A Kitchen Family

Lap Babies

2012-02-01T20:56:00.002-06:00

At our library here in Boulder a class/activity called Lap Babies is offered every first, second and third Tuesday of each month. This class is only for children infant to 12 months. At each class we sing songs, read books, sing a little more and then have play time. I heard about this from a friend who has a son a month younger than Kaitlyn. We both made it to the last class of the month in January and I really enjoyed it and all if offered.

Total there were six different moms and their kids ages ranging from 4 to 9 months. I really like to watch Kaitlyn interact with other kids and I'm all for her having lots of social interaction. It's also great for me to meet other mom's in the community. Big foam letters of the beginning of each child's name were handed out and trying to steal each others was a constant effort. Already I'm a big fan and plan on making this an outing each Tuesday it's offered. Kaitlyn will really be quite the social butterfly here soon. :) I really hope that wherever we end up, the library has fun classes such as this offered.

Creativity

2012-02-01T20:29:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago a friend of mine had a baby shower. I was asked to bring a treat and willingly agreed, wanting to do something fun. Now I am no lover of cooking or baking but I was feeling a spark of creativity and decided to run with it. I found this really fun cake on pinterest and knew it would be perfect once I added my own renditions.

Making this cake was an adventure to be sure. I learned that it is best to take cakes out of their pans five minutes after coming out of the oven, if you plan on shaping them, so they don't stick. My cakes did fall a bit in the middle, but I've never been able to master the trick of that not happening. Instead of regular M&Ms I put Almond Joy Pieces on top to go with the boy theme and a big blue bow as a final touch. Over all it turned out better than I thought it would half way through making it, and it tasted wonderful!!

I forgot to take a picture with my camera so it's a phone picture instead

My spark of creativity in the kitchen has now burned out. No surprise there really. Till next time.

Playdate

2012-01-24T17:42:00.002-06:00

I have a friend in my ward who had her baby boy a little more than a month after Kaitlyn. We have gotten together a couple times so Kaitlyn and Ezra can socialize. The first time they met (four and three months) both just stared at one another not really knowing what to do. Now that Kaitlyn is a bit older she was quite a bit more interactive. She really enjoyed playing with Ezra and by that I mean in the sense that he was something to play with, like a toy. She would reach out and touch his head. She even tried grabbing onto it with both hands, I think in an effort to put his head in her mouth. I had to keep telling her to be soft (not that she really understood). I was afraid she would pull his hair, nose, ears or lips all of which I have experienced and I didn't think Ezra would like it much. It was so fun to watch them together. It's so nice to have other babies Kaitlyn's age.

Ezra and Kaitlyn, so excited to play.

Completely fascinated

Tid Bits From Months Four and Five to Remember

2012-01-14T16:00:00.002-06:00

Kaitlyn is growing so fast! She is quite the handful and we are seeing new aspects to her personality daily. I have a feeling she is going to be keeping me pretty busy here at home. Now that she can sit up there are a lot of 'firsts' happening. I've been jotting down different things she's doing and enjoys so I'll remember them and now I have the chance to blog about them, along with lots of pictures.

*Kaitlyn loves foot massages. She's not too big on a full body baby massage, her feet seem to be the only sweet spot.
* She hates to have lotion put on her arms.
*Putting her arms in the selves of clothing is always a battle

Fell asleep with a toy in mouth while in the car seat

Kaitlyn loves to eat the table while we eat dinner

*Right after her four month apt she started rolling over and a few days later she was able to roll to her tummy from both sides. She still hasn't mastered rolling from her back to her tummy, it's happened maybe five times.
*While on her tummy she can maneuver around pretty darn well. Here are three pictures that dipict her movement after she has rolled.

Just putting her down

Five minutes later

After another five minutes

*Every time I would put her on her back she would rollover. After so long she would fuss from being on her tummy so I'd roll her back over just to have her roll back onto her tummy. We eventually started putting towels on either side of her to keep her from her tummy cause she would whine so much and she won't roll back to her back. Well she eventually started grabbing the towels so I would end up putting her in her swing. Whew, she is silly. (this isn't the case so much anymore)

A friend of Spencer's made this had for Kaitlyn and she is just so stinkin cute in it!

*Kaitlyn loves to play on our bed. If she is particularly fussy putting on our bed generally cheers her right up.
*She doesn't suck on her fingers like she used to and she will hardly ever take a pacifier any more, it's become more of a toy.

Relaxing on her belly is not a common occurrence so I had to capture it on "film"

*Kaitlyn will give me kisses on my chin, at least that is what I call it. She will suck on my chin while grabbing the sides of my head. Sometimes she will naw on my chin, which doesn't feel so nice.
*She is a very curious little girl. This might make my life more challenging as she becomes more mobile.

Notice her feet. This is a normal look now days. She loves to pull her socks off and eat them, way better than toys

*She will now play with toys while on her tummy.
*From her sitting position she will reach forward for toys and end up on her tummy. I see crawling very soon.

I checked to see if she had fallen asleep and found the pacifier hanging in her mouth

*She recognizes people now and can sometimes take a bit to warm up to new faces.
*Still loves to put anything and everything in her mouth.
*Her average nap time is still only half an hour, which is way too short in my opinion.
*She will often wake up talking to herself while playing with her toes. I love listening to this.

These are the big things I can remember right now. Enjoy the rest of the pictures!

First time in the Johnny Jump Up and loving it

First 'Big Girl' bath

Thirsty anyone? She loves cups.

A very reoccurring position lately

She's our little 'homie'

First walk without using the carseat

Kaitlyn loves water bottles, so I gave her one of her own with green water in it.

Kaitlyn's 'veg' position while watching Baby Einstein so mommy can shower

Vacation in Idaho

2012-01-13T16:51:00.000-06:00

Since Spencer had four weeks off of school for Christmas break, there was no harm in spending two of those in Idaho Fall visiting my family. We left here in the wee hours of the morning on December 20th. It was a long day of travel and we were all happy when we made it Idaho Falls where we dived right into having lots of fun. That night we went to a Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson concert, which was amazing. We left Kaitlyn with a babysitter, which was a first for us, and she did good sleeping but Spencer and I were still a bit anxious during the concert.

Spencer, Kaitlyn and I had a road trip only after a few days of being in Idaho Falls. Seeing how I was only going to be five hours from Boise I just had to see one of my best friends who lives there. Luckily we were able to meet half way in between Idaho Falls and Boise, Twin Falls. This was the first time in almost two years (a month shy) that Camille and have seen each other and we had a great lunch. I got to meet her boyfriend and she got to meet Kaitlyn, who just adored her. It was great to catch up in person and laugh like we used to!

Me, Camille and Kaitlyn

Honorary Aunt Camille and Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn was pretty close to sitting up before we left, but she mastered it while in Idaho.

I had these great plans to go and work out at the gym. We went two days in a row and on the third my mom and I had colds. So my big plans really came back to bite me. Kaitlyn got sick and then Spencer did. I've still got a bit of a cough. I swear this is the cold that will never end. Having a sick baby makes it hard to get better when she's up all night. Luckily she is feeling better.

Kaitlyn just veggin on the chair not feeling well.

Kaitlyn was spoiled by her Aunts and received lots of attention. It was great to have so many helping hands.

Aunt Rhianne reading to Kaitlyn

We of course did our tradition of decorating sugar cookies. Along with the cookies we made all of the other delicious treats and goodies that go with our Christmas Eve feast.

Kelsey posing for the camera, cookie in hand

A few days after Christmas we headed down to Highland, UT. I have a cousin who entered the MTC on December 28th and the day before was one last big family get together for him. It was great to see so much family and have Kaitlyn meet them, or really more they meet her.

For New Years Eve my mom decided to invite family who lives in Pocatello to come up for the evening for dinner and games. Among the group was my grandpa. I just had to take the opportunity to take a picture of him and Kaitlyn while she is small, since we don't see them very often. We had a fabulous evening and played many games and had lots of laughs.

Kaitlyn and her Great Grandpa

One night while chatting in the kitchen with my mom, we hear this crash. At first we thought Spencer had dropped Kaitlyn (he had just gone upstairs to changer her). But we never heard any crying so we figured he dropped something else. Well Spencer comes back down and he said he didn't drop anything and that he thought the sound had come from outside. We mentioned that perhaps something happened out on Sunnyside (a fairly busy road) and then forgot about it. Next morning as I'm cleaning up my breakfast I look out the window over the sink and see this.

One of the trees in neighbors yard behind my parents had fallen down. Now we know where the crash from the night before had come from. It took out an arborvitae, apple tree and an oak tree. I'm just glad it missed the tramp. Apparently the tree was already dead and with the intense wind from a few days earlier it finally gave out. Crazy.

