THANK YOU to all of you who made it to Vann’s surprise graduation party last night!! It was a huge success, and he was actually surprised, which was no small feat considering his wife is not the greatest of secret-keeper’s. I think the best part of all was the “merging of worlds”, meaning church friends, work friends, and school friends in one room, celebrating him! I am thrilled that everything turned out well and he had a wonderful time.

So yes, he is officially done. I can’t believe it, and I know that he’s in a state of shock himself. Now comes the task of getting ready for baby…yes, I know, it’s still months away, but I am a born nester, and organizing/re-arranging is what I do best. When I was a little girl and we moved into a new house, I would spend all night making my room “just so”. I love that kind of stuff!

As we drive Charlie to Tennessee next Saturday, my immediate goal for the week will be to pack her for her two week trip to Nana and JJ’s house. It’s amazing to me how much a 25 pound girl needs! Vann and I will then go on a three night getaway and afterwards return to Chicago to “get to work”. We have almost ten days here to prepare for the baby and it will be wonderful knowing Charlie is having a ball and won’t be underfoot while we are trying to get organized.

In the spirit of new beginnings, I thought I would share my “Fall Goal Checklist” with you (as keeping myself accountable is the biggest thing):

-pack up books/picture frames/extraneous things we won’t need between now and the end of the year

-make room for baby

-declutter our storage unit and PURGE!!

-“nest” for baby (buy diapers, wash newborn stuff, etc.)

-enroll charlie in a ballet class for fall

-buy/wrap/ship christmas presents prior to Thanksgiving

-pre-order baby announcements

Seems like a lot, doesn’t it?? You would think I am Type A as I thrive on this stuff and can’t wait till Charlie returns to a clean, organized, and well-appointed home. Not only that, but we have a birthday party to prepare for and some fun new toys to assemble. If you can’t tell, I am SO excited for this new chapter! We are definitely short on space, but we might as well make the best of it, and enjoy and appreciate all of the wonderful blessings God has given us.

Tomorrow Charlie and I embark on our journey to find the perfect birthday cake. Pictures to follow…not too worry…it will all be well documented! I promise to post some new pics of the girl soon!