Day One Thousand and Seventy-Seven

The Second Lie

Though I got a few evil eyes for this lie, the secret was totally worth it.

Once we found out we were pregnant, Adam and I made a few immediate decisions.

One being: we'd try to tell at least part of our family in person. 

But that meant waiting nine weeks...

And lying the whole time about what was really going on in our world…including…traveling to Arkansas, packing our entire NOLA household, and moving back to Jupiter at 9 weeks pregnant. Whoops.

But we were determined. Because of baseball, there was basically no chance for Adam to be present for any reveal we'd celebrate with our family and friends. Which sucked. But that didn't mean that I couldn't be there! So, we held onto our little baby surprise until I landed in Washington during Week Eleven. Remember that time…? The family and I were busy planning and celebrating Ellie's bridal shower, which gave Adam and I the perfect setup. 

I gathered the family together and explained to them that Adam was feeling really bad that he couldn't come to yet another family function. I told them he felt so bad, in fact, that he'd put together a little something for Ellie (the bride-to-be) to make up for his absence. I wrapped a gigantic box, gave it to Ellie, and told her to open it. Inside was a letter written by Adam…and the start of a huge family scavenger hunt.

The scavenger hunt took them all over the house and eventually ended in front of my computer screen, where Adam was waiting on Skype with the surprise. He asked if everyone was ready - they still had no idea what was happening - and they screamed yes! Then, he held up the ultrasound, and this was their reaction! 

A lie totally worth it...

even though they admonished me for keeping a secret that long! Mwahahaha.

Next, we told Adam's dad and stepmom.

We'd delivered three packages to their new home in Kentucky and told them not to touch the presents until we gave the ok. When the call came that the boxes had arrived, Adam Skyped his dad and FaceTimed me (this was while I was in Washington), and we both got to watch them unveil their new coffee mugs with "Grandma" and "Grandpa" printed on them. 

Once again, the lie was worth every shriek, gasp, and smile!

Finally, we got to tell Adam's mommy.

Her package arrived, and again, we told her to call us when it did. On a three-way phone call, Katy opened the present and found inside, a crochet book. 

Sidenote: Katy's a master crocheter and makes the coziest, most comfiest blankets around. 

When Bearett was born, Katy made him the sweetest little white blanket to cuddle up in, which gave us the idea.

We told her to open the book, and inside was a note that read:

Another lovely surprise, made possible by that little white lie!

And finally, after our families were given the news, we were able to spill the beans to the rest of our loved ones. Brandi was one of those. We told her over Skype last weekend, together at a pool party with some of our friends. She couldn't be there, but I'd been wanting to tell her for so long and I didn't want to wait another week! So we told her, and finally yesterday, got to celebrate with her in person. Yay! 

The truth has set us free and we're having so much fun with it! No more lies!

Day Eight Hundred and Forty

The Reason We Miss Washington…

Well, at least One Reason

We got to talk with the cutest snow-skiing-cookie-baker in all the land yesterday. 

(That's right, he's skiing now! Oh yeah, and he's only just barely 3 years old. STUD.)

This Grandma-kissing sweetheart said to my Mom yesterday, "Grandma, I want to Skype Auntie Kendall and Uncle Adam." With those types of requests, Hunter will always get what Hunter wants! And so, from Grandma's new RV up on the mountain, we were the lucky recipients of Hunter's call. Oh we love him!!

Day Seven Hundred and Thirteen

The RiverWalk

Ohhhh...so this is what 8 AM looks like.

I had no idea...

Nina met me outside the Conley Condo for a walk along the St. John's River.

It was peaceful and warm and everything I could've hoped to wake up to. At the end of our little walk, just across the Main Street Bridge, is the Friendship Fountain. A very fitting - and stunning - place for Nina and I to sit and talk.

We sat on a bench, drank our coffee, and talked marriage and God. She's getting married in 3 months, and with so many of my friends tying the knot this year, conversation was easy. It always is. I've learned and grown so much through our friendship this year, and I can't say enough how thankful I am to have such a strong sister in Christ here in Jacksonville.

The views were impeccable. And definitely worth the early morning alarm. This city is beautiful, I just don't often take the time to appreciate it. 

Inhale. Now Exhale. I get excited every time I look at this picture.

(Truth: I'm a closet fat kid at heart)

So there's a restaurant here called Metro Diner. It was featured on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Naturally, being the native Jacksonvillian that she is, Nina lured me into this caloric paradise. It was her duty! She had to. And I was in heaven. Very rarely do I stray far from my "clean eating" lifestyle. My body can't handle it. But sometimes, you just need a strawberry cheesecake-filled waffle. Or two. Or four. And yesterday, that's exactly what I needed. We talked some more and ate our fill...and left each other with satisfied bellies and even more satisfied hearts. If all mornings were like this one, I might just become a morning person. But probably not. Haha.

