Here we go again...

Last night, while I was helping Mom and Dad set up their Mission blog (yes, you read that right...) I realized that I hadn't written on my blog in a while. So...here we go again!

Since I last wrote, I moved up in the City Library. I am now an Assistant Librarian on Level 2 at the Main branch. I love it! It has been the best job I have ever had and I am so grateful I got it. It has also been a blessing since...

Eric and I are expecting our first baby in one week! Being an Aide was getting hard on my growing belly and aching back so it was a huge blessing for me to get this position. I also haven't had any morning sickness or anything else that would make it hard to work so I have been able to accrue lots of sick and vacation time that I can use for my FMLA leave. Life as an Assistant Librarian is interesting. Mostly because of the location. Being downtown we get all sorts of people. Many a stranger has asked about the pregnancy and many an interesting story has been told to my family.

Baby Higgins is due March 23rd and we couldn't be happier! Well, except for Mom and Dad. They announced their desire to go on a mission since Mom retired last year and Dad the beginning of this year. We convinced them to postpone their leaving from February to April so they could be here for Baby Girl's birth. Poor Mom and Dad are crushed to leave their two little grandgirl's but excited to serve the Lord in Vina del Mar, Chile for the next year and a half.  They have been brushing up on their Spanish (or learning it in Mom's case) and will report to the MTC April 4th and fly out April 11th. Needless to say, Mom is hoping Baby Girl comes a little early so she gets more time with her. Finding names for Baby Girl has been hard and we have yet to pin one down and probably won't until she comes. Eric is coming to terms with being a daddy and grows more excited with each passing day.

Because we are expecting our first baby, I have been writing in my pregnancy journal rather than this blog. It has been an exciting couple of months for Eric and I. We moved into my parent's house since they will be gone and said goodbye to our little apartment at the U.

Soon, I will post my pictures of the pregnancy and my maternity pictures so stay tuned. Eric has been painting the baby room jungle/safari style and is almost finished so those pictures will also be coming soon. 

Four month catch up.

I have been terrible lately about blogging so here we go; I get to play four month catch up.

Since my last post I have:

• gotten a new job at the City Library! I love it :)
• graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's degree in English (okay, so technically I won't officially graduate for another two weeks, but it is practically over, so there).
• been released from Boy Scouts.
• taken many pictures.
• played lots of fun games.
• stayed up late a lot...
• loved my Zumba class.
• celebrated holidays.
• watched season 1 of Castle (for writing inspiration of course ;).
• visited Grandma King in Idaho.
• read many books (including, The Spook's Apprentice series, the first few books of Wheel of Time, Clockwork Angel, Elantris, and more).
• crocheted and cross-stitched (I also started an embroidery project [Frodo and a quote on a canvas bag!] but I ran out of thread and need to get more before I finish it).
• carved soap and painted birdhouses for date nights.
• spent time with family and friends.
• enjoyed watching movies on our new TV! (Thanks Steven!)
• written more snippets and short stories, as well as, starting several new novels.

There has been much laughter, tears, frustration, and joy. Goals were set and progress made. That is about it. Four months summed up in half a page of writing. :)

Bathroom Key Kelptomaniac

Strangest thing happened at work today. We had a guy come in at 6:30 am to look around the dark store...can't you see the lights are off and we are closed? The Coffee Garden is open this early not the bookstore. Why are you browsing when you obviously have no intention of buying anything. Whatever, dude.

Random Updates and Projects of Mine

Today, while I was working on my essay for Shakespeare, it hit me that I haven't posted an update about Eric and me in a couple months. Shame on me. People might begin to wonder if we were still alive. So here I am, writing an update for all you wonderful readers. 

Zombies, Shirts, and Obsessions

I had another Walking Dead dream last night.

August PhotoADay

I can't believe August is already here.  Here is the next month of prompts.  It is always fun to see your pictures!  Let me know if you have any suggestions of prompts you would like to see in the future!  For those who start school this month...good luck; to those who are done or don't have school...you suck.

@CarlyHiggins21    #sheepswifephotoaday

Bears, Birthdays, and Rashes

     I can tell that June is going to be a crazy month for us for the rest of our lives.  So much happens during this month; Eric, Krysta, Krissy, Kalli, and I celebrate our birthdays, and Krissy/Merek and Mom/Dad celebrate their anniversaries.  Eric has had a rough month, but I got a new job!  I now work at Eborn Books in Salt Lake.  I can take Trax there and back home, so it makes it very nice car/gas wise.  I am so excited to be working and making some money, and Eric is too, although I come home smelling strongly of the coffee shop next door. 