Spencer, Kaitlyn and I headed to Salt Lake on the fourth to stay with an uncle and aunt of mine. Our flight home the next day was early so we needed to leave Idaho a day early. We had a blast seeing family. We were all sad to go. The trip home was not as smooth as the one going but that was really due to the three of us being sick. Thanks to the Smith family for a great trip!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T14:40:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning started with getting ready to head to church which started at 9:30 am. My family has never been early risers for Christmas, or any other time for that matter, so we didn't do any presents or stockings before church.

Family Picture, girls in new outfits

Of course we had to take several of Kaitlyn all dressed up!

She really loves the bows. She can sit up on her own now!!!

So dang cute!

A look of complete determination.

Ashleen, Rhianne and Kelsey ready for church in their new Christmas attire.

The Christmas program was well done and I thought the choir sounded pretty good. Once we got back from church Kaitlyn went right down for a very much needed nap. With the new year we will have a later time for church which means Kaitlyn will get a nap in before we head out the door, so excited for this. While Kaitlyn slept the rest of us made the traditional Christmas breakfast of scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, onions, hash browns with toast and orange juice. Mmmm yum. After breakfast and dishes we tackled stockings. By this time Kaitlyn was awake and ready for the festivities of presents. We all got some great stocking suffers. Kaitlyn's favorite was the cellophane wrapper from a bib.

So much noise, so much fun!

Daddy helping open the rest of the stocking. The snowflake hair clip was also from the stocking

One of the gifts we gave to grandparents was a glass ornament with a hand and foot print of Kaitlyn on it. This was also the first ornament of many to come for Kaitlyn. The grandparents loved it.

My mom after opening the gift.

Kaitlyn was passed around during the opening of presents and my sisters had a good time with her.

New outfit (due to leaking) and bows galore.

Once all the presents were opened it was time for either a nap for some and building a new puzzle for others. The rest of the day was restful and filled with lots game playing and munching on excellent goodies from the previous day. Dinner was a delicious ham and yummy potatoes. Later in the evening my cousin Lisa and her husband and daughter stopped by on their way up to Victor to visit more family. It was great to be able to see them while we were here.

Amelia, Lisa, Kaitlyn and Josh

We had a great Christmas and are so grateful to have been able to celebrate it with family!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-31T14:08:00.000-06:00

My good friend Shauna suggested that we make gingerbread houses to decorate and have as decor for Christmas and that's exactly what we did. The evening was filled with lots of candy, frosting, laughs and very sticky hands. Kaitlyn did well playing on the floor while the adults slaved away. :) We had a blast and are grateful for such wonderful friends like the Beede's.

The two finished houses. Beede's on the left and Kitchen's on the right

We are proud of our house.

Shauna and Rodney with their home.

Spencer loved this idea so much that he wants to do this every December as a tradition so be ready for more pictures next year showing how our skills have grown (we hope).

Our home under our stockings (this was taken a week later and the snow had started falling off the roof; we'll have to be more on the ball next year.)

4 Months and What Kaitlyn has Been up to.

2011-12-06T15:03:00.001-06:00

Our little peanut is four months! I was looking back on pictures of Kaitlyn in the first month and it's crazy to see how she has changed in such a short amount of time. Her hair has really grown quite a lot, at least on the right side of her head. For some reason the left side is pretty bare. She had her four month check up yesterday with shots included. She was more upset about being put down on the cold paper than about getting the shots. She is a trooper and did much better this time during the day than she had with her two month shots. Kaitlyn keeps me pretty busy. Lately I've been spending a lot of time trying to get her to sleep during the day. I've been pretty unsuccessful unfortunately. Today however she has taken two naps at two hours each! This has been quite the treat. She no longer sleeps in the swing but in her bed. Before there was no way that was going to happen and now it's the opposite.

Not much shut eye anymore, and defiantly not in the swing, thing of the past.

Kaitlyn loves to talk and squeal. She can get pretty darn loud. We love hearing it though and it always makes us smile, especially during sacrament meeting when she should really be quiet. Kaitlyn has done awesome in sacrament meeting lately in way of not having to go out to the foyer till the last ten minutes! This is an achievement since church starts around her nap time.

This is Kaitlyn's super excited face. Imagine fast breathing to go with those eyes.

Kaitlyn still loves her hands and still sucks on them all the time. There isn't a particular finger that she is really attached to, she loves them all equally. Recently she has found her feet and at every diaper change she tries to get them into her mouth. She is great at getting her socks off now. :)

I love seeing her fascination!

Tummy time has improved significantly over the past few weeks. Kaitlyn will push up on her arms most times and she has started to play with toys while on her tummy. This is something I thought would never happen. There are times though were she will resort to her old ways and cry with her face in the floor and arms flailing at her sides.

Look at those rolls :)

Playing with her rattle on her tummy

Kaitlyn loves to have company, aka having someone in her sight at all times. The time she spends on the floor will not last long if I'm not near by. Luckily she will do just fine sitting up in the swing so I can fold the laundry and get other things done.

Hanging out with mommy

I really enjoy blowing raspberries on Kaitlyn's tummy and from the look on her face so does she. :) She'll giggle and smile and I love it!

Kaitlyn loves all of her toys, but she has some that are her absolute favorites: her rattle and her tag (really they're ribbons) rectangle from her grandma Kitchen. You just need to be careful about touching the ribbon rectangle after she has had it for awhile, it will be soaking wet.

Kaitlyn can now roll from her back to her tummy. The one problem with this is that she can't yet roll from her tummy to her back and she gets really frustrated with this fact. She'll keep rolling to her back now that she can, and try so hard to turn back. I have a feeling it will be happening soon.


This is the look of disgust that I get sometimes when encouraging Kaitlyn to turn over and she doesn't feel like it.

Kaitlyn brings us a lot of joy and laughter and we are so blessed to have her in our home.

Aunts and Uncles and Cousins Oh My

2011-11-30T22:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving for us this year was spent in Vernal at Spencer's parents home. We flew out on the 19th and flew back on the 26th. Kaitlyn did awesome flying, she slept the whole time both ways! Our trip was full of laughter, games, chatting and enjoyed crisp walks. It took a day for Kaitlyn to warm up to so many different people and by then she had lots of smiles for everyone. Nap time was a struggle and we figure that was due to traveling and having a different routine.

Kaitlyn finally zonked on Grandpa's lap. So tired from no naps.

Thanksgiving was full of good food and great company. I can't seem to remember to take pictures and unfortunately only have one. Even though there aren't many pictures this was a great day. This was the first time Kaitlyn got to meet some cousins, aunts and uncles and she really did great. She is so loved by all her family and I'm excited to see her interact more as she gets older. We were lucky to see Spencer's brother David and his family, we haven't seen them since we moved to Boulder. Once again I have no pictures with them but it was great to see them and how their son Austin has grown. Spencer's sister Elisa and her family, who live in Vernal, made lots of stops to come and see us while in Vernal and it was great to catch up! I love spending Thanksgiving with lots of family and this year did not disappoint.

Kaitlyn and Grandma the only picture from Thanksgiving day.

Spencer's sister Rachel and I were crafty and made some rings for ourselves and also for Christmas presents earlier in the week.

The finished product.

Cousin Emily and Kaitlyn

The day after Thanksgiving in Vernal is known as 'Holy Days' and this is a day full of free activities put on all around town. One of the activities was riding a camel. I have always wanted to ride a camel and was not about to pass up this opportunity.

Spencer and Kaitlyn waiting in line for camel riding.

Can cross this off my list now! Spencer and I rode together.

I would loved to have been able to ride the camel longer but the line was super long so rides were short. After camel riding we went and watched ice sculpting for a bit and then Spencer, Kaitlyn and I enjoyed a nice walk back to the house. Later that afternoon Kathy, Rachel, Kaitlyn and I headed to a craft fair. There were lots of nifty items for sale and I was lucky enough to get some Christmas shopping done for my family. Kaitlyn was such a trooper seeing how she was in the car seat for a good portion of the day. Saturday we headed home in the early afternoon. It was sad to go after such a fun time. Thank you Kitchen family for an awesome Thanksgiving!!

Fall Photo Shoot

2011-11-13T15:19:00.001-06:00

Family housing here at CU provides ample opportunities to be involved. Every Resident Manager is required to host an activity each month. These activities range from craft club to cooking club to book group etc. For the past two months one RM decided to host a photo session for anyone interested (she is really into photography and did the editing as well). Spencer and I jumped at the opportunity to get a family photo done for free especially since we were really wanting one with the three of us during fall. I unfortunately didn't like quite a few of the pictures (sometimes Spencer had a quirky smile, Kaitlyn was leaning, my smile looked forced, and etc.) but there were some that are definite keepers and here they are!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-10-31T17:41:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe that it has been three months since we welcomed Kaitlyn into our home. Time has really flown by and Kaitlyn gets bigger and bigger each day. She is pretty rolly-polly right now, but it seems that her weight has leveled out a bit. We are just happy that she is healthy, and her rolls are pretty cute. Clothes seem to be shrinking. :) I have a box that is filling up quickly. Kaitlyn is sleeping great at night. We have had a couple eight hour nights but 6.5-7 is what is most consistent. I'm loving getting more sleep! Kaitlyn loves, loves her hands. She loves to put them in her mouth and suck on them, or just lick them with her tongue. She is also doing awesome at grabbing toys, her bibs and clothes all of which end up in her mouth.

