Christmas break-here we come

So today was the last day of school, and as of tomorrow, I am officially on break for two weeks. I can't even begin to tell you how much I need this vacation! Nate gets almost a month off, but he will be working most of the time. His parents came into town on Wed. night and we've really enjoyed hanging out with them. We haven't done much exciting, but it's been nice having them here. Nate's parents leave on Sunday evening and then we will spend Christmas day with my family. Christmas is pretty low key at my house; we always have a big breakfast, open gifts, and then just lay around and watching movies all day. Early Tuesday morning (like 4AM), we get up and head to the airport to catch a 6:00 flight to New York City. It'll be nice to get away for a little bit, although it will most likely be freezing! We come back the night of the 31st, and then as of January 1st I am officially not allowed to travel anymore. I will be ten weeks from my due date, and I feel like that time will fly by. I can't believe that Avery will be here so soon, I still feel like there's so much I need to do!

Well, we hope that everyone has a blessed and relaxing Christmas. I will be sure to post some pictures when we get back from NYC.

Merry Christmas!!

B

Goings on

Well, I have a pretty interesting doctors appointment today! After some careful consideration, together with my doctor, we decided to schedule an induction for March 13th. We're doing it for a couple of reasons, but mostly because it's what's best for me and the baby. I'm excited to know when Avery's going to be here, especially since it'll be a couple weeks early! Also, a side bonus is that the next week Nate is on Spring Break, so he will have the whole week to spend home with us girls. I can't believe how fast the last 24 weeks have gone, and now we only have 99 days left! There is still so much to do, but little by little, we'll get it all done. And if we don't, we don't.

We scheduled our birthing classes and hospital tour. We'll spend three Wednesday nights in February at Southern Hills Hospital learning how to birth a baby. We also registered, which was more overwhelming than "fun". Finally, the nursery is coming along quite nicely. Nate and I spent Saturday afternoon putting up and painting the chair rail, and it turned out better than I could have imagined. (I enclosed a pic below)

Avery is kicking all the time now, and especially likes to keep me up at night! All of my bloodwork, labs, and ultrasounds show a perfect baby girl growing like a weed. She's measuring about 5 days ahead, probably because she's on the tall side. We just feel so blessed to have a healthy little person on the way. As always, we thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. We love hearing from all of you!

Love, B

Nursery in progress...

Well, the nursery is officially underway, and the painting is over half done. The only things left are to touch up the baseboards and window sill, and to install the chair rail, which will happen this weekend. Below are some pictures Nate took over the past few days while I was in the midst of blue tape hell. I'm really happy with how it's turned out so far though, and can't wait to see it done!

This is after about 7 hours of taping. The laser level is my friend.


This is after the first two colors were painted.


Me painting the last stripe!


Tada! The (almost) finished product. Although it looks kind of naked without a chair rail.


I'll be sure to post more pictures as it comes along. Nineteen hours of work down...

B

A Happy Thanksgiving Indeed

We here at the House of Rulis hope that each of you had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. We spent our days hanging out with family, eating a ton of food, and working on Avery's nursery. Here's a short recap...

My aunt and uncle came in from Phoenix with my three cousins. Cordell is 6 and Kamryo is 5, so they are both at really fun ages. They both attached themselves to Nate and didn't let go the entire weekend. Kamryo's other favorite activity was taking Chloe (our little dog) for a walk, but I think that Chloe ended up walking her most of the time. We had an opportunity to take them fishing on Friday, but it was so cold and windy out that after a half hour we just went to McDonald's for happy meals (and they were just as satisfied).

Thanksgiving Day was great. We had 20 people at my mom's house with enough food for 40. Nate and I did our (now traditional) deep-fried turkey to go along with my mom's regular oven one. I was also in charge of the Kugelis (Lithuanian dish) and the green beans. Next year my mom said that I can try the gravy, so I'm excited about that. After dinner we all sat around a played board games and drank wine (or apple cider in my case). I must say that my mom gets pretty funny at Balderdash after a few glasses!

Saturday and Sunday were spent painting the nursery for me and working on a huge term paper for Nate. The nursery painting should be done in a few more days and I'll post some pictures when it is. Saturday night was definitely a highlight of the weekend. We were able to go to dinner with Erin and Joel. You should see those boys put it down at the all you can eat sushi place! It was wonderful to be able to catch up with them and just spend time with good friends. We definitely don't get to see them as much as we would like.