July PhotoADay Prompts

I have made the next list of prompts for the month of July!  Good luck and remember to tap into your creative side!  Happy Independence Day and enjoy the fireworks and BBQs!
@CarlyHiggins21   #sheepswifephotoaday

June PhotoADay Prompts

I love PhotoADay challenges.  They give me something to do and allow me to be creative and use my brain.  So I decided to make my own because I wanted my own hashtag.  Feel free to join me. 

@CarlyHiggins21   #sheepswifephotoaday

Eric's Inner Archer

A couple weeks ago, Eric bought this green jacket that makes him look like an elf and an archer.  Over Memorial Day weekend Eric and I watched the house and dogs for my parents while they went up to Idaho.  Eric and I were sitting in lounge chairs outside in the sunshine when my eyes happened upon the yellow target in the garden surrounded by hay bales that you can shoot at.

It's only...I mean already been a year?

Yep, you read correctly.  It's only...I mean already been a year since Eric and I married each other in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.  For our anniversary we went out to eat at Culver's and relaxed in a hot tub at my parents' house afterward.  Then we watched Wall-E because why not?  We wanted to get away, but nice hotels cost you your firstborn child so we went camping in his parents' backyard instead.  Yes, we set up a tent, roasted marshmallows, read around the campfire, and tried to sleep in the cold with the sprinklers occasionally hitting us.  It was great.  Oh, and I made him take super awesome pictures with me.  See?

The Higgins' Wild Animals

On Pinterest a while back I saw this cute whale someone had painted that took up three canvases.  I decided it was simple enough that I could paint it, but I wanted a giraffe instead.  Here is my super simple sketch of what I wanted it to look like.

Revenge of the Carpet

Last night Eric and I went to bed as usual.  While we are cuddling, he remembers he needs to do something.  He sits up and scoots to the edge of the bed.  I close my eyes, rest my head on the pillow and think about the Relief Society activity with Hilary Weeks that morning, my cross-stitch project, school next week, homework I still need to do, church tomorrow, the...

"Agghh!"

Playing with Cayden

Yesterday, Cayden, my 4 year old nephew, wanted to play a game he called, 'Police.'  Thus follows our conversation when he pulled on my arm while I was talking to Krysta, and insisted he had 'captured me.'

From Ghetto to Great!

Sometimes, I feel like Eric is a child bringing home small animals and wanting to keep them.  I never know what is going to be brought through my door next.  One day he walked in with these metal legs to a kitchen table that fit perfectly in our apartment.  

Photoshop and Tablet Magic!

This is kind of a random post that I have been wanting to do for a while.  I have been finding tutorials on Pinterest that teach you how to make your photos better.  So I tried them out on a few pictures I really like with Photoshop.  There are before and after pics for the ones I noticed the most difference. 

 Also, at the end of the post are some of the drawings Eric has done on my tablet.  He wanted to show you guys.  :)

Our First Christmas Together!

It seems quite strange that Eric and I have been married for 8 months!  We spent our first Christmas trying to juggle my family and his.  I felt like we were in the middle of a tug-of-war and Eric and I were the rope!   I finished my finals a week before the big day.  Suddenly I didn't have to worry about homework and studying!  I could focus on the magic of the holidays!  (...PS Christmas is a lot better when you are a kid, growing up isn't nearly as awesome as I thought it would be...)

Spock Eric

Eric got a haircut on Tuesday and the result was quite hysterical!   His hair which was longer than mine is now barely half an inch long.  He is an entirely new person...

The Exceedingly Long Awaited Wedding

Here are the pictures from the temple (Finally!).  They include pictures when we exit the Temple, family pictures, bridesmaid pictures, groomsmen pictures, more pictures of Eric and I, and finally, miscellaneous fun ones.  Enjoy!

Again, our colors were Seal Grey, Granite Grey, Amethyst Jewel, Deep Amethyst, and Luscious Mango 

Window scares...

For Halloween, Eric had this brilliant idea that we should open the window right next to our front door and scare people when they knock for treats.  It was fantastic :)  We got some pretty hilarious reactions!  They would scream, jump, back away, laugh, take their candy and walk away smiling.  Later in the night we heard some kids walk past and wonder if they had already been to out house. "No, we've been there.  That's the one where the lady scared us from the window, remember!"  Then they laughed and walked on.  It was a fun night needless to say.