Smiles are a natural occurrence when you talk to her, look her in the eye or make faces and sounds. These smiles truly melt our hearts. Kaitlyn has also started to laugh and it is so adorable!! Makes me laugh so hard. The first few times she laughed she was so startled and confused that she started to cry. It was pretty funny to watch. She doesn't cry anymore when she laughs now, now it's lots of giggles and smiles. Kaitlyn is pretty talkative and can get pretty loud, but I love hearing her voice as she talks to her hands. :) Here are a few pictures of the growing munchkin.

Crazy hair day. It dried that way before I could do anything about it, she makes it look good.

Still not loving tummy time but getting much better.

Looking so cute on a Sunday we had to have a photo shoot. (this was a laughing day!)


I have a hard time keeping up with her nails and she does a great job at scratching her face. We love this little girl!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:18:00.000-05:00

For Halloween our little squirt was a pumpkin and she was the cutest one I've ever seen!! Spencer and I didn't do any dressing up, but I figure people were more interested in Kaitlyn than what we were wearing anyway. :) We went to our ward Halloween party and Kaitlyn did really well. Tears were only shed when she had to get back in her car seat to head home. All in all a pretty uneventful Halloween for the three of us, but it was fun to have Kaitlyn dressed up.

Such a happy pumpkin!

Her Halloween outfit for the day, love it!

Too cute. This little girl has really captured our hearts.

What's Up With the Parents?

2011-10-16T23:25:00.000-05:00

The last several posts have been centered around Kaitlyn, and while this is okay we want to share a little about how we (the parents) are doing.

Brenna has been helping out with resident council. The last open meeting had a record turn out to discuss openings on the council. Brenna was busy talking with people and helping serving the food. She has enjoyed helping with resident council as she learns about current projects and becomes acquainted with other residents. Brenna has also been working out a new schedule for girl's night with friends, from church. She has a small group of crafters.They may not get much done with two babies, but they will have a great time. Brenna has been working on some more cross-stitching projects with what little spare time she has. With these activities, Brenna still does a great job playing with and nurturing Kaitlyn.

I am working hard to keep balance between school and family. I am getting my thesis project into gear after a couple of false starts. This semester I am teaching a different course than last year. The two sections are a lot of fun but being the first semester teaching this course, preparation, grading, and answering questions takes longer than semesters past. I am working my way into the family routine. For example, I bathe Kaitlyn every third night, I wash her nasty diapers (we now are using cloth full time), and I put her in her pajamas most nights. I still have some room to do better.

In other news our apartment has had its Halloween make-over. We have our humble decorations up. Here are some quick photos.

Our family pictures get a special jack-o-lantern addition.


Our clock let's us know when it is time to have treats, when to party, and when the bats come out.

Blessing Day

2011-09-30T16:50:00.002-05:00

Sunday September 25, 2011 Kaitlyn was blessed. We were lucky enough to have Spencer's parents and my mom come out for the occasion. This was Kaitlyn's first time meeting her Kitchen grandparents and they showered her with love as did grandma Smith. Kaitlyn did great during the blessing, not a peep. After the blessing however she decided she was tired and spent a good portion of sacrament meeting in the foyer with Spencer. Once home from church we took a plethora of pictures which wiped Kaitlyn out. It was a fabulous day and we are so grateful for the wonderful support of our families. Spencer and I sure love our little peanut and the joy she brings to our lives!

Grandma Smith and Kaitlyn after coming home from the airport

Grandma Kitchen, Grandpa Kitchen, Kaitlyn, Me, Spencer and Grandma Smith

Our first family photo

Lots of smiles for Daddy

Kaitlyn and Mommy

Grandpa Kitchen playing with Kaitlyn

Moments with Daddy

2011-09-16T15:36:00.004-05:00

As busy as Spencer is during the school year he has been able to find time to spend with Kaitlyn. He has also been very helpful in taking care of Kaitlyn. Half way through feeding Spencer will change Kaitlyn's diaper and burp her when he is home. I love to see him interact with Kaitlyn and hearing him sing O'l McDonald Had a Farm while at the changing table.

Spencer burping Kaitlyn after a feeding

Spencer will also lay down on the floor and sing, chat, play with toys or read with Kaitlyn, this makes her very happy. She loves to have us close by while on the floor.


Playing on the floor

For the first little while Kaitlyn would only sleep while being held during her afternoon naps. Here is Spencer chillin' with the sleeping babe, giving me a break so I can have the use of my hands. It's just an added bonus that he loves to hold her. (She no longer requires being held for naps which is just wonderful.)

Spencer does a great job at putting Kaitlyn to sleep.

As well as sleeping with her. Here he is in the early morning hours after she had ate. We have this deal that after Kaitlyn eats and if she doesn't got right back down, Spencer will take her so I can go back to bed and get some more sleep. This is probably around six in the morning.

Fell asleep while consoling Kaitlyn in the evening.

Spencer loves his little girl very much. These precious moments are very near and dear to my heart. I'm excited to continue seeing the bond between father and daughter grow over the years!

Kaitlyn Collage

2011-09-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

In order for our readers to know how we feel about our home, I decided to let Kaitlyn do the telling. In her own way, this will be Kaitlyn's first posting. Because her typing skills are not consistent yet, I'll provide the back story, juicy details, and interpretations as needed.

I put together a two minute video using still shots and short video clips.

Fitting the Roles of Parents: Adjusting & Learning

2011-08-21T23:08:00.015-05:00

We read a lot. We read books about pregnancy, the first hours of life, and about caring for each other, and our baby. We attended our birth classes and our breastfeeding class. We watched our videos; did our reading.

We knew we could not be totally prepared in sense of being able to recall the precise technique to calm Kaitlyn or feeling the exact instinct or intuition in order to read her. As I reflect on it, I don't know if we wanted to do precisely that. We want to learn to be parents by being parents. We want to have sleepless nights and aching ears--although in moderation--so that we can be parents.

Well, this post is a report that those experiences have begun.

Kaitlyn appears pretty innocent to the casual observer. Notice her as she sleeps after having tummy time. Her little bum sticking up as she tucks her legs under her body. Her tender hands clothed in her mittens lay so still.

Kaitlyn can also look so sweet when she is playing on her back. She wiggles her legs and tosses her arms. She'll trick you with those eyes. She'll look up at you and absorb you into her blue eyes.Whether sprawled out our snug as a bug in a rug, she is deadly. Fitting her into the sling, she snuggles with Brenna. Her locks shift in the wind as if her hair would blow right off her head. The dragon slumbers.
We have heard that babies sleep a lot. As parents of Kaitlyn, we question that generalization. However, it's easier to photograph her when she is sleeping. In a Sunday dress and touting a bib, Kaitlyn is adorable. She lays peacefully, awaiting her next feeding.
While Kaitlyn has kept us up, spent our patience, and drained us of our stamina at times, we love her so much. We have been having some trouble getting Kaitlyn to sleep peacefully during the day. She sleeps uneasily, stirring, grunting, and snorting. It keeps us hyper-vigilant, taking us away from needed naps. She'll wake with a start and want to be fed immediately. This has been difficult for us. It's hard to plan meals, walks, or even when to get the mail. Kaitlyn's unpredictable behavior has us living on edge.

Nights have their share of wakefulness too. Sometimes Kaitlyn doesn't want to go to sleep after being fed. She wants to play or chat. We have worked out an arrangement that Brenna will get me up after she is done nursing so that she can sleep while I put Kaitlyn to bed. I've spent hours napping on the floor near Kaitlyn so that I can keep her tightly swaddled or her blanket off her face. Once I'm convinced she won't wake, I crawl towards my pillow. However, sometimes, I have to cradle her in my arms and prop my head up in our arm chair so that we can both sleep. I often wake at dawn, not knowing how long I have been there. There are many times that we lose a sense of connection with the outside world.

Our days are filled with moments when we become disconnected from the world around us. Our gaze is fixed on our angel as her face lights up or her eyes pan the room.

For example, we snapped some photos when she fell asleep after a feeding. Her hands together, her mouth gaping. She was so still, so happy.

Already, we see her growing. She feels longer, heavier, and older. We definitely sense the facial swelling is going down. Compare the photos and let us know if you think so. Here is an earlier photo where Kaitlyn is resting on Brenna's chest.

And a couple of weeks later.
We love being parents. Kaitlyn pays her dues in smiles, coos, snuggles, and gazes. Brenna and I wouldn't trade her for any kid on the block. We're tired, we ache, and we definitely wish that Kaitlyn would be happier longer. But we love being parents, we're learning new things while gaining insights about ourselves and our relationship.

