A tribute to American Express

Okay, I am not promoting getting credit cards and spending money you don't have on them. However, I do like the American Express card and the company as a whole. Amex is the only credit card John and I own. We do follow Dave Ramsey finanacial advice almost 100%, but sorry Dave these cards have gotten us 4 free plane tickets this summer! So, we try to be as strategic as possible if we use the Amex.

Well, this card was also stolen this weekend - mine and John's! We do not use the card much, so if American Express had not called to ask about some recent skeptical purchases, I am not sure when we would have noticed. Who knew they track your spending patterns and when some crook tried to by $1300 worth of electronics at Best Buy, it was a major red flag on our cards!

How did they both get stolen, you ask? Well, you might call it a little foolish on our part (which is why we are very thankful Amex noticed). We were in Philly and it was beautiful Saturday. We decided to take a picnic lunch outside. We didn't go to a park, but just went out in the grass in the townhome commnuity where John is living this summer. We were outside eating for only about 25 mins and maybe 20 feet from the front door, so we did not lock it. Well, some creeper must have been watching and came right inside to snatch the cards. Thankfully, the creeper was not very smart because they choose to not take the cash in my wallet (only $30, but still!), our phones, my camera, my work laptop, debit cards, licences, etc.

I always thought I was immune to this stuff, but innocent I was!

The Simple Things

• yard work
• a date night
• baby registering
• cook out with friends
• sitting by the pool
• paying bills
• sign up for fall classes
• grocery shopping together
• being back at church

This is what our weekend consisted of in Atlanta. I cannot describe how refreshing it truly was to just be home together. We didn't realize it until we starting looking back, but this was our first weekend home in 3 months and much needed! I leave today to go back to Philadelphia for my last weekend up there. While John's busiest weeks at work are just starting, I am ready for the countdown to end this long distance craziness!

Only...

• 4 more weekends
• 3 cities
• 1 fun wedding weekend
• 3 plane trips
• finishing an internship
• and 13 hour drive HOME!

Mom's Visit

Two weekends ago, mom came up to visit! While John was at work on Friday, mom and I explored around Philadelphia. Explored is probably an understatement. I used the GPS on my phone so much that the battery died and we saw every inch of Philly's ghetto and not so pretty streets. Thankfully, we eventually got to each place we were going in the city and had great luck on free parking!

Jim's Steaks - best cheesesteaks in town! We had to wait in line for an hour, but well worth the wait!

Independence Hall - just for you Jana :)

The famous steps from the movie "Rocky." They are really the steps leading to the Philadelphia Art Museum.

Rocky's statue

Friday afternoon, we drove to New York for the weekend. No worries, John drove this time! I have loved being able to experience this city at different times of the year. While Christmas time is spectacular in NYC, you cannot beat the weather we had this weekend. Blue skies and 75 degrees! We (me and John) were able to spend the weekend with mom doing some stuff we had not done before on our previous trips. Mom had not been to NY since she was 16, so that also made it really fun! We all had a blast being together!

Top of the Rock - much better view than Empire State building (in my opinion).

In Times Square before seeing Mama Mia - John was a trooper to see this show with us!

We spent half a day touring Lady Liberty and Ellis Island

Another view from Top of the Rock

Dinner at BlueFin

Start Spreadin' the News

Obviously, all of you out there know I am pregnant and have known for sometime now. Well, so does every stranger I see now (and it is not because I have told them). Whether it be the grocery store, airport, the pool, getting my haircut, the cleaners, etc. There is something new, weird, or different I learn every week about either my body, the baby, or just pregnancy in general. And making new friends with strangers has become the latest hit. It seems that in the last week I have not gone one place where someone has not stopped me and said, "Oh, When are you due?!" I answer and the next question is also always the same, "Is it a boy or girl?" I answer that one too and say, "I don't know, we are not finding out."

THEN, that is where the conversation really begins and becomes quite hilarious, actually. No more questions from the strangers -only thoughts, opinions, advice, and any other comments that come to mind. They look you up and down, try and guess (or just tell you) why they are just sure it is a boy or a girl. I have a cashier friend at Publix now who is dying for me to have a little girl so she can give me all her daughter's old toys. When I was standing in line for a bathroom one day, a lady told me to name the baby "Mona" if it was a girl. So random and she was serious! I had another lady so worried I had not had a correct ultrasound because she didn't believe I was only at 25 weeks. She was so sure I should be way past that due to the size of my belly. Some say, "Oh, you look adorable" and others say, "Wow, you are huge!" You kind of have to ignore it all and laugh.