Then, it was off to the Riverside Market for me. I needed to find a special gift...and thought this was the place to find it. What I did find instead: HUGE smiles on my face. Bike Valet? Is this Olympia, WA?! I felt right at home!

Larpers and fencers?! I couldn't stop laughing. 

Then this sign.

Oh my gosh, YES!

Hahaha

And when I walked back to the truck, I couldn't help but smile at the little birdies playing hangout by the Raptor. Day: made.

Jacksonville, you were good to me yesterday. 

I thank you.

And then, a nightcap Skype session with my besties.

It was the perfect ending to a beautiful day.

I went to bed feeling content in my heart and thankful for the many blessings the Lord has piled up for me.

Day Six Hundred and Ten

The Baby Preppers

Ok...quickly once again...since it's 3 AM and I'm just now writing this! Ahhhh. My family is just too interesting and fun to limit our time to midnight!

With Morgan's baby shower right around the corner (this Saturday), we have a lot of planning and creating to get done. So, to Hobby Lobby we went. And it might just be the cutest Rumble in the Jungle baby shower you ever did see!

 When we're apart, the Conley's surest form of communication is FaceTime. I don't know how people managed before this invention! Really! I've only been gone from Adam for 3 days and I'm already beginning to forget what he looks like ;) Sooooo thankful for this technology.

Ok, gross? No! I don't think so! Hunter has been using the "big boy potty" for around 2 months now, and he finally got to show me! I'm one proud auntie!

Every day, Mommy and Hunter work on his flashcards. I can't believe how smart he is!

We capped off our day with a 9PM P90X session. We were both exhausted and completely drained, but Ellie and I (and Morgan for a bit) managed our way through an hour of torture before spending the next 4 hours in deep conversation about the Lord, church, life, and love. All around, it was intense. But so sweet. 

Day Four Hundred and Eighty-Six

The Parents and The Bachelor

So thankful for Skype. Love seeing these beautiful people. I miss Mommy and Dan.

And I LOVE THE BACHELOR too!

^Don't judge me! Haha :)

Day Four Hundred and Eleven

The Second Year of Hunter Jacob!

Yesterday was HAPPY BIRTHDAY day to LittleMan!! He's officially TWO YEARS OLD now and on his way to seventeen next year. Hunter could possibly be the smartest BigBoy in the world - and I'm not just saying that because I'm his auntie either. He's also the most handsome. So when seventeen actually does come around, watch out Ellie! He's a magnet...Hunter's got every single one of us wrapped around his tiny little finger and it's been that way ever since he was born. Hunter is just waaaay too precious for his own good. Mmmm...so sweet. His hugs are the best. We love you SO MUCH HunterMan!! 

We called Hunter via Skype right before dinner, dessert, and presents. He knows that Adam and Kendall are on the computer, so when Ellie uses hers, he asks for us. And that's exactly what he got! Last night, we hung out with the family while Hunter ran around the house and stopped for screen kissies when he was feeling like it. Mom caught a picture of him kissing me over Skype and WAY too many miles. But we were happy to at least see him and wish him the best birthday ever! Hunter, you're the best nephew a girl could ever ask for. A true Blessing to this world and to this family.

Day Three Hundred and Eighty-Seven

The Sunburned Spokane Sky

When Adam and I left for Florida one year ago, we were absolutely 100% ready to get out of Washington. Done with it and excited for our next adventure together. Our first year took us amazing places, with scenery unlike any I've ever experienced and people I am forever grateful for. Our marriage would have looked so different if we hadn't followed our calling to Florida, where we had nobody but each other and the Lord to depend on (initially). Fast forward 12 months (almost 13) and I'm back in my old stomping grounds, missing Adam more than ever, but truly seeing this city in a different light. If there were ever a way to describe the way my heart's been feeling lately, the sunset tonight painted it well. It's on fire in the most beautiful way. The romance I've rekindled for Spokane is something I never expected. I'd never really given my hometown much credit - I've always just wanted out of it - but after being here this past week, my mind's been changed. It's beautiful here. And I feel so blessed to be back. I've renewed so many old friendships and have begun the healing process within my family. It's truly been incredible. I can't wait to show Adam around the city I grew up in, in a way that I've never shown him before. With a restored outlook. What a gorgeous place to be.

He comes in tomorrow evening! We only have ONE MORE night to go! And after that, I'm planning to never have to Face Time Adam again for at least another 6 months. It's only fair. Two and a half weeks without my husband is the farthest from ideal. I didn't like it. Neither did he.  I cannot wait!!! 