I look at Brenna and see a woman that has sacrificed her time, her comfort, and her body to our Kaitlyn. I see a woman that doesn't let sleep or hunger prevent her from caring and nurturing. I see a more than a woman, I see a mother. As I ponder on what she does for our family, I think of my new role, a father, and a not-so-new role, a husband and am inspired to look forward to the new traps Kaitlyn has in store for us. We're a family. We're going to stick it out for each other.

Kaitlyn Anne Kitchen. Born 28 July 2011

2011-08-05T12:32:00.001-05:00

While this pregnancy has ended with more surprises than either of us expected or wanted, we are more than pleased with where we are today. Any struggles have been anthills when compared to rich blessings we have been given.

After coming to grips with planning Kaitlyn's birthday via a looming Cesarean birth, we kicked things into gear to re-prepare for having a baby. Since the pre-term labor scare, we had our bags packed for labor and a night's stay in the hospital. Switching to c-section mode meant extending our hospital stay and enlarging our luggage.

The night before, we were busy checking bags and preparing snacks for the coming days. Just before we were reading for bed, we remembered to pause, savor, and capture the last moments of pregnancy. Brenna gave her last pose while carrying Kaitlyn. She was 39 weeks and 1 day.

Our sleep was fitful since we were filled with anticipation. I was more excited, Brenna was more scared. As the alarm went off in the early morning hours, we prepared to meet our baby.

Brenna was pretty scared of the operation. She has never had major surgery before. We hadn't prepared for a Cesarean over the course of the pregnancy. She requested that I be right in her face during the operation to be supportive and distract her from all the action going on around her. There was a lot going on with professionals poking, jabbing, cutting, pushing, and talking. Brenna tried to keep her focus away from what was going on to her body on the other side of the surgical screen. We were moments away from seeing, touching, smelling, and hearing our Kaitlyn.

Just before Kaitlyn was delivered, Brenna started to relax and cope with the new experience. The midwife cued me to stand up to watch them pull Kaitlyn into this world. I nearly missed it.

I had about .35 seconds to lock my eyes on the surgical site before they pulled her though. She was wiped off and swaddled for her debut family portrait. Brenna was alert, starstruck, and teary as Kaitlyn rested on her shoulder. She yearned to hold and snuggle with Kaitlyn but was prevented by the drugs and position.

Time quit working at about that time. We were whisked to the post-operation room for routine warming, measures, etc. Kaitlyn was weighed (7 lb. 5 oz.), measured (20 in.), and stabbed (vitamin K shot). Her lungs proved to be working very well. She was very fussy. I wasn't too worried about it. She was ripped out of her customized den. It was nice and warm. Not too bright. Then a couple of old people reached in and made her vacate.

When everybody was warmed up and cleaned up, we made our way to our recovery room. We then began on our search for stability and patterns. We clung to Kaitlyn in fascination and love. We adored her every coo, squirm, and squint. Perhaps it was our excitement mixed with continual visits from nurses and the midwife that distorted time. Soon, we realized the day was over. We should sleep. Brenna really needed the sleep to recover.

Our efforts for the next several days were primarily about bonding with Kaitlyn and figuring out breastfeeding. Having Kaitlyn skin-on-skin was fantastic. Her smooth, near-flawless skin made me feel leathery. But the emotional feeling was warming. My heart was melting because of a 7 pound peanut. I didn't resist at all. Every twitch, jump, yawn, and sour face makes me smile with love.

Learning to breastfeed had its early challenges. Nursing appeared to be a battle of stubbornness as opponents tried to outlast each other. No one was backing down. No one was very happy. The cavalry--the lactation consultant--came to provide much needed encouragement and instruction. Breastfeeding was so hopeful while Kaitlyn was latching on and feeding aggressively and dismal when Kaitlyn was resistant, rigid, and uncooperative. Being surrounded by helpful and optimistic people boosted our resolve to help Kaitlyn figure out the feeding.

After a morning of discharge ambiguity, we made it home Sunday evening. Brenna's mom and sister welcomed and aided us to our home. Since our return, feedings have been better. Kaitlyn has regained her birth weight. Nights have been improving. Brenna was instructed to let Kaitlyn sleep for 4 hour intervals at night. Kaitlyn is a sucker for swaddling. It keeps her feeling warm and cozy.

Kaitlyn is a darling. Even while bathing she is a cutie. The following photos capture some of the heart stopping moments. The photos were taking by Brenna's sister, Rhianne. It was Kaitlyn's first bath. She made a poopy mess halfway through. It provided some comic relief for the day.

Kaitlyn looks adorable in her pajamas. In this photo, she was wearing some pajamas provided by her Aunt Mindy of Texas. The outfit is functional and adorable. The fleece keeps her warm while being soft to her sensitive skin. The color pattern and bow provided a dazzling yet simple appearance to our newborn.

The photo of the blog belongs to Rhianne. She snapped near the end of the bath as Kaitlyn was being carried off.

While being held by Grandma, Kaitlyn peers up. With her hands away from her face, she appears at ease, allowing her to absorb the tender moment of being in the arms of one who loves her so much. She is our star, our core. Brenna and I are so pleased to have a healthy child of God entrusted in our care. We appreciate the many supportive friends and family that have shared in our excitement, offered advice for our worries, and given their love.

Full Term...a week late

2011-07-18T17:54:00.005-05:00

Now that I've made it to full term I'm ready to be done. Yes they say "any day now" but the advice I got from my midwife is to think of her coming in another month so I don't go insane with anticipation and impatience. I can't say that her advice is really working all that well, I prefer the "any day" mindset.

We have already had a bit of excitement. At 34 weeks I started having what I could only guess were contractions (seeing as I've never had them before) and ended up going to the hospital to be checked for preterm labor. Sure enough once I was hooked up to the monitor I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. My midwife wanted to get me hooked up to an IV so they could administer fluids, since they didn't believe me when I said how much I had had to drink already that day, in case of dehydration, which can cause contractions. Well getting the IV was no picnic. I had to get poked three times since the first two times my veins got blown, meaning that the fluid was going around the vein and not into it. Many tears were shed. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to needles.

Once the liquid was being pumped into me I was given an oral smooth muscle relaxant to try and stop the contractions. I didn't work. My cervix was checked and it wasn't opened but I was at -1 station and 50% effaced. I was then told I would be monitored overnight and was given a shot of 'turb' another smooth muscle relaxant which makes your heart race and you have the jitters like your on a caffeine high. Twenty minutes after the first shot I was given another and boy did I get shaky. The good thing though was that my contractions were becoming less frequent and leveling out. Spencer had to make a run home and get our overnight things since we hadn't planned on staying at the hospital.

Sleeping at a hospital is no fun. Both Spencer and I slept pretty horrible. Perhaps it had something to do with a nurse coming in every so often. I was still having contractions in the morning but my cervix hadn't changed so I was prescribed oral 'turb' to take every four hours as needed and sent home. I ended up only taking 5 of the twenty prescribed pills in the next three days. The contractions basically stopped and what I have felt since then are only Braxton Hicks contractions. It was quite the ordeal and it was decided that if I went into labor they wouldn't try and stop it since what they were doing wasn't working out too well and of how far along I was. We still don't know why I started having contractions and we probably never will.

So I have been writing this post over a few days and since I started we have had some new developments. Three days ago at my 38 week appointment we found out that Kaitlyn is now breeched. She turned around sometime in between my last appointment and this one. I don't remember feeling a huge movement to indicate the turn but unfortunately she has. The news was pretty devestaing to me. We scheduled an external cephalic version for the next day. An ECV is where two people try to turn the baby with their hands. One person tries to push the baby's bum out of your pelvis while the other works with the head. My midwife and an OB did this for me. It is an extremely painful process with about 50% success rate. For me I just so happen to fall in the 50% that it doesn't work for. They were able to get Kaitlyn to turn a quarter of the way, but she would flip right back to were she was. I knew it would hurt and I was offered an epidural for the process, which I opted out of, but I don't think I anticipated exactly how painful it would actually be. My abdomen is now very sore and tender to the touch. Since the procedure didn't work we had to schedule a c-section. As of right now it's scheduled for next Thursday July 28th at 9:30 am. There is still a chance she might turn on her own and I'm doing everything I can to help her do just that.

I am really bummed at the prospect of having a c-section. The one thing I wanted to avoid I now have no choice. I've been an emotional wreck since finding out about it and especially since the ECV didn't work. It may seem silly how upset I am but I'm super disappointed. Just thinking about how the whole process is going to play out brings me to tears. Hopefully I'll be able to come to terms with it quickly seeing how it's only in a week. I know this is the safest way to get Kaitlyn here healthy but I really hope she will decide to turn before next Thursday.

