Tomorrow!

Ben comes home tomorrow! Three weeks is WAY too long. We had a little scare thinking that he might have to stay out there for another few days, but now we know...TOMORROW! I have been very well taken care of in Huntsville by friends, parents, grandparents, in-laws, siblings, and of course Maggie. That being said, I am beyond ready to see my husband.



The last week has been an interesting one. I have been out of school because of the terrible tragedy at UAH, so I was hoping to get a lot accomplished. I had plenty to do: schoolwork, cleaning, and more schoolwork. Well over the weekend Maggie started getting sick. I will spare you the gruesome details but let's just say I had to clean up after her often. Sure it was not a pleasant job but I'm going to be a nurse! I can handle that kind of stuff! I have seen much, much worse in my clinical experience already (again, spare you the gruesome details). Unfortunately this pregnancy has thrown me for a loop and the faintest smell can make me gag. I was trying to clean out her crate Monday morning and there was nothing "faint" about this smell. So I had to run to the nearest thing which happened to be the kitchen sink as I gagged. I guess my gagging is very hardcore (at least that's how I like to look at it) because I proceeded to pull a muscle in my lower back and fall to the floor in pain. I'm sure the scene was pitiful but funny, almost like something you would see in a sitcom where everything is going wrong. Thankfully my dad was off work that day and was able to come to my rescue...and like a mature adult I have been staying at my parent's house since then. Although it is getting better, it still hurts terribly! When the pain gets more tolerable I am going to have to do some serious back exercises to get stronger before I start gaining a bunch of weight. I have been very thankful for my family and all of their support. Plus it's been nice having the company. Can't think of a better person to critique the Winter Olympics with than my dad, a person to make me laugh than my sister, and someone to love on me than my mom. Besides, dad pulls the same muscle in his back often so he can sympathize with me. Just add that to the list of reasons I am definitely my father's daughter.



Have I mentioned that Ben comes home tomorrow and I am beyond excited?? Maybe I have. I am thankful for the work experience he gained while he was in California. I am also excited for him to be able to visit so many different cities and have new experiences during his time off (even though going to a wine tasting and buying some to bring home while your wife is pregnant is slightly cruel). I was especially excited about his trip to the Pebble Beach golf course because that is a trip of a lifetime for him, and not my idea of a vacation. So now that is out of his system it's time for him to take me back to Colorado...THAT'S a vacation.

Pebble Beach

Today I went to the AT&T Pebble Beach National ProAm. Pebble Beach is definitely the most beautiful golf course I've ever seen, if not the most beautiful place I've ever been.

I drove down to Monterey early this morning and got to the course just as the leaders teed off. I followed a few different groups, like David Duval's, Padraig Harrington's and Phil Mikelson's. Then I went and found a great spot on 18 just in front of the right green side bunker where I could watch the leaders finish. For all of you who didn't see it, the tournament came down to the wire. David Duval and JB Holmes finished at 15 under, while defending champion Dustin Johnson was also 15 under going into 18. Johnson took a risk and tried to reach the green in two, but dumped it into the bunker that I was standing right in front of. He ended up making an awesome bunker shot that left him a relatively easy putt for the win. It was an awesome finish.

After the tournament I walked around Monterey and then ate at this awesome restaurant overlooking the Pacific. Here are some of the pictures from today. (note: I did not take the golf pictures, camera's weren't allowed on the course, but all the pictures are of things I witnessed)

Duval on 18

Paddy

Phil

Ben

More California Fun

I'm still in California, still working a ton, but I'm still having a good time. I hope everyone in the South is enjoying the snow, ice and freezing cold. Not to rub it in, but it was 65 and sunny today. I drove 10 miles up the interstate to Lodi where there are a ton of vineyards. They had a big festival this weekend where you could go to each vineyard and taste their different wines. You could also sample all kinds of good food. Here are a few pictures of the pictures I took. It was a really cool experience.

San Francisco

Hi Everyone, Ben here. I've been in California for more than a week now and just wanted to post a few of the pics from this weekend. We drove down to San Francisco and had a great time being tourists. The sunny, 50 degree weather was also a plus. I heard it was rainy and in the 30s back home and I do not miss that at all. Ill post some more pictures soon from future excursions. Jess, miss you, Maggie and the baby! See ya'll in 14 days!