Well, that about wraps it up. Now it's back to work and looking forward to Christmas break! Hope you all are well.

Love, Brittany

And the belly grows...

Well, I have officially hit the half way mark, and I thought I would post a new "belly pic". Avery has been kicking a lot, and Nate was finally able to feel a couple of nights ago. Her favorite new game is to kick mama in the bladder as much as possible to see how many times in an hour I have to pee. Not much news right now, just tired and eagerly awaiting the weekend!

B

Heeeellllllloooooo!!!!

Hey everybody, I just wanted to add my two cents (can't let Brittany hog all the blog space). So, let me just begin by saying that the last couple of months have been the most incredible in my life. Everything changes when you realize that you're about to be responsible for a little tiny person. Nevertheless, beyond being busy with school & work, I just hope that I do a decent job of giving Brittany the support and caring that she needs. Anyway, we continue to look forward to sharing the progress of the pregnancy and more after she is born. Also, we always appreciate hearing from all of you and look forward to continue sharing in our lives with you.

- Nate

She's already a brat...

We went in for our "big" ultrasound today. It was scheduled to last an hour, and during that time they check the baby head to toe. They need to get pictures and measurments of a myriad of different things, and the baby needs to somewhat cooperate. Well, apparently Avery was very comfortable curled up in a ball, and didn't really care about our agenda. The tech got some things done, and then was getting frustrated and gave me some juice, and told me to walk around for ten minutes to try and get her to move. We went back into the room hoping she would be more willing to cooperate, but no luck. We left almost two hours later, still needed some measurments. So the good news is that we get to go back in a week for another ultrasound, but the bad news is that the baby is already being a pain in the butt (she takes after her dad:) )

Today was also great because I got to feel Avery kick, or rather poke, for the first time. I could tell she's been moving around for a week or so, but I had been eagerly awaiting that first good kick. I guess after being lazy at the doctor's office, she decided to wake up and move around!

** Editor's Note: I am NOT a pain in the butt, just a little stubborn at times... (Nate)

Nursery Project #1...check!

I spent part of the day working on my first project for the nursery. I am the first to admit that I am not in the least bit artsy, but I want the baby's room to have personal touches, so I figured I better suck it up. I started with something pretty simple, and in under two hours I made these wooden letters for the wall above her crib! I think they turned out pretty good, and were way less expensive than the ones I've seen to buy at places like Pottery Barn Kids. We'll probably start working on the nursery over Thanksgiving weekend. Nate will take all of the stuff out and pull up the carpet on the Wednesday that I'm still in school, and then on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we can take our time painting and putting up new baseboards and molding. Then the next weekend we will lay the hardwood floors. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about doing all that, but in the end I can't wait for it to be done!

Cleaning out my closet...

So, I just spend the last half hour cleaning out my drawers and closet of my "old clothes" to make room for my new, "bigger in the belly" clothes. As of this week, I haven't been able to fudge and wear my pre-preg pants and shirts anymore. I can still wear some of my bigger t-shirts, but regular pants are out of the question. Luckily, I got a shipment from Gap Maternity today and out of the 7 things I ordered, they all fit! I was so excited!

Okay, enough about that. School is exhausting lately. I think that I'd feel this way even if I wasn't pregnant, but being 18 weeks along just compounds things. Luckily, we don't have school on Friday because it's Nevada Day (it does sound made-up, but I just go with it), so Nate and I are going to take the day and drive up to Mt. Charleston. It's about an hour and a world away. We'll most likely take the dogs, go for a hike, and get some food at the lodge. It'll just be nice to get outta town for a while.

I have to say, Nate has been better than I ever could have hoped for lately. He is so patient and considerate, even when I'm being especially annoying. I can't wait to see him as a daddy, I know he'll be amazing.

Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone is well!

-B

It's a GIRL!!!

Well everyone, we went to the doctor on Wednesday for our monthly check-in, and while we were there the wonderful ultrasound tech asked us if we'd like to take a quick look and see if we determine the sex. We, of course, jumped out of our seats in excitement and ran back to the room. (We have a scheduled ultrasound on November 2, but that seems like forever away.)

Within five seconds of looking at the screen she says it's definitely a girl, well 98% anyway. We are both ecstatic to know that we have a healthy little girl on the way!

T.G.I.F.

Hi all,

It has been a looooong week, and can I please just tell you how glad I am that it's the weekend!! Nate and I have big plans to do nothing, which is exactly what I need. I have included the latest "belly picture" at 15 weeks. We go in for our monthly doctor's appointment next Tuesday, which by the way, is Sarah's due date! I am so excited to meet her little one.