Sweet Relief

2011-06-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

Spencer and I recently acquired an AC unit and it's all hooked up in our bedroom window (this was a bit trickier than we thought it would be). I am loving it and in heaven. For awhile there I was hoping to make it through the summer without having to get one, but as the temperature has gone up and we can't seem to keep our apartment cool, we caved. In our housing complex someone was moving and selling their unit for a hundred bucks cheaper than buying one brand new. Spencer and I jumped at the opportunity and haven't regretted it since. Well at least I haven't. :) Some nights Spencer ends up putting an extra blanket on his side of the bed, but overall I think he's just as happy as me. Yay for a much cooler summer in our apartment!

33 Weeks

2011-06-17T14:00:00.004-05:00

Seven weeks left! Here I am at 33 weeks and feeling large.

Not a whole ton has changed minus my getting larger. Kaitlyn's movements are very strong and she seems to really love putting her feet under my ribs, which is quite uncomfortable. I tend to try and keep her from doing this and she puts up a good fight. Her head continues to stay head down and let's hope she decides to stay that way.

Spencer and I just finished our first birthing class this last Wednesday. Overall it was a good class. Since we have both been doing so much reading on the topic of pregnancy and labor, we felt like we already knew most of what was taught. However seeing the videos and having access to more online has been awesome. We also got some good breathing techniques that we have been practicing here at home. After our last class we got to tour the Labor and Delivery floor and the recovery rooms. It was great to see where we will be for the few day's we are at the hospital. This hospital doesn't have a nursery, they strongly encourage baby to room-in. For me this was great news since that has been my plan all along. We have two classes left and they are both in July. One is a follow up of the first one we took (more practice for labor) and the second is a breastfeeding class. Hopefully we will make it to both before Kaitlyn decides to make her debut, which I doubt will be a problem.

The 'nursery' is pretty much all put together, minus the last few items my family will be bringing in July. I have been able to eat meat again! This discovery was made while I was visiting my family. It has been wonderful to not rely on only chicken as a major protein source, and I know Spencer is loving the change. I have started to really slow down my walking pace lately. Spencer and I go for a walk every day and I've noticed that in keeping my old pace I couldn't carry a conversation normally without having to breath super hard. This has been a hard change to make since I don't feel like I'm getting the exercise I want when toning it down a notch. Spencer is great encouragement though and willing to go as slow as I need to so my heart rate doesn't get too high.

Summer is in full swing here and it's been pretty warm. Luckily I haven't had much swelling at all. I notice a difference if we happen to miss walking one day. I figure as long as I keep my water intake high and get in a good hour or more of walking I should be ok. However as my mom reminds me, she didn't swell up till the last two weeks of her pregnancy's. Hopefully this won't happen to me and what I'm doing now will help prevent it.

Everything else is going great and Kaitlyn is on track for size. Both Spencer and I can't wait to meet our little girl!

A Trip to Idaho

2011-06-16T11:45:00.001-05:00

The Thursday going into Memorial weekend I headed to Idaho to visit my family. This was my last time traveling during this pregnancy. My flight was early in the morning and due to a traffic accident on the way to the airport I came close to missing my flight. It was a stressful morning for me, one that I do not want to repeat any time soon. I made it to Salt Lake and then headed up to Idaho Falls and got there in the early afternoon. By this time I was exhausted. I took it easy the rest of the afternoon and later that evening went and saw Pirates 4 with the family. I liked it alot better than the third one, but it doesn't come close to how great the first one is.

Friday my mom and I went to a quaint little fabric store where they sell the supplies to make flower bows to go onto headbands. We loaded up on supplies and later that afternoon assembled everything. Kaitlyn is going to have a very pretty head. ;) Saturday morning was full of preparations for the baby shower my mom threw me. The shower went great and the food was delicious! It was great to see family and friends at the shower. We pretty much have all the supplies we will need for when Kaitlyn arrives! Both Spencer and I are so grateful for such wonderful friends and family and for all of the great gifts.

Sunday after church we headed out on a road trip to Twin Falls. Shoshone Falls is located in Twin Falls and due to all of the snow melt in the mountains the 3600 cubic feet of water per second going over the falls had gone up to 18,000 cfps. A big difference that we all wanted to go and check out. Once we got to Twin Falls and as we were crossing the bridge over the deep gorge we saw all these base jumpers. Basically what they do is jump off the bridge with a parachute on their backs. The drop is really not that far so it's a 15 second thrill ride. Personally I think they are crazy. You have to pull your chute as soon as you jump or you'll land in the water. It was neat to see but not something I think I'd ever do.

The bridge crossing the gorge that the base jumpers jumped from (see not a very long drop!)

Where the base jumpers landed just off to the side of the water

After watching the base jumpers we began our search for Shoshone Falls. Unfortunately Twin Falls is lousy at posting signs to follow to the falls. We went back and forth for quite some time before we found the right road to take us to the falls. After parking at the falls, once you got out of the car you were instantly moist from all the mist in the air. The falls was spectacular!! Due to all the mist though I couldn't get a fabulous picture depicting the whole falls, so this will have to do.

Once we all had our fill of the falls we went to Dirk's Lake. It's not a significant lake but quite peaceful. We saw lots of geese and their goslings and enjoyed a leisurely walk around half of the lake. It was nice to stretch our legs from the car ride.

On our walk around the lake we came upon this marsh that had tons and tons of birds flying across the water catching their evening meal. It was fascinating to watch. You would think that the birds would need air traffic control so that they don't run into each other. It was quite the feeding frenzy.

All the little white specks you see are the birds.

Monday my mom and I did some shopping and then spent the rest of the day working on Kroker bows for Kaitlyn. These are bows made from ribbon that has been wound on a 1/4in dowels and then baked in the oven. Baking the ribbon in the oven makes them hold the curl from the dowel. You then cut the ribbon pieces into the lengths you want (we did six curls worth) add fray check to the ends and choose the colors you want to go together. Then you sew the ribbons together with thread. We doubled our thread and found it easiest to come up from the bottom and add the curls one on top of the other.

Ribbon wound on the dowels

A bunch of the ribbon curled, but not yet cut

Fray checking cut ribbon (you can see three assembled bows up against the box)

A better view of the bows. I haven't completely finished any of the bows yet. I still need to glue ribbon on the barret and then hot glue the bows to the ribboned barret. I'll post some pictures of the finished product.

Make the bows was really easy but it's pretty time consuming. I really love the way they have/are turning out though. Tuesday morning we did more Kroker bows and in the afternoon family from Pocatello came up for my sister Ashleen's graduation! We went to dinner with all the family and then headed to the high school.

The Graduate!

Commencement was not as long as it has been in the past which was a relief. It was exciting to see Ashleen graduate, and I know she is excited to be done and head to BYU-I in the fall. Crazy how quickly time flies by.

Ashleen, Kelsey and Rhianne

Later that night Ashleen headed to her all night party. As far I know she had a good time. I left to head to the airport at ten the next morning and she was still zonked, so I didn't get any details. My flight coming back to Boulder ended up being 4 hours delayed so my mom and I headed to my Aunt's house in West Jordan to chill. I finally made it home though and it was so good to see Spencer's smiling face waiting for me to come up the escalators. I had a great trip and really enjoyed seeing my family, but I am super glad to also be home. My family will be out here the second week of July so it won't be long till I see them again!

Third Trimester and Other Stuff

2011-05-16T15:49:00.000-05:00

I totally took this picture at 28 weeks on the day (last Tuesday) and between then and now lost all motivation to actually getting around to posting about it, thus it's almost a week late.... So I have made it to the third trimester! As of tomorrow only 11 weeks left!

28 weeks

Compared to my last picture at 24 weeks, I guess I have grown a good amount. I have days were I feel really big and others where I feel like I did at 19 weeks. As of the last two weeks, fatigue has really set in again. The nice thing about this is that I have been getting better sleep than I did during the second trimester, so far at least. Last week I had my gestational diabetes test and it came back normal which is excellent news. Spencer and I will now be attending appointments every two weeks instead of every four. I actually scheduled the rest of my appointments for this pregnancy at my last appointment!

Kaitlyn continues to be active and since the school year is over now Spencer has really been able to feel her move around. It is easiest for Spencer to feel Kaitlyn when I lay on my side. Spencer will push on her foot or hand and she will push back, this generally goes on for a bit, a pushing war. :) It's kind of like one person pushing on someone's hands on one side of a tramp and another person pushing back on the opposite side. Spencer has also been able to feel her hiccups, which seem to be happening more frequently. I love watching these types of interactions between Spencer and Kaitlyn.

These last two Saturdays Spencer and I have been showered with baby gifts! Friends from our ward threw me a baby shower and then some of Spencer's friends from school threw us a surprise shower (surprise for me at least)! We both feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and we really appreciate all of their excitement and support for us. We both really can't wait to have Kaitlyn here so she can wear all the cute outfits we now have waiting for her. :)

As I mentioned before the school year is over, finally, and Spencer finished well in all of his classes. He is now on the hunt for a job this summer. So far he will be helping with a journal article but as this is not for many hours he is still looking. Hopefully he will be able to find something within his field. I have been loving all the extra time I now have with him! We have both been enjoying morning walks with each other and eating lunch together again. Our education has also grown over the past week about labor as we have been checking out books at the library. It's great to have so many different resources. In less than ten days we will be starting our birthing class!