Day Three Hundred and Fifty

The Difference Between Try and Triumph is a Little Umph

                                      -Anonymous

It's the end of August here in Florida, and that means one thing: rain. Well, that and thunderstorms. Oh, hurricanes too. Pretty much whatever you do, you can count out the sun. Because it ain't here. It's off hiding somewhere. And yes, I just typed ain't. Because of the rain (and lack of sunshine), last night's game got delayed an hour. And then, when the rain came during the game, it got delayed yet another time. All of that made for one late night...and an even later morning. I woke up at noon. Adam at one. 

This is the part of the game I thoroughly hate. 

By the time we woke up, brushed our teeth, and wiped the crusties from our eyes, it was already the middle of the day and Adam was late. Well, late for Adam, at least. He always, always, is at the field at least an hour before he's supposed to be. But today, that wasn't the case. So, we hurried off to Chipotle (because I didn't have time to fix him anything), and the second we got into the car, it started pouring. Of course. 

When we pulled up to the clubhouse, the rain had subsided (that's how it works in Florida) and Adam could stand outside without looking like he'd just taken a shower. Apparently, today was "Dress like Taylor 'Chuck Norris' Krick Day," which explains Adam's PGA-esque attire, complete with a tucked in shirt. Taylor is the Hammerhead's back up catcher, sometimes 3rd baseman, at other times the left fielder, and also our DH. Everyone likes the guy, especially us Conleys, but today, I guess the joke was on him! A new lesson I've learned: Baseball boys will do anything to keep themselves entertained. 

My favorite thing about my Macbook pro, aside from it's iPhoto program, is the little built in camera at the top of the screen. With only a few clicks of the keypad, I can be talking to my family face to face from 4,000 miles away. When I was a kid, we couldn't even dream of such a thing! But tonight, through Skype, Adam and I got a chance to see my Dad, Ellie, Auntie Kim, and Gina...and spent some quality time with some of our favorite people. Dad is back home now (wahoo!!!) and doing well. He has physical and speech therapy homework to complete daily, and Ellie is definitely keeping him honest with it! She's been such a wonderful helper since arriving in Seattle, with her biggest task coming today...she prepared TWELVE freezer meals from scratch this afternoon. Gina (my cousin) came over to help Ellie, and together, they set Dad, Grandma, and Jacob up for 2 straight weeks of delicious, nutritious, and easy dinners! All they have to do when Ellie leaves is place the meals into either the crock pot or the oven...push a button...and wait! Not a bad set-up if you'd ask me! A big fat THANK YOU goes out to Gina and Ellie for being a couple of awesome chefs today! And now that we all know you can cook, you're never going to hear the end of it! Haha :) Sucka! 

Keep it up Daddy-O. You're doing great!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Four

The LAST Baseball Road Trip!!!!!

This was taken at 1:00 AM this morning, so technically, it happened today. Even when we're apart, Adam and I find ways to be together. We brush our teeth every night by each other's side. Most of the time, I have a EUREKA moment while the buzzing toothbrush is stuck in my mouth...so I do my best to explain to him what's on my mind. Usually, he's a pretty good judge of Sonicare Jibberish and knows exactly what I'm trying to say. Now, that's an impressive quality! Before hitting the sack on two opposite shores of Florida, we used Face Time on our phones to chat about our days. Then, we brushed, crawled in bed, and said goodnight. It's the best we could do, and oh Lord, am I thankful for the technology He's provided us with!

When Adam is gone, I turn into a paranoid, skiddish freak. Like, for real. It's marginally pathetic, but I don't care. I sit with my keys, my phone, and my mace next to me at all times...even in the morning, even in bed. I sleep with the mace right beside my face. It's capped, don't worry. But Adam got upset with me when I told him that truth. Hey, if a burglar breaks through my window, I'd like to have my things close by. It wouldn't make much sense if I had to reach all the way over to my nightstand in the dark, attempting to grab a tiny little bottle that I probably wouldn't be able to find anyways, right?! "But what if you spray yourself in the face while you sleep?" He asks. I'm willing to take that chance. Also, for added security, I've been pushing my dresser up against the door handle of our bedroom. That way, if they're planning on coming through our door, I'll have a little extra time to wake up and escape. I've got it down. Now I just need a gun...

(And yes, I hang most all my clothes to dry on a rack. I don't like the dryer)

I especially don't like the dryer at this moment in time. Because in this sweltering apartment, that would just mean more heat, and I'm not down with that right now. I got an idea from my sweet friend Susan, and decided to give it a try today. Opening windows just isn't an option here, and doors, forget about it! So, I turned to our trusty old box fan for some air flow. That, and a bucket of ice. It worked for oh, about 7 minutes...until the ice melted and leaked all over the floor. Next time, I'll add some salt to the equation. That should do the trick!