Next week is parent/teacher conferences, which should be interesting to say the least. Don't get me wrong, most of my kids are great, but there are a few that drive me up a wall.

Okay, well, we're off to watch a couple TiVo'd episodes of The Office. Another exciting night in the House of Rulis!

xoxo,

Brittany (and Nate too)

Meet our baby

We were fortunate enough to spend an hour this morning watching our baby. It was being a brat in the beginning, not wanting to turn over, but eventually, she rolled on her back and gave us a wave. It was absolutely incredible to watch this little person suck it's thumb and stretch her back. The tech said that the baby looks perfect, which is a huge relief. I've been so excited for the ultrasound, that it didn't even occur to me that we were there to check for developmental defects. It's pretty scary to think of all the things that can go wrong. But by the grace of God, we have been blessed with what looks to be a perfectly created little one. The baby is fully developed (organs, body parts, etc.), and will just spend the next 5 1/2 months growing big and strong. We rented a doppler, which is really cool because we can listen to the heartbeat whenever we like. It amazes us everyday and the amazing miracle that is happening inside my tummy. Here's a picture we got today. I think she has Nate's nose. We'll keep you posted, and as always, your prayers and thoughts are appreciated.

Love, Brit & Nate

12 Week Mark

Hi everyone, so now that the news is officially out, I thought I would let you all know how the last 12 weeks have been going. Well, let's just say that I'm happy it's over! The morning sickness came and went, but the exhaustion was the worst! I haven't stayed up past 9:30 in two months. I can sleep for 9 hours, and then need a nap by noon! I've been taking progesterone suppliments every night since week 5 due to a hormone deficiency, but it's all under control and I get to stop taking them in another week and a half. We've had two ultrasounds and were able to see the flicker of a heartbeat at the last one. It was absolutely amazing. Nate and I are so excited for the next 6 months, and even more so to actually get to meet our little one. I hope that everyone is well and we'll be in touch!

p.s. Here's a picture of the belly at 12 weeks.

OH BABY!!!

As some of you may have surmised from the title of this post we are, in fact, going to be having a bouncing baby of our own. Brittany is currently in her 11th week which means, the baby is size of small plum, but infinitely better than any piece of fruit!!! For those of you trying to figure out when that means the baby will be due ... it is the End of March (approximately the 28th). We are a jumble of excited yet nervous and overjoyed. Brittany has her good days and her nauseous ones, but she is amazing. To add to the pregnancy she has also started her career as a third grade teacher. Where she finds the energy to deal with 35 eight-year-olds for an entire day is beyond me. I just hope that this law school thing will work out and support the both of us, cause she's going to deserve some serious time off. More updates to come soon.

- Nate

LA Weekend

LA Weekend July 07
Nate and I just got back from an incredible weekend in LA. My mom and I drove down on Thursday to pick up my sister and then we went to the Grove to meet my best friend Sarah for lunch. Sarah is almost 28 weeks pregnant and it was great to have some time to catch up with her. Friday night the three of us went shopping, to dinner, and to see Hairspray. The movie was hilarious, but definitely not one the boys would have wanted to see. Speaking of boy, Nate and my dad drove down to Anaheim to meet us at Disneyland for Priscilla's birthday. Two wonderful days were spent riding rides, eating churros, and having a great time people watching.

On Monday morning, my parent's headed back to Vegas, and Nate and I made the short trek down to Laguna for Mark and Christyn's wedding. We checked into the St. Regis, which is amazing, and Rich met us for lunch. The weather was great and it was even better to see all of our friends. The wedding ceremony was beautiful and it makes me really happy to see two amazing and Christ-centered people come together in the covenant of marriage. They are going to be truly happy.

The drive back to Vegas today was nice, but the rain was rediculous, and people in Nevada flip out when it even sprinkles. But alas, we are home safe and sound. I'm exhausted and have to catch up on all that's been TiVo'd over the last five days.

To check out some pictures from the weekend, click the photo above. Until next time...

What a Great Weekend!

After I was gone for a week, Nate and I were really looking forward to having a great weekend together. Friday night started off with going to see Harry Potter in IMAX 3D with my family. The movie was pretty good, but seeing it in IMAX made a decent movie really good. Saturday morning Nate was able to go to breakfast with John, one of his best friends from college. I'm so happy that he got to spend time with him. Saturday afternoon we had to run a quick errand to the mall, and then spent the rest of the day lazily on the couch watching TV...so nice! Saturday night is date night, so we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Stack. I must say they have the most amazing pomegranate martinis!