Over the past few weeks I have been working on a project for nursery/office and it's finished. Here is a picture of the project:

I am really happy with the way it turned out! I love the colors and even the little white flowers turned out better than I imagined they would. It's great to have it up on the wall and to see it every day. Spencer was great at helping me pick out the type of letters and then helping with drilling the holes. Our decision on how we would spell her name came about by getting these letters. At Michales there were about four different choices in letter type. Some types looked better with an 'e' instead of an 'i' but I fell in love with these letters which looked great with the 'i'. Seems a bit crazy but I'm very satisfied with our choice.

Well that's about it for updates. Hopefully the next 11 weeks will just fly on by!!!

Bubbles, Kites and Museums

2011-05-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Back in April Spencer and I were lucky enough to enjoy a visit from Spencer's oldest sister Michelle and her family. Her husband Mike had a math conference here at CU so we only saw him for lunch one day as he was super busy. Spencer was also pretty busy but was able to take half a day for visiting. Having arrived in the evening on a Thursday, our visit really started on Friday.

Friday morning Michelle and the kids came to the family housing complex for the girls to play on some play grounds before we headed up to campus to meet Spencer and Mike for lunch. Abigal and Katy both enjoyed the toys and the warmer weather (apparently much warmer than Spearfish, SD). All too soon for the girls liking we headed up the hill to campus and enjoyed our lunch in the Student Union building. After lunch we said goodbye to Mike, and Spencer came back with us to get ready to head down to the Hammond's Candy Factory. We made it in time for the last tour and we all got a piece of 'oops' candy.

Katy and Abigal at the Candy Factory, enjoying a free sample.

From the factory we headed down to the Denver temple. Spencer and I had agreed to watch the chillin's so Michelle could go into the temple. Priority number one after arrival was to feed Lincoln. As Spencer did this Katy and Abigal enjoyed the water fountain and their lollipops.

Spencer feeding Lincoln

Abigal and Katy

After Lincoln had his fill we made our was to a grassy park across the street from the temple. Spencer and I had planned on keeping the girls entertained with a kite and bubbles. They both loved the kite! We were lucky to have a steady breeze to keep it up in the air. One down side of the breeze was when Abigal let go of the kite and it flew quite a distance. Spencer enjoyed chasing it down. :) Once the enthusiasm for the kite died down we got out the bubbles. Abigal had a hard time blowing them and ended up having more fun chasing and popping them. All of us got some sun but had a great time being out doors.

Katy steering the kite and Abigal giggling and dancing.

After spending most of the day out doors we were all very ready for dinner. We headed back to Boulder and went straight to Applebees, the girls' favorite place apparently. Once our tummies were full Michelle and the kids headed back to their hotel after dropping us off at our apartment and we said goodnight.

Abigal holding Lincoln and Katy joining in the cuddling.

Saturday morning was pretty chill. Michelle picked me up around eleven and we headed to a Children's museum in Lafayette (about 20 min from Boulder). Spencer stayed home to work on some homework. Mike dropped us off as he needed the car for catering assistance at the conference. We were at the museum for 2-3 hours and the girls' had a blast. I'll let the pictures do the explaining.

Abigal and Katy playing dress up. Abigal was more interested in being a princess while Katy loved the animal costumes.

Abigal milking a pretend cow.

Abigal was the cashier while Katy was the shopper.

Riding in a car.

Katy and Abigal in the art room, showing us their amazing skills.

Lincoln just chillin' in his car seat

Katy trying out the bubble maker. If you look closely you can see the bubble is up to her thighs.

Playing in the sandbox

Here is a video of Abigal dancing. She loved hearing the sound of the tap shoes. It took her a bit to find her groove, but she got the hang of it eventually. I hope it works...

After the museum we headed back to Boulder to drop me off and to say goodbye. It was great to get to spend time with Michelle and the kids. Both Spencer and I love seeing family, next time perhaps we'll get to see a bit more of Mike. :)

24 Weeks with an Update

2011-04-20T12:19:00.003-05:00

I'm posting this a week late but here I am at 24 weeks. As you can see I am a lot bigger than that ticker over there on the right. I think it only updates (get's bigger) when I reach a new trimester, which I'll hit the third trimester in three weeks!

It still seems like a ways away till my due date when I think about it in terms of months but when I say I only have 15 weeks left, August 2nd seems a lot closer. I am doing my best to drink at least 80 oz of water daily, if not more. I hoping to prevent a ton of swelling by doing so. My hips don't bother me at night much at all anymore, now it's my back. Yup I've been having quite a bit of sciatica pain. Unfortunately our little girl's head likes to press against my pelvic bone. Needless to say it's extremely uncomfortable. Comfort these day's is not something I find often. I've been recommended to see a chiropractor and hopefully it will help. I don't feel like I can complain about being so uncomfortable yet seeing as I still have quite a ways to go, but if I were to complain, discomfort would be at the top.

Getting up from the couch can be challenging now, and I appreciate how willing Spencer is to give me a hand and pull me up. I have noticed a significant change in my body temperature in the last week. I have a fan that is my new best friend. Some nights Spencer sleeps with an extra blanket on his side of the bed since I'm hot and he is cold. I'm lucky he is so patient. We start our birthing class at the end of May and we are both super excited for it. Now all I need is the end of the school year and a cool summer. :)

Butterflies Anyone?

2011-04-20T11:50:00.003-05:00

Back in March during Spencer's spring break we went to the Butterfly Pavilion as a family housing activity. Both Spencer and I have been wanting to check this place out and we were lucky enough to get a discount having gone with family housing. There is a big butterfly room that is extremely humid and full of a wide variety of jungle type plants. I have great respect for those nature photographers who get amazing pictures of bugs and such, they must have a great deal of patience. Fortunately Spencer was managing the camera and with his amazing photo skills was able to capture some pretty cool close up's.

The Jackson family.
Friends of ours from our ward and family housing.

Spencer and I

This is not a mirror image but two butterflies close enough together to almost look eyes.

There was also a pond with some turtles.

Another butterfly with the 'eye' disguise.

See all that mist? It was super warm in there.

You can even see this one's tongue (can't remember the technical term).

Aside from the butterfly room there was an ocean room with some lobster's, upside down jellyfish, starfish, hermit craps and a horseshoe crab. We were able to touch the horseshoe crab and if it hadn't been all slimy from algae it would have been a better experience for me. The last room to look at was full of insects, basically spiders and beetles. I never realized how many different tarantulas there are and hopefully I never come in contact with one. For all the brave souls there was one tarantula, named Rosie, that was available for you to hold and let crawl up your arm. Neither Spencer or I did this but the boys from the Jackson's family were more than willing. Yuck!

Overall I was a bit disappointed with the lack of colorful butterflies, but it's a great indoor place to be when the weather outside is not too favorable. There is also a nature walk that we didn't go on, but I think it would have lots more to offer in the summer when everything is green and in bloom anyway. Who knows, perhaps we'll end up making another trip to the Butterfly Pavilion to check it out.

Happy Day!

2011-04-02T17:32:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago we bought a washer from another family housing resident who was getting ready to move. Yesterday we obtained this washer and of course did a load of laundry!! It is so nice not to have to walk to the laundry mat, especially now with a baby bump it has become pretty difficult to manage a basket on my hips. Spencer and I had been contemplating getting a washer especially with a little one on the way, since that means lots more laundry. We were so happy to find one for a price we were willing to pay and it's in great condition. I look forward to not freezing when it's time to do laundry in the winter and no longer exchanging a $5 for quarters. :)

As an added bonus today's weather is great! The high is for 80 degrees and it's only just April!!

Wind=Enemy

2011-03-30T15:13:00.005-05:00

Since I'm from Idaho Falls I thought I had been exposed to all that wind had to offer. If any of you didn't know Idaho Falls is extremely windy, all. the. time. Needless to say that in leaving I thought I wouldn't have to put up with near as much wind. In Logan it got windy sure, and part of that can be blamed on living right by the Logan canyon, but I wouldn't say it was as bad as Idaho Falls.

Now last spring when we came and visited Boulder, Spencer and I were constantly told how nice it was here and that it's the city with 360 days of sunshine (which I will beg to differ). However no one ever told us about the crazy wind. We have had several nights since being here with wind storms of 65 mph and gusts up to 85 mph, constant. all. night. long. Perhaps it's just our building and how it's situated, being close to a parking lot and very exposed. Then again perhaps not. Our bedroom gets the brunt of the wind, and the windows rattle as is whips around the corner, which of course keeps/wakes us up. The fan in our bathroom also rattles ferociously, so we now keep the door shut every night. In the front room we have discovered that it is no where near as loud as our bedroom, thank goodness.

