You were sleeping. Your favorite time to do somersaults and jump kicks is from 8-11 every night. But last night you feel asleep early. Half past ten.

We were laying in bed, your dad and I. Talking about you. Sharing our excitement about what you will be one day. Will you be strong? Fearless? Selfless? Vibrant? Sweet? Funny? So many qualities we just know you will hold in your sweet little hands. Along with our hearts.

Your dad leaned in to tell you goodnight. These are the moments I love the most, being pregnant. Your daddy put his mouth right on my belly and whispered sweet words to you. Our sweet Lily. Not two seconds later a look of complete delight rolled across his face. He spoke again and I felt it that time. Our laughter filled the room.

You grabbed at his lips.

You heard your daddy’s voice. And you wanted us to know. Every time he said something you would do it. A gentle pat, a swift kick. Exactly on his lips. And in that moment I knew. I knew that we are in for a life filled with delight and laughter. Thanks to one amazing little girl.

We had the joy of spending our weekend at home in Minnesota. Both to celebrate our good friends wedding and to share the news–boy or girl–at a special gender reveal party. I had so much fun planning the event and am so happy with how it all came together. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!

We are so excited for Lilja Engen Bergquist to grace us with her presence. Both of her names are Scandanavian like her parents. Lilja is Swedish and prounounced Lil-Ya. We will call her Lily for short. Engen is Norwegian and in honor of my wonderful grandfather. Engen was his last name–my mother’s maiden name–and little Lily is due the day before his birthday. We can only hope that she is as special as Grandpa Bud.

So the news is out–it’s a girl and we are so excited!

We are turning in our well loved Nissan Xterra tomorrow for a new truck for Jerome. The 2006 Nissan Frontier we are getting will be much better for Jerome’s commute, better for baby’s future carseat, and just our general peace of mind.

But, we will miss the Xterra.

We have good memories with that car. It was our first big purchase together and we were so proud of that. From exploring Colorado to driving us away from our wedding, the Xterra has been good to us.

Thanks for the ride Xterra. We won’t soon forget you! (Give me a break–pregnancy has made me even more sentimental than normal!)

“Mom! Have you seen my black bikini bottoms?” Abby lay with her belly on the ground, looking the last place she could think to look. Under her bed. How could she spend a perfect summer at the lake without her go-to bikini?

“No hunny, I haven’t. We don’t have time for you to search the whole house. Again. You have 7 other suits packed–your summer will go on without your black bikini.”

With one last ditch effort to locate the suit, Abby rushed out the door unsuccessful. Her disappointment would only last a minute or two–she was heading toward another perfect summer at her favorite place, and nothing could outweigh her excitement. The scenery flying by her car window started to get greener and there were suddenly more trees than buildings. The lake was near.

Every summer since she could remember, her family had a three month family reunion at the lake. Sure, everyone rolled in and out as their schedules allowed. But for the most part, they were all together. All summer long. All thirty-six of them.

Abby loved having so many cousins, aunts, and uncles. Summers at the lake with her huge family made up for the rest of the year when she felt the loneliness of being an only child. Her mother was the fourth of seven kids. She had wanted her own child to experience having space to breath growing up. But all Abby wanted was the chaos of summers at the lake.

The grass is always greener.

Abby’s grandfather bought the lakefront property when he and Abby’s grandmother were just about to be married. Nothing on it, an open plot of land–Sue told him he was crazy. She wanted to live in the city. Near a school for their future children. But, he was stubborn. And he had a vision of what that place could be if he just had enough time to build it. After they were married, they spent six months at the lake in a one room cabin with the best view of the lake. It didn’t last long. When Grandma Sue announced that Abby’s Aunt Sherry was on the way, her stubborn streak won. They moved to the city.

But he never sold that piece of land.

Over the years, Grandpa drove the two hour drive north every weekend, and he put his hands to work. Building a place that could house his children, and someday their children. Enough cabins to make up a camp.

Abby loved that about her grandfather. When there was something he wanted, his eyes would twinkle and he would put his head down and make it happen. Every time.

It would be the first summer at the lake without Grandpa there. Abby still felt a pain in her chest when she thought about loosing him last winter. Right before Christmas. But she knew that he would want them all together, at his favorite place. Being a family at the place he had dreamed up for them. Summers at the lake would continue. For him.

Abby’s thoughts continued to wander–when the car came to a stop. Abby looked around, and realized they were there. The lake. Grandpa’s lake. It called.

Without a word, Abby was out of the car and shoes were behind her. Abby’s eyes twinkled. The only sound was that of her feet pounding down the dock. As she jumped into the cool June water, Abby’s face lit up. She was at the lake. It would only be a minute or two before her cousins saw here and joined her for the first swim–for now she took in the silence.

“I’m here, Grandpa. We’re all here.”

(To be continued.)