take Marley to the kennel on Monday though, that's the only part that I hate about leaving town. I'm sure I'll have lots of great photos to post when we get back...oh and I'll be 30 the next time I write, EEK!! xo to you all!

Nicaragua!

So, I kept saying that this was going to be the year that Sam and I finally take a trip. We've really only been on our honeymoon together and that's about it as far as "just us 2" vacations. I also turn 30 this year so was hoping to do something special for my big day. Well it turns out some of my bestfriends from college, Katy and her husband Bo were thinking the same thing. Long story short, tickets are booked & we're all 4 going to Nicaragua for both of our 30th birthdays in March, yay!!! Above is a picture of Big Corn Island, it's off the coast of Nicaragua, in the caribbean waters. First we'll go to Granada for a couple of days in the "city", and then we'll spend the rest of our time in huts, in the white sands, in the sun, driving golf carts, drinking $1 beers, and eating lobster every day for lunch!! They live in Minnesota and I know are getting sick of the cold gray days like we are - so it'll be a much needed trip with plenty of natural vitamin d haha, good times with friends, and a big adventure! We go to the travel clinic in a week or so and I'm hoping we don't need a bunch of shots...I at least need my tetanus, while I'm there we'll probably get malaria pills, hepatitis a shots, and maybe the h1n1...who knows. I'm terrified of needles but I figure let's just get it all over with and totally protect ourselves!

I can't wait, March 16th could not come soon enough! For now though, this beautiful city of Vancouver that we live in will be hosting the winter olympics soon and we're all praying it doesn't suck on us residents as bad as we're preparing for! I hope they show you all some great shots of this city I've grown to love and you'll all want to come visit. Let the games begin!!

Grandma Franks

To go along with what I said below about my Grandma in the previous post, here is her obituary and a couple photos.


Grandma LOVED dancing while Sam played the piano, that was our most recent favorite thing to watch in the last few years (since Sam started spending Thanksgiving with us).

Me with my 2 Grandmas, Stringfellow & Franks - at Thanksgiving a few years back.

Christmas in England, 2009

We had a great week in Witney, UK for Christmas. It was a really relaxing trip since we really didn't have anything planned but to just hang out and spend time with Sam's family and friends. We helped Sam's dad build a greenhouse in the backyard, went to the pub with Sam's friends, did a murder mystery night, opened gifts of course, ate lots of yummy food, had lots of hot tub time and Sam went on a big Blenheim Palace walk with his friends (I stayed in bed that icy morning). It was great having the entire Fisher family together for the holidays!

Unfortunately, most of the "jolliness" of Christmas was taken from me when I got news of my dad's mom dying, Grandma Franks. I was told before we left for England that she was going downhill fast. I even had the chance to try to talk to her on the phone so I'm glad I had that opportunity to talk to her one last time. She died on Christmas Eve, we all think she was just in a hurry to spend Christmas day with her beloved husband (my Grandpa died a few years back and she just hasn't been the same since). The worst part of it all is that I was unable to make the funeral in Houston. It was just scheduled too quickly and I wasn't able to change my flight. I have so many great memories with my Grandma - she gave me my first wine cooler, taught me to fish, let me eat snicker bars at midnight and taught me how to play pool! What an amazing woman, she'll be truly missed but I know she is in a happier place now! Love you Grandma and I hope you ALL had a Great Christmas!!!

The whole fam doing a silly pose, I guess I thought drinking my champagne was silly, haha. I have a "help me" look on my face.

I'm wearing about 6 of my gifts here :)

Sam shows off his new wellie boots

Snuggies for the Millers living in cold Scotland

Building a greenhouse is hard work, you need lots of hands!

The Witney Clan take on Blenheim Palace