Sunday morning we slept in and then met John and his friends at a local pub for some good food and to watch the final game of the Copa America. Then it was on to the Thomas ans Mack Center to catch the last couple of games in the NBA Summer League. The hightlight of which, was the Sonics/Blazers game. It was definitely a sports-filled day, but a great one nonetheless.

I love those weekends where nothing super spectacular happens, but it's just filled with spending time together. I can't wait for next weekend!

That's What She Said!!!!

Seeing as it's been a considerable amount of time since our last post I thought I would take it upon myself to put up something new for those of you that check this space out.* Nevertheless, here's what we've had going on since the last time Brit got on this space:

- First, my folks came to town (as the cleaning post indicated) and it was really great to see them. However, it still makes life a little hectic. My mom flew in on Friday the 29th and my pops came in on Sunday. It was nice to have them around because it's been a little while since we last saw them, and it's always a special occasion anytime that we can entice my dad to visit Las Vegas. They were in town to celebrate my birthday on the 4th... and celebrate we did! In addition to my parents, one of my best friends Jake hit the town as well. The main attraction for the week was of course the 4th and we had a great time sitting by the pool, bbqing and watching the fireworks. But more importantly (and much more excitingly) Brit taught my dad and Jake and his buddy Jensen how to play craps, and my did they catch the fever. I think that I can officially say that good times were had by all, though everyone is probably a bit more tired after last week.
- Second, Brittany spent the last five days in LA moving Priscilla into her new digs, so I've been holding down the fort all on my own, and as most of you can guess that's always a risky endeavor. Thankfully I proved to be responsible enough that I did not burn down the house, I managed to keep the dogs and cat fed, and I even learned that I'm really not a terrible cook. In my boredom this weekend I decided that I was going to make myself some tasty treats... and let me tell you that if you need a recipe for blueberry muffins, steak au poivre or a basic risotto, I've got them!

Anyway, that's basically what's been going on here at the House of Rulis lately, and life doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. And (and yes I know that I shouldn't be starting a sentence with 'and') I know that I can speak for both of us when I say I hope that we can share more good times with all of you in the near future.

* I just would like to say that I am flattered that you are interested in checking out what's going on with the Rulis', so thanks!

Spring, er, Summer Cleaning

Well, if I've been kind of MIA lately it's because I've been on a cleaning rampage! It has basically taken over my life for the last two days. I've scrubbed all the floors, cleaned the kitchen appliances, dusted all the blinds and furniture, done many loads of laundry, organized the linen closet (that still has unwrapped wedding presents and a ton of junk in it), and even painted the front door red! I still have another days worth of work to do, but I'm finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. My problem is, I'm big on starting a project, but then half way through, I lose interest. This is one I have to finish, though, as Nate's mom and dad are coming into town next week. I really want everything to look extra nice. Nate has been an awesome help, too. Yesterday when he got home from work, he did at least three more hours of work with me (with a quick break to have a pizza picnic outside:)). He's also really great at acknowledging all the stuff I do during the day, which is really encouraging.

I'm off to bed, as tomorrow is going to be another long day! I've included a few pictures of the house. You may never see it this clean again!

Messy Spirituality

So I just finished this book entitled Messy Spirituality. I've been meaning to read it for a while, but kept putting it off. Well, all I can say is that I wish I had read it years ago. Its central message is that God's unconditional and transforming love for us is the essence of true spirituality. He talks about how Jesus not only loves us, but He likes us too, shortcomings and all. He redeems our inconsistencies, doubts, addictions, and failures, by His unceasing grace, and transforms them into new creation. The book teaches us how to slow down and focus on the things that matter. Most importantly, it forcefully declares how we have been accepted by God through Jesus Christ. When truly believed, this becomes the most liberating piece of knowledge we could ever possess. It effectively demonstrates how our messes, are merely God's opportunities.

Wow, did I need to hear that years ago. I was always one of those people who thought, "I don't pray enough." "I don't go to church enough." " If God saw what I did today, He surely couldn't love me." I just needed to hear that there was one permanent, unconditional love in my life. And you know what; as far along in my faith as I've come in the last 6 years, I still need to be reminded.