Our solution to the wind you might ask. Well after one night of being kept up till four in the morning we ended up spending the remainder of the night in the front room. And just last week when it had been windy all day and was supposed to stay that way all night we didn't even start in our bedroom but camped out in the living room. Now as I mentioned it's quieter in the front room, but on this 85 mph gusty night I went to the extreme of also turning on a fan to help drown out the noise as I slept on the couch and Spencer on the floor. Seeing as it wasn't our bed we didn't be the worlds best sleep, but it was way better than being kept up till four in the morning.

Both Spencer and I hope that this wind is only a winter/early spring deal or we might feel a little jilted, especially with all the raving reviews we received about Boulder's weather. Here's to hoping for less wind in the future and that nobody else out there losing sleep due to super gusty wind storms.

Here she is!

2011-03-16T20:16:00.004-05:00

Katelyn Anne Kitchen
Her profile

Pointing her finger

Waving to us

Her tiny foot

We can't wait to meet her!!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-15T20:26:00.003-05:00

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound and found out we are having a girl!! We are super excited. Her name will be Katelyn Anne Kitchen (spelling of Kaitlyn still under deliberation). After getting measurements we found out she is in the 52nd percentile and weighing 12 oz., right on track based on how many weeks I am. She was not shy at all and photographed well. We were able to see her yawn, wave and point, all of which were very cute. She also turned over a couple of times during the ultrasound, making it possible to see her from every angle.

As of six days ago I have really started to feel kicking and all kinds of other movement. For now she seems to be most active in the early afternoon. It really is quite amazing to be able to recognize the movement now. Spencer can't wait till he will be able to feel it as well. Tomorrow we will scan in our ultrasound pictures for all to see.

19 weeks and a visitor!

2011-03-10T15:26:00.006-06:00

Now that I am 19 weeks along I am finally getting around to posting a picture of my baby bump. I really didn't start to poke out till 17 weeks at which time it was almost a night and day difference. Clothes certainly were not fitting comfortably any more, but I was holding out till my sister Kelsey came for her spring break to shop for maternity clothes. Kelsey arrived last Saturday night and we had lots of fun while she was here with us in Boulder, but first 'the bump.'

19 weeks (exactly)

After picking Kelsey up from the airport we arrived home after 10 pm so it was a pretty lax evening of chatting and catching up. Sunday Kelsey was lucky enough to join me in my sunbeam class. The sunbeams were pretty entertaining as always and of course got right along with Kelsey. After church was lunch and then we all took advantage of the afternoon for a quick nap. After dinner Kelsey, Spencer and I enjoyed several hours of game playing! It was nice to have a third person to play with even though she smoked both Spencer and I.

Monday Kelsey and I spent most of the day out shopping for clothes. I am happy to say that I now have a wardrobe of maternity clothes which are all very comfortable. That night after dinner and once Spencer had left for his evening class, Kelsey and I did some waxing and face masks! We had a blast as well as lots and lots of laughs!!

Tuesday morning I had to work (I nanny for a family in our ward) and Kelsey came with me, afterwards we then headed to a few more stores. For dinner we went to an Indian restaurant which was delicious. Once we got home we had a pretty chill evening enjoying each others company. Wednesday us girls chatted up the morning and then went for a walk along the Boulder Creek path to enjoy the sunshine that had evaded us the last few days. We had fun taking some random pictures and making faces. :)

At the fish observatory along the Boulder Creek path

While sitting on a bench at a park making silly faces. We were going for double chins. :)

The most normal picture

Kelsey wanted a picture with gumdrop

After our walk we had lunch and headed to Peal Street Mall. We were lucky enough to see this street performer. He is one contortionist. He was able to fold up his body and fit into this box.

Here he is completely inside the cube. It was crazy but entertaining to watch.

After souvenir shopping we had to head home to get Kelsey ready for her flight back to Utah, but not before we had Spencer get a picture of us together, normal looking. :)

It was great to have Kelsey out here, I loved having someone to talk and laugh with all day long. These types of visits are never long enough but I'm super glad she decided to come. We had tons of fun and I know that the next time we get together there will be just as much fun and laughter.

In way of other news, Spencer and I's next adventure will be on this upcoming Tuesday, March 15th. We will be finding out what we will be having and Spencer and I couldn't be more excited!

A Little of This and a Little of That

2011-02-19T14:35:00.004-06:00

This past Thursday I had a Quad test done. This is one of four genetic tests offered to pregnant women. The Quad tests tells you whether your baby will have down syndrome or spina bifida. I would normally not have any of these tests done since I don't plan on terminating my pregnancy no matter what genetic problems may arise. However since my older sister's latest child (born 3 weeks ago) has spina bifida, the chance of my children having the same condition increases 3-5%. Since there are prenatal methods to help with spina bifida knowing as soon as possible is best, thus I had the Quad test done.

The test is simple, basically you have your blood drawn and then in the lab they look for specific hormones within the blood that signify either spina bifida or down syndrome. For those of you who know me well, know that I am absolutely terrified of needles so for me this simple test was a bit more complicated. However I am proud to say that I did not shed one tear as I had my blood drawn. My whole body was tense and I was shaking, which apparently scared Spencer more than my crying, but it was over almost as soon as the nurse started. Of course no where near as much blood was needed this time which may have helped. Perhaps being poked and prodded enough during this pregnancy will help get over my fear of needles. :)

Yesterday I received the results of the Quad test and was told that everything looks/looked normal which was great news. So far baby (aka gumdrop) is looking healthy and the pregnancy is going smoothly. In less than four weeks we will be finding out if gumdrop is a boy or a girl. I have not had any inclination as to what I might be having as so many pregnant women do. I also have not felt any distinctive movement yet but that is normal for the first pregnancy. After we find out what the gender is I should be able to recognize what I might mistake now as gas bubbles for movement.

Morning sickness has pretty much passed, yippy! I still get nauseous at times with dinner though as I eat things I haven't eaten since being pregnant. Basically the list of things I can't eat just continues to grow. Meat makes me sick. The only meat I have been able to stomach is chicken and then sometimes that depends on how it is prepared. Poor Spencer. Before we realized that it was meat making me sick we had all these beef and pork meals planned. After trying it and not being able to eat it, he has had to finish the entire meal by himself. Ham and meatloaf have been the worst for me by far. I also haven't been able to eat oatmeal anymore or add as much pepper to dishes. I really just stay away from the pepper. It's not the spice that makes me sick, it's the flavor. The only cravings I have really had have been for fruit and every now and then potato chips, sour cream and cheddar to be precise, yummy.

I have not had to buy maternity clothes yet, but by 20 weeks I'll most likely have too. I'm starting to poke out a bit, but I've been told by other women in my ward that it doesn't look like I'm pregnant at all yet. We shall see how long that lasts. Sleeping has gotten better in way of actual sleep, but it has also become extremely uncomfortable. My hips have recently started bothering me a ton at night. I have tried the pillow between the legs and it doesn't seem to work. If anyone has any ideas/methods that might work I'm all ears.

Spencer is still plugging away at school. This semester seems to being going a lot smoother than last (learning from past mistakes with his recitations) which is great! He also has a calling in cub scouts and is working on adjusting to it. He is super excited about gumdrop and is constantly getting remarks and 'helpful hints' from his fellow grad students and colleagues. He has been great at helping me feel better, he is more than willing to go out of his way to figure out what to have me eat and has been cheerful about eating the same thing for a month. Hopefully we won't have much more trouble in the way of food and it will be smooth sailing from here on out. :)

We're going to have a baby!!!

2011-01-10T11:46:00.002-06:00

That's right folks and Spencer and I are super excited. Just this last Friday we were able to hear the heart beat for the first time and what an amazing experience that was. Spencer decided it sounded like windshield wipers. The heart beat made me think of a flea. In my biology class labs we looked at fleas under microscopes and you could see their hearts beating a mile a minute and since the baby's heart beat was twice as fast as mine, a flea is what came to mind. :) Our estimated due date is August 2, 2011.

So far I haven't been too sick. I haven't thrown up at all, I mainly feel car sick all day long. Needless to say I'm ready to not feel nauseous anymore; two more weeks and hopefully I'll be car sick free! The best remedy I have found for my nauseousness is orange julius. A bit strange but if it helps I'm willing to drink it. Tiredness really comes in waves. Lately I have been having a real hard time sleeping at night which leads to being tired most of the day. I am grateful that I have the time to lay down in the afternoons. In the first few weeks I was constantly tired (and slept well), but that seems to have passed.

My biggest struggle right now is just getting enough protein. I really don't care for feeling hungry all the time so hopefully if I can get enough protein that will pass. I'm also ready to feel better so I can get back to exercising, I'll just need to remember to keep my heart rate below 150.

