Generosity of the South

Jason and I went to the NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation) chapter banquet tonight.  They do a big live auction, silent auction, drawings, raffles, and a bbq dinner there, and all the money goes to the NWTF for the benefit of the wild turkey and other wild animals.  Anyway, they had bunch of really nice prints on canvas and different other items for sale.  I had my eye on one specific print, but I knew it would go out of my price range... but we decided to bid on it anyway.  Well, I went $60 over my previously determined max bid for myself, and still got outbid, so I was pretty bummed because I fell in love with the print the more I looked at it throughout the night.  Turns out, the generosity of the South kicked in and several guys from Jason's hunting website bought it for us!  WOW... I can't even express how grateful and surprised we both were... I cried.  Way to make the pregnant lady cry lol... but here it is.

The picture definitely doesn't do it justice, but it's a man and his son turkey hunting, with the background of a flag and a Desert Storm veteran.  The artist of this print did an entire series of these with veteran from several wars, and this one was his last one; he's not doing any more of this veteran series, so it's even more special to have it.  It's gorgeous, and I'm glad we have some GREAT people down here that supported us and understand what it's like to be a veteran.  There were even a couple of people there at the banquet that told Jason if they had won it, they would have given it to him too... WOW.

Along with that print, I won this little painting in the silent auction.  It's painted on a turkey feather, and it less than 12 inches long, to give you some perspective.  The flash is kind of in the way, but there is a barn and silo that you can kind of see too... I liked it, and it wasn't bid too high, so I decided to bid on it thinking maybe someone would outbid me, but they didn't. :)  How nice!
So those were our most recent additions to the house.  Like I said, we're pretty blessed to have a 5th, 6th, 8th family with the tnturkey.com members, and they never cease to surprise me!  Thanks guys, we really appreciate it!

PS... The auction people took pictures of us with the print and of the people that bought it with us and the print.  They said they're going to put it in the paper sometime next week and are going to send us a copy, so apparently we're famous now lol.

Slacking...

I promise I will post this weekend about the recent happenings around here, although nothing too exciting really.  Just been BUSY with work lately, and when I get home I'm pretty exhausted and want to rest.  But I WILL post this weekend for real!

Baby Appointment

Jason and I attended our first appointment for the baby yesterday. Yes, I AM pregnant they said, in case there was any question about it, and tomorrow I will be 8 weeks. They said my due date is Sept 25th, so I was only a day off of what I thought it would be. :) The doc said she doesn't see any reason why I would have any sort of high risk pregnancy, and things are looking good so far. They took my blood for all sorts of tests, and did a family history too. Other than that, not a whole bunch happened. :) We go back on March 11th to see how things are going. No ultrasound until 18ish weeks when we can find out what gender it is. :) Time seems to be going by quickly already!

99 Things

Kelli didn't want to be the only one to do this, and I (Rachel) thought it looked fun too... so here we go!  

 Just cut and paste it into a post and then bold the things that you have done. Count up the number and place it at the bottom.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (if school band counts)?
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (world, not land)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (twice!)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (think the cucumber picture from when I was little)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (who doesn't at Famous Dave's!)

24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (been to Venice, didn't go on a gondola because they were spendy)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (which ones?)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (I guess it doesn't take a lot)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing 
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (been to it, but didn't go to the top because we were afraid we wouldn't get back to the bus in time!)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (snorkeling in Hawaii)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (does missing you count as no reason?)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (I want to)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (oops!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (does let go because I couldn't do pushups count?)
76. Changed a light bulb
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (for a writers fair in 4th grade!)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper 
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury 
91. Met someone famous (country singer Andy Griggs goes to our church...)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (working on that lol)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

My number is 48...not too bad!  I, too, still have a few things left in life to do!  Interesting to think about though!

It's cold!

I have (or rather had, I used the last one today) a case of water in my trunk.  Every day when I get to work, I grab one out of the trunk, and then it's nice and cold and I don't ever have to worry about forgetting it at home.  Well, yesterday, I took one out of the trunk and it was not frozen at all... still completely liquid.  Then about 5 seconds later, I looked down again, and the water was foggy.  I then realized it had turned to complete SLUSH... IN 5 SECONDS!!!  I was really surprised because I have never seen water turn into ice (or at least partial ice) so quickly.  I think it was about 12 degrees yesterday morning, and today wasn't much better.  Our weather is so deceiving... you look out the window and see blue skies and sunshine, and then you go outside and it's COOOOLLLLLLDDD!!  Last weekend it was 60, then it went down to 12, and this weekend it's supposed to get back up to 55 or so.  I think it just needs to decide and quit with the yo-yo-ing!

Anyway, there's my rant for the day.  Sorry for no recent pictures lately.  We've haven't done anything interesting lol.  I go to the doctor for my first visit on the 11th, so I'm sure I'll have something to post after that... if nothing else I'll be able to say, YES I am in fact pregnant and not just crazy! :)