I guess that's why my favorite passage in the bible is Ephesians 3:16-17 when Paul prays that "...you be rooted and grounded in Christ's love." The best part is the next verse that says the reason is so that you can experience and know God's love. End of story. Not so that we can pray more, not so we can be good little Christian girls and boys; purely to know God's love in our lives. If you ever wonder why the planet exists, or why God created people, you need look no further than Genesis where He says that He created us to bring glory to Himself by loving us. He wants nothing more than to love us. We are a "trophy of God's grace".

I can confidently say that His love is consistent and never falters. The problem is that we constantly test him. We say things like, "if you really love me, you will..." (insert prayer here). We try and reconfirm his love for us by answered prayers. We say things like "God, today I did really well at work; you must really love me" or "God, today I found $20 in my pocket, you must really love me". But the problem comes when we don't do so well at work, or we find ourselves broke. What happens then? What happens when you do not "feel" God? When you find yourself praying "God, do you love me? Cause I don't fee like it". You have to go back to the foundation. We are asked to live by faith, not by sight. All of those wanted reassurances are living by sight. But God says what pleases Him is our living by faith. And he gives us road signs along the way, but it's always going to come down to taking the step of faith.

God demonstrated His love for us in this way; when we were sinners, He died for us. What greater love could there be? And all for us when we did nothing to deserve it. At the cross He died for our sins, and at the cross, He gave us new life. May we spend every moment of everyday living in the permanence of God's love.

Raising Arizona

I just returned from a great girl's weekend in Arizona. My Uncle threw a surprise 60th birthday party for my Aunt and my mom, sister, and I went down to help celebrate. Being as the party wasn't until Saturday, we spent Friday night in Sedona. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it. It's a cool little town full of cowboy and indian history. There's a main road lined with little shops and cafes, and we found ourselves a room at the Best Western, and quite a nice one at that. We checked in, wandered around, and decided to eat at the Cowboy Club for dinner. I have to say, I was really impressed by both the food and the service. I was really tempted to try the Rattlesnake on the menu, but passed in lieu of calamari and duck. A couple of bottles of wine and three hours later, the three of us made our way back to the hotel.

The next morning we drove the hour and a half to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Phoenix. We helped set up tables and chairs, and started prepping the food for the party. My Uncle was so cute trying to get everything perfect, and he even built a bar for the occasion, at which I had the honor of bartending. My Aunt arrived back at the house at 3:30, and boy was she surprised. So surprised that she nearly pulled back out of the driveway. After some coaxing we got her to come into the party and a good time was definitely had by all.

The next day was spent spoiling my little cousins by taking them shopping and then we had a nice dinner out. The night ended on a high note when I kicked everyone's butt at Yahtzee! I cannot even begin to say enough wonderful things about my Aunt and Uncle. Without going into too much detail, they are probably the most generous people I know. If Nate and I can have hearts half as big as theirs, we'll be doing pretty good.

The Cowardly Lion

We just thought we'd share the joy that we gained from having our kitty cat shorn. Not only is he trimmer than we had original thought (his fur was poofy), but hopefully now he won't be a shedding machine. We hope that you get a laugh from this picture...cause we sure did!

N&B

Great Dinner

Hi all, I just wanted to share a dish I prepared for dinner tonight that both Nate and I thought turned out quite well. The measurements aren't exact, just a guideline. Also, you can definitely substitute ingredients depending on your own flavor preferences...enjoy!

Summertime Champagne Shrimp
Serves 2 (but easiely multiplied for a crowd)

Shrimp portion:
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp (13-15 count), raw, shelled, and deveined, with tails left
1 1/2 teas. lemon zest
1/4 c. minced shallots
1 c. champagne (good champagne)
1 1/2 teas. fresh thyme
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. unsalted butter

In a saucepan, simmer the champange and minced shallots until reduced by half (about 25 minutes). You can do this ahead of time and let it cool in the saucepan.

Toss the shrimp in the oil, 1 teas. of lemon zest, 1 teas. of the thyme, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, tossing a couple of times.

To cook the shrimp, oil a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 450. Lay out the shrimp and bake for about 6 minutes, or until opaque.

Reheat the sauce and whisk in the butter in three or four portions. Remove from heat and add in remaining thyme and lemon zest. Taste for seasoning.

Beans portion:
Boil 1 lb. of fresh string beans in salted water for 4-5 minutes. Saute in 1 tbsn. of unsalted butter and season with salt and pepper.

