rodeo of the ozarks

my dad arrived this past saturday, and we decided to welcome him to arkansas with a trip to the rodeo! ben and i went last year with friends, so it was fun to see it all again. saturday was the final night of the rodeo, so we were able to see the best of the best. 

 the boys tried a fried snickers, which looked awful- but tasted not too bad.

my feet got so swollen (and dirty), and have been swollen ever since! im ready for this baby just to be able to have my feet back!

our emcee really hammed up the american pride since it was the day after the fourth. they played the Superbowl commercial "god made a farmer" and then brought out these cute kids and eventually this soldier. i may be hormonal, but will admit i shed a few tears. he said that this is what america is- kids who are our future and soldiers who defend our country.

it has been so fun to add my dad to the mix. he gets along so well with ben, and their interests are pretty identical. it's so great to never have to worry about ben getting along well with my family- sometimes i wonder if he likes them more than i do- just kidding!

if you haven't ever been to the rodeo, you are missing out. good, wholesome fun can't be beat. hope to see you next year, rodeo of the ozarks!

our local art museum

ben and i finally went to our local art museum- "crystal bridges" and took my mom! after living in northwest arksansas for the past two years, it was really pitiful that we hadn't been before so we were happy to right the wrong. crystal bridges is a local art museum sponsored by the walton family and walmart. the admission is free, and turned out to be a great outing. 

here are a few pictures of my favorite pieces of art!

this man was really creepy until we realized that he wasn't real!

ben with dolly, by andy warhol.

ben's favorite

we are still awaiting the birth of our little one and just completed day #3 of being overdue. this adventure of being "patient" has really been teaching me a lot about my need for control in life. i want so badly to begin this new phase of life, but the Lord's plan is for me to wait. everything is completely ready for this baby, but he/she seems to need to bake for a bit longer.

my dad arrives today, and we are thrilled for the addition of his company. originally, we had thought that this visit would be to meet our baby- but now he will hopefully be able to experience the birth of our little one. our fingers are crossed! :)

happy 4th!

the fourth came before our baby, so we decided to still celebrate america's birthday! it also just happens to be ben's favorite holiday, ever. ben, my mom, and i packed up and headed to west fork, ar to enjoy the sun, creek, and good ol' arkansas.

 

after the creek, we came home and recharged for a bit before heading to a friends house to grill out. i made a blackberry-blueberry pie, which felt all-american.

the boys played catch while the burgers were on the grill

 and lastly, here is a clip from my instagram of me jumping on the trampoline trying to get this baby out!

mt. sequoyah

since my mom arrived this past thursday, we have been walking non-stop lately. since we are overdue, our doctor recommended walking- since it supposedly rocks the baby down into position. well, we have taken the doctors advice!

our latest walk was around mount sequoyah, which overlooks fayetteville. we walked all over the methodist conference grounds, and took in some pretty views! here are a few pictures we took while we "power walked".

hello 40 week baby bump! 

fayetteville farmers market

since my mom arrived, we have been on a strict schedule- enjoy time together, and prepare for baby seiler's big arrival! on saturday we took my mom to our local farmers market to get a good walk in and to enjoy our fun town. 

here are a few pictures from our morning together. the fun thing about my mom is that she too has a blog, and did a very similar post here: http://mikeandjudy.blogspot.com/2013/07/farmers-market.html

an almost 40 week baby bump!

my sweet mom purchased a bouquet of summer flowers in celebration of my last day of work. they are beautiful!

arkansas strawberry lemonade from arsagas

blackberries for a 4th of July pie! 

overall, we had a great time at the farmers market, and hope to bring our sweet baby back once life settles down!

pregnancy diaries: week 40

How far along: 40 weeks

Sleep: every night seems to be a different story. i will make at least 3 trips to the bathroom- but sometimes i can fall asleep right away afterwards, and other nights i can't fall back asleep. i have finally learned to just get up and read or look at pinterest if i can't sleep. there is no use in tossing and turning all night!

Best moment of this week: having my sweet momma here. we have walked, hung baby decorations, gone on numerous errands, and had great conversations since she arrived last week. 

Miss anything: sitting up without effort. my abs are completely useless, and getting up from laying down is such a pain. 

Movement: little one is still pretty squirmy- especially after a long walk or a hard foot massage. (shout out to ben and my mom for their attempts to bring on labor, you name it- we have tried it!) 

Gender:  SO excited to find out soon- hopefully this month :) most people predict that it will be a girl since i am carrying so high- but we will just have to see!

Labor signs: a few minor braxton hicks, but nothing alarming...

Belly button in or out: out

Wedding rings on or off: my fingers (and toes) fluctuate so much in size. i have resorted to just my wedding band since it is a little looser.

Happy or moody most of the time: still pretty happy- but getting so anxious to meet this baby. my biggest advice to first time mamas is to be patient with the countdown process. don't you dare plan to go early- if you do it will be a fun surprise. otherwise you will be so disappointed when the famous due date comes and goes... (advice i'm still trying to take!)

Looking forward to: meeting baby seiler and giving him OR her a name!

Baby is the size of a: pumpkin

saying goodbye!

this past friday, I completed my last day of work at acumen brands. for the past two years, I have worked in our customer service department, and have had the privilege of seeing our company and department grow unbelievably. starting out, I answered phone calls and emails and as our company grew, I too was able to grow into the training and quality assurance supervisor. leaving is very bittersweet. I am so thrilled to be able to stay at home with our little one, and join my husband in a new occupation (coming soon!)- but leaving this great company is heartbreaking too.

here are a few pictures I took of my "cubicle" when our company moved to our new location this past April.

 

here is a list of the websites Acumen runs, check them out!
cowboy boots- http://www.countryoutfitter.com/
medical scrubs- http://www.scrubshopper.com/
work wear- http://www.toughweld.com/
luxurious handbags- http://www.mapleandwest.com/

i'm so thankful for these past two years, and am excited to see Acumen grow even more in the upcoming years! my mom is now here, and we are running errands galore in anticipation for this baby's arrival. tomorrow we will be at 40 weeks. can hardly believe it!