After church (gosh, the service today was AWESOME! Go Family Church! And also, a shout out to Resonate...they launched a new service ON CAMPUS at WSU this morning! The Lord is crazy at work everywhere we turn! Wahoo!) I was ready to put our truck to use. And The Home Depot is where we started. Our friends, The Rickards (Zack and Amber) are about to close on their new home on Tuesday and found some whoppin good deals at the store where my Daddy works (only this one is about 4,000 miles away from him!).

And so, I helped them transport their beautiful new red washer and dryer back to their current apartment! They've continued to help Adam and I through our journey in the minor leagues, so a little help from my end was exactly what I wanted to do!

When I got back to the apartment, a mess began unfolding before my eyes. I've got this little project going and I'm loving being able to put my creative energy to work! Before Adam got home, however, I decided to move my craft to the table...a much better idea.

And for dinner, I was entertained by these two whackos. Pinterest enchiladas, Amber and Zack, and an air conditioned apartment. THANK YOU for dinner...and especially the cool air.

____________________________________________________

Adam's last road trip ended tonight, so I pleaded with him to take some "behind the scenes" pictures. For my curiosity and maybe yours? Either way, he didn't forget. THANK YOU BAPE!

The snack counter. 

At least that's what it looks like to me.

The "clubbies" of each team are paid to make sure the visiting and home teams have food to munch on during the day. Sometimes, the food is awesome. Other times, not so much. Adam said that this was "the worst ever." Great.

High-A locker rooms in the Florida State League look a little something like this. Home to the Pittsburg Pirates, this is where their major league team possibly lounges during Spring Training. Not too fancy, I'd say.

A schedule is posted daily somewhere in the locker room. Clearly, they have no filter when it comes to language selection. That's old news though.

After the game, the clubbie is also in charge of doing each player's laundry. When the team returns to the clubhouse the next day, this is how they find their jerseys.

The Pass List. 

Whenever I want to come to a game, Adam writes my name down...and I get in free. This does not work in the Big Leagues. So I'll cherish this little freebie for now.

Dinner is served (usually) every night following the game. 

They call this, "Post-Game Spread." Tonight's didn't look too bad!

_________________________________________________________________

Adam is finally back home! He's already stripped down to his boxer-briefs, and not liking the temperature of our apartment one bit. For a guy who likes to sleep with the temperature around 65, he might have a rough time tonight. But at least he's here!

Day One Hundred and Seventy-Seven

The HunterMan Show 

We might be guilty of watching too much TV around here when the time gets slow. Mostly Fox News Channel. So at least we're learning something. And it's relevant too. But no show can compete with The HunterMan Show. It follows the life of a giant-tiny toddler, age 16.3333 months, and his endeavors as a devilishly handsome LittleMan in search of a good ball to throw. Tonight, he impressed us with his dignified vocabulary and counting skills. His best-enunciated words right now? Yellow, Shelby, and seriously Mom?! That's right. This most adorable bundle of joy is now using the word "seriously" in his chopped-up sentences. This one might be trouble some day. With his manly good looks and his already polished pitching skills, his mommy will have to bat away the ladies. Just keep him locked up, Ellie. He's too cute for his own good ;)

I'm a big fan of Mac products. They've made my life easier and certainly more enjoyable. Adam and I sat on our couch tonight, and while 4,000 miles separates us, we got to spend quality time with our family. Face to Face. Hunter knows who I am, and sees me often, which makes me feel a little better about leaving him before he ever got a chance to really know who Auntie Kendall was. Each time I get on the phone or FaceTime Hunter, I greet him in the same way I always have, "Hi Hunter! It's my big big big big GRUM-PY BOY!!" And every time, he squeals with laughter. I miss my family terribly, and keep up with them as best I can, though, I know I could do a better job. We might be separated by an insurmountable distance, but it's special times like these, when we're all hanging out together, that make the miles disappear. Thank you FaceTime (Steve Jobs, that's you!) for bringing my family together so we can enjoy the simple things in life, like watching HunterMan throw his yellow ball around, even if though he's using his RIGHT HAND. (Shame on his parents. Hahaha, kidding!) 

Day Sixty-Eight

The Shaggy Princess

Equipped with stunning good looks and ferocious charm, it's clear that any conversation with this hairy princess will surely entertain. And she didn't let me down. Not ever. I've missed my family dearly since moving 'cross country and it's times like these that make my heart flutter just a bit more. They may be crazy, they're surely odd, and most definitely dramatic, but that group of Mays' (Weitmans and Schends, too!) are my very best friends. I was excited to spend a large portion of today Skyping with Ellie, who's resentment of my picture taking created this POTD (photo of the day...haha). Lacking makeup and a finished hair style, she shied away from the camera by fashioning this shaggy mask. An unnecessary act considering Ellie's good looks! Love you guys...I can't wait to see you...SOON!