To plate, spread the beans on a serving platter and spoon some of the sauce over it. Place the shrimp on the beans and drizzle with remaining sauce. I served with garlic cous cous, but you can use any starch you prefer. And of course, enjoy the rest of the champange!

Back to the Land of the Living

Firstly, I just wanted to say "thank you" to all of you for the messages, emails, and texts wishing me luck this past week. I am happy to report that everything went great, and the recovery is going better than I thought. I was able to eat some pasta for dinner tonight and finally made it downstairs. Unfortunately, I've been confined to the pull-out chair in my mom's office for the last three nights. Much to both Nate and my dislike, I have to sleep by myself and sitting up for a week. My days have been filled with remembering to take my meds, catching up on season 4 of One Tree Hill, and spitting up blood (too much info?). Nate and my mom have been really great taking care of me, but I can't wait to get back to normal. Hopefully by next weekend.

In other news, I would like to official welcome Annabella Fern Shannon to the world. She was born on Wednesday morning, and from the pictures, looks absolutely perfect. She's also very lucky to have such a wonderful mommy and daddy in Dave and Kirsten.

Well, I can feel the medicine starting to kick in, so I better go.

xoxo,

BR

My Brave Little Toaster

Just a quick update: Brittany had surgery on Wednesday to fix a deviated septum and everything went swimmingly. She's been laid up for the last two days, but this morning we went in and she got the packing taken out of her nose ... anyone that has ever had any sort of surgery on their nose knows that it makes a world of difference ... and as a result Brittany can now breathe through her right nostril for the first time in decades. SUCCESS!!! She will continue to take it easy through the weekend, but starting next week look out world. Alright, well I just wanted anyone that might be wondering to know that she is well, and thankful for your thoughts and prayers. Until we meet again...

- Nate

1:43 AM

Having dreams is a funny thing. If I went back to my journals from ten, even five, years ago, I don't think I'm anywhere near where I hoped I would be. Life has this funny way of making a sharp left, just when you get comfortable using cruise control. Things don't go as expected, and it throws you, but sooner or later you make the necessary adjustments. The less you try and control things, the more you realize that life will happen anyway and you should just relax. Sure, there are times when you get lost in the darkness. But remember that it's only in the blackest of night that you see the stars that can guide you back home. You can't be afraid to make mistakes, because the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most.

In the end, I'm glad I didn't get everything I wished for...because now I have more than I ever could have imagined.

BR

Summer, summer, summertime

I love summer in Vegas! Sure, it's unbearably hot, allergies are in full swing, and the city is exploding with tourists; but the pros absolutely outweigh the cons. For example, you have beautiful nights at the drive-in, lazy days at the pool, and the smell of BBQs up and down the block. There is always something to do, and everyone's mood just seems to be lighter. And besides, for someone that loves movies, you can't beat summertime.

In other news, I went to my new school on Friday and was able to pick up keys and my teachers manuals. I'm hoping to start looking through things and pre-planning the curriculum while I'm recovering over the next couple of weeks. I'm so excited to get in and start decorating to make my classroom come alive. The bare white walls just aren't going to cut it. Luckily the old third grade teacher left a bunch of stuff behind, so I can go through that and see what is salvagable. At any rate, I feel like the summer is going to fly by.

Coming to You, Live From Las Vegas

As at least one of you have noticed out there in the crazy internet-land Brittany got this blog up and running, and I will be in from time to time to spit my crazy rants and abstract nonsensical thoughts too. So here I am to say hello and welcome all to this wonderful place we like to call the House of Rulis. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with all of you and hope that this might provide an opportunity to hear from many of our friends more often. Until next time, bye.

- Nate

Hawaii

Well, we just got back from Hawaii and it was incredible. We went as a celebration for a bunch of things; including, Priscilla's college graduation, Mother's Day, my dad's birthday, and Nate and my 2nd anniversary. We arrived super-jetlagged, and wanted nothing more than a good meal and a comfy bed. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency on Ka'anapali and the hotel itself was just beautiful. They have swans, flamingos, and even penguins roaming around.

The highlights of the trip were a helicopter ride over the island, going ziplining up in the crater, and getting Nate up on a surfboard for the first time. Thanks to some recommendations from friends, we also eat at some fantastic restaurants. Mama's Fish House and David Paul's definitely top the list. Most of the week was spent laying around by the pool and doing not much at all. Of course, the week came to an end way too quickly, and now it's back to work for both of us. If you want to check out some pictures click below

Hawaii