You really never know what someone is about to say, but regardless of what they say, it is refreshing to talk someone you would never speak to or even notice otherwise sometimes. We get so caught up in our own lives that we might say "Thank you" or "Have a nice day" to the man behind the counter at the post office or the grocery, but it is different to actually talk and listen. There is something wonderful about babies that make people excited and joyful. And that same thing makes people want to just talk to you and share with you all about their children and their experiences. It really is so sweet (even if they say some odd things too). This all caught me very off guard at first, but I will say now it is one of my favorite things about pregnancy. I love listening to the people I see in the same stores probably every week since I have lived here and now I know more about their lives.

Face Lift

I was very clueless with the whole blogging world at first, but as I am becoming more familiar, I felt like it might be time for a little "up do" on the Phelps page. Not sure what I think about this new background - it might be a little strong for me and I cannot decide if it is too hard to read the light blue writing (I am sure my mom will let me know if the reading with these colors is too difficult)!

All that to say, bare with me as we might be under construction here for a few days. Fill free to give any input!

1 month from today...

Sweet Mary Brantley will be getting married! I am so excited for MB and Lee. MB is such a wonderful and dear friend. We met the summer before coming to Auburn. We were both at the same Camp War Eagle and placed in the same group of all the 4,000 or so freshmen coming to Auburn that fall (and we had Lil' Kim in our group)! We continued to email that summer, ended up being in the same dorm, were in a bible study together and then lived together our last two years at Auburn. And I love Lee too. I can remember the first time I met him about a year and half ago. MB brought him to Atlanta for the weekend and me, Erin, and John all met them at Jason's Deli. MB and Lee had only been dating about a month. Lee was so open, honest, and patient to answer all the questions we drilled him with that day at lunch. He has done a wonderful job pursuing MB and it is wonderful to see how much he loves and respects her.

Plus, Lee took an accounting job in Atlanta and they will be living just three short miles from us. John and I cannot wait to celebrate you both on your wedding day!!

The Last Month

I am not sure where the month of June went, but I have been terrible about blogging and updates. We have loved being able to drive through the northeast and explore this part of the country as well meet some great people along the way. As hard as it is for John and I to be away from each other during the weeks, I am so grateful for 1. a great internship for John during a tough economy and 2. the timing and opportunity to do something very unique this summer before the baby comes.

Here is an update by pictures of what we have been up to lately.

Liberty Bell in Philly

June 13

John's 29th birthday in New York

June 19
21 Club with Mama Jo and Josephine
June 20
Beyonce Concert at Madison Square Garden
June 22

I am almost embarrassed to say how much we loved this show and love Beyonce!

Driskill/Gailey weekend at Lake Hartwell

June 26
John and Hayden love each other!

4th of July Weekend
Red Sox Game

Boston Pops

St. Charles River getting ready for fireworks

Our little tailgate waiting on the Boston Pops and fireworks

Finally, the show began!

..........................................

Exciting News to share now!

Back in June Mark and I looking at rings for Kristen :)

And now these two cuties are getting married sometime early 2010!
We are thrilled for them and I am thrilled to have Cuz live in the same city as me again!

Life in Philly

Hello to all of you who follow our lives...

Since the summer is now half over it is about time to update you on life in Philly AND post my first entry to "our" blog. So, I am working at Centocor Ortho Biotech a division of Johnson and Johnson. I am sure you are first wondering - "I thought Johnson & Johnson only sold baby shampoo." I am glad you asked… JnJ is really made up of over 250+ distinct operating companies spread throughout the world. They make everything from insulin pumps, to chemo drugs, to baby shampoo. Some of the brands you’re probably more familiar with in our consumer group are Tylenol, Aveeno, Neutrogena, Acuvue, Clean and Clear, Visine, and Listerine…just to name a few. The op-co (short for operating company) I work for this summer makes both immunology and oncology biologic drugs. Our drugs treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer to name a few.

So, day to day that is my life here in Horsham, PA. I love the team I work for and the folks at JnJ. Everyone I am surrounded with is at the top of their game. It is interesting to work in a different part of the country and a completely different sector then I am used to. I feel like I am learning so much every day my head hurts.

While the internship and company are great, marriage long distance style is not great! Although we have been able to see each other pretty much every weekend, at times I think we both feel like we are living out of a suitcase in a revolving door of new cities. So far this summer there has been Charlotte, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston...We love traveling and seeing parts of the country we have never experienced – BUT - I think we are both ready for the pace of travel to slow down at the end of the summer. Thankfully we practiced our long distance relationship building skills for a while during lele's college years :) So, we like to think we are pros at it! However, each weekend brings the usual rekindle and 48 hours later the tearful goodbye. This week however lele is staying for 10 whole days! We almost do not know what to do with this gift of added time and proximity.

Lele will catch you up on our many travels throughout this foreign land. As an FYI, people up here have been a lot nicer and more hospitable than they are made to seem in the movies. Before you know it the summer will be over and you'll have a second blog post from me!!!

I’m off to make a facebook page now!