Hell has frozen over

Yes, what you see is true....Anne Kimball Pinegar Shirley is actually pregnant. I had been avoiding motherhood as long as possible, and was actually concerned that I wasn't "aching" to have children, as that seems to be the woman's primary purpose in life. But Robb has been wanting a kid for some time now and we practiced our hardest in China! So yes, we can say our baby was actually "Made in China"! I am 8 weeks pregnant and I couldn't be happier! I was baby hungry in China(which is a miracle, because I usually would get sick to my stomach thinking of me being pregnant) and now I am just sick to my stomach because I am pregnant...all those darn hormones swirling about! There are four tests in the picture because I just couldn't believe it was true! It happened so quick for us, but the Dr. told me there was a false negative, but no such thing as a false positive...so my eggo is definitely preggo. I kept it a secret from all but my mom and my sis-in-law for a week and 2 days! It was so hard not to tell Robb....I just told him Aunt Flo was in town and acted my heart out! I totally deserve an Oscar! I announced the pregnancy by having a Chinese dinner with all the adults in my family. I brought back some super cute rice bowls and chopsticks from China that I was dying to use and my Mom and I bought fortune cookies, broke them open, and replaced the fortunes in them with others that had to do with babies. We were totally sneaky! After we ate the yummy Chinese dinner, we opened the fortune cookies and each read our fortune aloud, oldest to youngest. After they were all ready, my brother asked where in the HE-- we got the fortune cookies, because the fortunes totally sucked! No one understood what message I was trying to convey! I finally yelled out "I'm Pregnant!" I had to say it twice before people actually understood what I was saying...(I have joked in times past that I was pregnant, just to get a rise out of people, and so I am sure they didn't believe me this time....I am like the boy who cried wolf I guess.) Robb's face was classic! I wish I would have snapped a picture...he was speechless! I was worried that he wasn't excited, but he just sat there stunned. He said he was most surprised that I kept a secret for so long! Any who, I am due on February 8th and we get to hear the heart beat on July 21st! (My mom is so proud that I am so obedient...she told me I had to come home from China with a baby in my tummy.) Some of you may be having a heart attack from shock right now....but it has been a great four and half years with Robb and we are pleased to welcome a new partner in crime!

'Bout time...and Happy Graduation!

My cute Grandparents! (We missed you Grandparents Geertsen!)
Bear with a yummy hamburger and my special frog-eye salad...Mmmmm!
This is my cousin's little boy Brady. He is such a stud!
Kessley, in Holland's lady bug costume showing us her donut.
Robb and his proud little wifey and graduation dog


Hello World! I have felt so absent from the world of blogging since being home. I don't have as much time to do what I like, because I have been back at work and school and trying to adjust to life in America. I so miss China, and would move there in a heart beat. For all those wanting to travel, please consider China. It has so many wonderful things to see! Any way, back on track, Robb graduated on May 30th with his MBA! I am so proud of him and all of his hard work. We had a graduation party for him up at my brother's house and so I am going to share some of the pictures we took. I have tons to blog about, so check back over the next few days.....

Doesn't feel like home....

We are back in Utah! After 3 of the most amazing months Robb and I have ever had we are back in Provo, but we don't really feel like we are home....We miss China! We highly recommend that any and all of you out there go to China. Save up now and go for at least three weeks. The people in China are amazing and the life there is simple. The flight was LONG and Robb and I got the no sleep sillies and giggles along the way. We totally lucked out with our luggage too! We bought two GINORMOUS suitcases to haul back our treasures and they weighed more than 70 pounds each. So we had four massive cases filled past capacity and it should have cost us 50 dollars per bag because we were over, but some how we didn't have to pay a dime! We were VERY grateful to say the least. On our flight from Vancouver to San Fransisco, there were these older individuals from some foreign country were sitting behind Robb and I. We are DEAD tired and Robb reclined his chair back, and a hand reached forward, tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to sit up. Robb is blown away by her request, but sits up straight as he tries to find a way to sleep. After an hour into the flight, Robb tries to move back 1 inch to find some sort of comfort and the gentleman behind him made a hand gesture for him to sit up. We paid for those seats! There is a reason they recline! AHHHHHHHH! I felt so bad for Robb....we did end up laughing really hard as we came up with different scenarios and what we would have liked to say to these people....
What a great three months. Robb and I grew closer to one another and we loved seeing the world beyond Utah....We can't wait to get back to China in November! Pictures coming soon....

That darn Stench Phantom

So I hope this works....

Often here in China as Robb and I are out and about we get punched in the face with this most pungent smell...we look every where to see where it came from, and we see nothing. And so we have concluded that there is a Phantom here in China...it is The Stench Phantom and he loves to follow us! He even followed us to Beijing!(I don't know how he found us!) There is a certain spot at the dorms, that as we make our way off campus, and we round this particular corner, we both know to hold our breath because The Stench Phantom is lurking there waiting to pop us with another puff of pure death! P.S. Please don't tell him we are leaving...we fear for our noses

Blocked again....

Hey Friends! I have been slacking on the blog front recently and most of that is due to my bloggers block, but I was going to post a few things today with some delightful pictures, but once again, the Chinese Government has blocked blogs....and so I am using an anonymous proxy server to write this post. We leave this amazing country on May 26th...and we are filled with a trail mix of emotions....(wiping a tear as I smile)

When we are back in the good Ol' U S of A I will share our photos of the Great Wall and our adventures in Beijing and so much more. Thanks for checking our blog...it brings us joy to share our life with good friends and family. I have also enjoyed checking on all of your blogs frequently as I LOVE seeing what you are all up to. Don't let me forget to blog about the Stench Phantom....

Safe and Sound....

just a little post to let everyone know we are safe and sound. Thank you for all the concern for Robb and I. We actually had no idea about the earthquake until one of our friends here asked if we had felt it....we were taking a nap when it happened. Our really good friends who live a block from our dorm experienced it and it was quite traumatic for them...they live on the 18th floor of their building and her husband works on the 42 floor of his office building and Char saw the light in her house swinging and felt super dizzy and as she made a mad dash for the stairs and went outside, all the buildings around her were being evacuated and it was chaos! She was calling her husband as she watched his office building sway back and forth. It was a scary time for the world outside our dorm, as Robb and I caught some extra zzzzz's and were oblivious to the earthquake. We are happy, and look forward to being home in just two weeks! Please pray for those who were hit hardest by the earthquake....there are 10,000 dead, and more trapped. We are certainly blessed and lucky. Thanks again for the concern....our love to you

He's here!

After three long weeks in the hospital(for Bear) he came! I stole this picture from my sister-in-law's blog and I am in heaven! He was born April 30th a little after 7am. He is 5lbs 12oz and 18 in long. He wasn't breathing on his own for a while, but he is doing super now! I wish I was home to hold my new nephew! His name is Graham Gillette Pinegar. We give our nephews nick names, and his 2 1/2 year old brother is Taytor Tot, and now he will be Graham Cracker! Ahhhh....look at this perfect child. Congratulations Davey, Carson, Kessley, Tayson and Bear! XOXOXOX