quick update

Hello All!

Just thought I'd write a quick post tonight, because its been a while. Sorry about that, but I've been extremely tired and really nauseous. If its possible (and I didn't think it was) I'm even sicker with this baby then I was with Brianna. Maybe that means it will stop before I deliver this one (unlike with Brianna) But overall I can't complain...I'm excited that so far this pregnancy has been uneventful and will hopefully stay that way. I have another doctors appointment a week from Thursday, so hopefully all continues to go well.

We've enjoyed our long weekend...but wow did it go fast. Friday night we headed to Rockford to see Minus Six, and it was a great show...as usual! We ended up staying at Bob and Nancy's because Bob was going to play golf with his dad early the next morning. So Brianna and I hung out with Nancy while Bob and Bob played golf. Then we met up with Ben & Amanda at the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. Brianna loved it there...although the lions roaring scared her a bit. Sunday we had a pretty relaxing day at home, played some Candyland (which Brianna LOVES). And today we spent more time at home watching movies, playing outside, and Bob and Nancy came over for dinner and brought Brianna her new tricycle. She had a blast riding it until dark. That pretty much sums up our weekend. We had a great time together, but as always it went way too fast. I've uploaded some new pictures (I know its been awhile). I'll try to post again soon!

Hope you all had a great weekend! And Happy Tuesday to you all!

(this is pretty much how I feel about the weekend being over too! :o)

Hi Jeff! :o)

One last thing...I found out this week that a high school friend's 7 month old daughter has cancer. She started chemo on Saturday. Please keep her in your prayers (if you pray or in your thoughts or whatever you do for this sort of thing) I'm sure they would appreciate any extra prayers they can get. Thanks!

changes...

Just a few changes to our little home on the internet to reflect the changes going on in our ever-growing family. Yup...you got it, there is going to be another little Carroll. We just got done sharing the news with our families so now we're sharing it with you! We've got a few months to go (December 31st is the due date)...but so far so good. :)

Hope all you moms had a great Mother's Day. Lots of love to all of you, I'm off to bed, its been a busy weekend.

five...

3:00am...Mom comes into the bedroom where Angie and I were sleeping (well Angie was sleeping...I was laying in the dark, mind racing) and says "It's time to get up...." I hop out of bed with a big smile on my face saying "I'm getting married today!!!" Angie buries her head under the pillow and says something to the effect of "are you serious, it is 3am"

The next few hours are a whirlwind of hair, makeup, putting on my dress. At 9am we arrive at church for pictures. I see Bob and smile, thinking to my self...what a lucky girl I am that he picked me. I can tell he is nervous, pacing back and forth...but not me, I've never been so calm in all my life. Decisions have never come easy to me, but this is one that I never thought twice about (even 2 days before the wedding when we had a big fight about the seating chart ;o)

As the doors open, my dad and I arm and arm ready to walk down the isle, I looked at the little church...the church where I was baptized, had my first communion, and was confirmed, the church that holds so many memories of my life, filled with our friends and family, those who love us and have supported us and I smiled, and then I looked down the aisle to my future husband, and my heart skipped a beat. That is one of the moments of my life that I want to freeze, to be able to feel that moment forever. To feel the love in that little church, it’s the kind of memory that on the darkest days makes me smile.

The rest of the day was just as perfect. Oh I'm sure something went wrong...but I don't know what. All I remember is the dancing, laughing, and being surrounded by the people we love most in this world.

Now, if you had asked me then if I thought I could love Bob more than I did at that moment, I probably would have said no. But 5 years later, I can tell you that I love him so much more than I did that day. Everyday I think there is no way I can possibly love him more, and then he does something...something small that it probably seems like I take for granted, and something that even he doesn't think means very much, and its those things that make me fall into bed each night knowing that I love him more than I did yesterday.

I don't know what I ever did to deserve someone like him, most days I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything to deserve him, but I am lucky enough to have him and I'm not letting him go.

Bob and I are very different, some days I think we're too different, we bicker about dumb stuff like any couple does, but in the end our differences make us stronger. I'd like to think I've helped him become a little more flexible and spontaneous, and I know he's made me a better planner. He's helped me more than he even realizes find the confidence in myself that I've been missing for a long time. He's always my biggest cheerleader, even when I feel like I've failed. My life without him would be empty.

No words have meant as much to me as those I said 5 years ago today as I stood there in that little church filled with our family and friends and said "I, Amber, take you, Bob, to be my husband...."

Happy Anniversary Baby!
I love you!

new pictures

New pictures posted...enjoy :)

Knox

(Edited to Add: I wrote this post about 6 months ago, not sure why I revisited it today, maybe because its Flunk Day, and the memories are rushing back, or maybe I'm just extra sappy today...who knows...anyway, I'm finally posting it. Love you girls!)

I'm sure you're all anxiously awaiting my post about homecoming (I see your eyes rolling over there). Anyway, I'm not going to write so much about homecoming as I am about Knox in general and my experience there. I apologize in advance if i sound like a summary of the admissions material, but I swear no one paid me to say this (although...really they should) :o) As we were driving back Sunday after the homecoming festivities, I realized how lucky I am that I attended Knox. And not just for the obvious reason of meeting Bob. Obviously that is a huge part of why Knox has a special place in my heart. I still in my heart think that Bob and I would have met somewhere along life's journey...but who knows if we would have ended up where we are today. I gained so much from my 4 years at Knox...a quality education and an abundance of debt...to name a couple. But more than that, I gained another family. I have five amazing women in my life that I am privileged to call my friends. Five strong, kind, compassionate women, who are so different and yet all of our differences seem so small when we're together. We've had and still have so much fun together. We've seen each other through ups and downs over the last 9 years, we've cried together, laughed together (a lot), yes...even fought with each other. But somehow we always come back together. I don't really have any college memories that don't include at least one of these women...and most of them include all of them. The are the first ones I called (after immediate family) when Bob and I got engaged, they were some of the first people to know when I was pregnant and they were some of the first people I called after Brianna arrived (even though most of them didn't believe me that she was actually here). These women are my family, and in turn their husbands and boyfriends have also become my family. I look forward to get togethers with them from the moment they are planned. They are one of the most important things I take away from my time at Knox. I value the education I received at Knox...but the friendships I took away from my four years at Knox will last long after my diploma is covered with dust and my debt is all paid off. They have made my life better by being in it. I love you girls! Thank you for your friendship....life is so much more colorful with you in it!