We will be finding out the gender at week 20, which is ten weeks away, and we are happy for either a girl or a boy, neither of us have a preference of what comes first. Spencer and I are both looking forward to the many changes that will be taking place in our home life and we will do our best to keep you all updated.

Christmas with the Kitchen's

2011-01-09T15:10:00.006-06:00

We hadn't planned to visit family for Christmas, but at the last minute the stars aligned and we were able to make it possible to go and visit Spencer's family in Vernal. Similar to Thanksgiving, the weather made the traveling a little more difficult.

Vernal's airport is quaint. Quaint enough that about an ounce of fog keeps planes from coming or going. Just prior to our arrival, several days' worth of flights had been canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions. While we had been monitoring this, we couldn't have predicted what was going to happen to us.

We arrived at the airport (in Denver), found parking that seemed like only 10 miles from Kansas, and got through security all on schedule. We made it to your gate, was about to check in and then 'poof,' Our flight was canceled.

We worked our way back to baggage claim to later find out that without stepping onto a plane, we lost a bag. Irritated but laughing, we slept in our own bed that night before we tried it again on Christmas Eve. The next day started with the worry that we wouldn't find parking, not a plane to take us to Vernal. We left early to snag one of the few remaining parking slots in the shuttle parking and then waited several hours for our plane to leave. Happily, we made it with one of the smoothest flights either one of us has had, after a two hour delay. We were extremely grateful to have made it to Vernal.

We really enjoyed sharing one of Brenna's traditions with Spencer's family. We made and decorated sugar cookies. With four dozen cookies, frosting, and trimmings Spencer's sisters helped us decorate the cookies. We know they tasted wonderful because they had disappeared by Christmas day evening.

After leisurely opening gifts on Christmas, we played several games with Spencer's family. They were great sports learning new card games and testing their card shark skills. We love visiting with Spencer's sister and brother-in-law, Elisa and Devin, and their family. Having them come down so that we could chat with them and play with their kids was a blast.

Our stay was not very long, but was filled with fun. We got to spend another night due to a canceled flight. No real harm there. While enjoying the visit with family, we are glad to avoid the surprises weather, mechanical maintenance, and holiday travel for the next couple of months.

Remembering Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-09T14:32:00.006-06:00

While this post isn't of events within the last month, it was memorable enough for us to come back to it. We had a fantastic time spending Thanksgiving with Brenna's family in Southeast Idaho. We were lucky enough to make it out to spend the holiday with family.

Our plan was to get to Idaho Falls early enough to see a friend of Brenna's come out of the temple, just after their wedding ceremony. What we didn't plan for when we bought our plane tickets was the tremendous snow storm that hit Northern Utah and Southeast Idaho. While we were able to see Brenna's friend leave the temple, we missed joining the big welcoming party. When we boiled it down, we were very grateful for Brenna's mom and sister for coming down and picking us up from the airport.

This holiday brought us a new experience. While Spencer had the entire week off from classes, he didn't have the week off from class work. While Brenna was socializing with cousins, sisters, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, Spencer spent much of his time slaving way in front of his crusty laptop working papers. He did take about two days off from working to play games, eat food, and laugh with family.

Our trip back to Boulder was accompanied with a snowstorm about the same intensity was the storm that welcomed us to Utah. Despite the horrible conditions, our bus driver did a great job of getting us Salt Lake regardless of losing a windshield wiper. When we stepped out of the bus, we stepped into a winter wonderland. Gratefully, Brenna's Aunt Marianne and Uncle Russ helped us out by lodging us for about 5 hours and picking us up from Temple Square. Brenna's cousin, Mitch, had nerves of steel as he drove us up the steep and seemingly slippery slopes up the house.

We are grateful to all of those that made such a trip possible for us to enjoy. We always enjoy the activities we participate in each Thanksgiving.

Kitchen Chefs

2010-11-09T10:29:00.005-06:00

For Halloween this year Spencer and I were Chefs, thanks to my mom for the great idea. We both wore aprons, chef's hats we'd made out of paper and carried a kitchen utensil.

All Halloween festivities for us were held the day before Halloween. In the morning we attended the Family Housing Halloween party, which was mainly for children but we enjoyed seeing all the creative costumes and mingling with friends. Later that evening after getting dressed up we headed to the church for the ward Halloween party. There was a soup contest which was the main course of the dinner. I didn't find one that I especially liked, however the rolls and salad were delicious! Spencer has a more agreeable palate than I and was happy with a stew/soup he had.

For the kids of the ward there were two table set up with 'fun' food. One table had apples, caramel and different sweets to dip the apples in such as M&M's, reeses pieces, coconut and mini chocolate chips. Apples with caramel and M&M's was fabulous! The second table had cookies and frosting for the kids to decorate. Spencer was rather fond of the cookies. During dinner or at least near tail end there was a fashion show for the kids and then we headed out to the parking lot for Trunk or Treating. I have never participated in trunk or treat before so this was a new experience for me. Spencer and I stood by our friends trunk and handed out candy. We had the same kids come around three times! We were out of candy by then by our friend wasn't and didn't think thirds was cool. Apparently the kids were told by their parents that this was their trick or treating for the year since Halloween was on a Sunday. Understandable.

After trunk or treating we headed home and settled down to watch some Hitchcock films. Between last year and this year we have seen almost everything this library has to offer. We both enjoyed Halloween this year and the fun time we spent with friends.

A few fun pictures of us in costume.

Fall Fun with Family!

2010-10-21T10:50:00.004-05:00

The third weekend in October was a treat for Spencer and I. Since school was out in Vernal for a five day weekend Spencer's mom, Kathy, and youngest sister Rachel decided to come out for a visit! They arrived at 7:15 am on Thursday morning. Spencer and I now know how horrible early morning rush hour is. We were lucky to not be too late in picking up our guests. Once back in Boulder Spencer headed up to campus and us three girls talked and ate lunch. After lunch we headed out for a walk on the Boulder Creek Path. At the trout observatory we were not lucky enough to see any fish but instead tennis balls from the near by court. We then headed to the library, where I had a few holds, and toured the art gallery where new pieces were being set up. This gallery was mostly made up of tons of quilts, all very unique and bright. When we left the library we were fortunate enough to see Mike out in the Boulder Creek creating rock art.

I'm still baffled at how he does it. He is able to take rocks right out of the water and stack them on top of each other on the narrowest points. Apparently on the weekends he will leave a hat out for money and he is considering making this a career. We stayed and watched for quite awhile. Our next stop was campus for a fall color tree walk.

The fall color tree walk is were we are taken around campus to look at the different types of trees and to learn about them and the color they offer in the fall. Spencer was able to meet up with us to enjoy the walk as well. There was quite a turn out from students to members of the community. Some of the information was very interesting. As the sun began to go down however it became quite chilly so we headed back to our apartment for dinner.

A maple tree with brilliant orange leaves (not on the fall walk but at a park)

Friday morning Spencer headed to campus and Kathy, Rachel and I headed for Chautauqua Park where we were going on a hike. I wanted to take them on the hike that Spencer and I went on back in March when we came here to check out Boulder. We made it up to the fork where paths merge and break off. After consulting the map and my poor memory we headed south. Once we started to head down the mountain we knew we had missed our turn. So we headed back to the fork and tried the path leading west. After a very steep climb we made it to the rock chairs. As Kathy said, it was a good thing the end result was worth it since our detour extended the hike by more than an hour. We made it back down to the car in good spirits and very ready for lunch and to be off our feet.

Kathy and Rachel taking a breather at the fork.

Rachel smelling a Ponderosa Pine which smell like butterscotch

The remainder of the day was spent by Rachel taking a nap and Kathy and I on the computer looking at heath fitness sites. Once Rachel woke up we headed out to a thrift store where both Kathy and Rachel were able to find items to finish/start sewing projects. After dinner we all, Spencer too, headed to Pearl Street for the Stampede. Every Friday night before a football game the school band, cheerleaders, football players and the whole city (it sure seemed like it) assemble at the court house. The school song is played and other fight songs and once it's seven o'clock the band leads the march/stampede for four blocks stopping every so often to preform. Overall a neat experience and fun tradition. After the stampede we went for ice cream and then played 'Last Word' which included tons of laughter with tears!!

Saturday morning for me started with a meeting where I was planning on running for a Resident Counsel position. It turned out that they just needed my name and then a 100 word blurb about me which would then be sent out with the other nominees to all of family housing and they are to vote for us. Two spots and three people running. The ballet has been sent out but I don't know who has won yet, fingers crossed it's me. When I got home I took Kathy and Rachel to a different thrift store which had a great book section where we were all absorbed for quite some time. After looking around the store we headed back for lunch, packing and then the candy factory!

We all decided that on our way to the airport we would stop by the Hammond's Candy Factory for one of their free tours. By the time we got there not much was happening in the kitchens so there wasn't much to see. We were able to watch the movie about the factory and see some of the different machinery used. It was very interesting. In the packaging room we saw a 10lb candy cane and lollipop! They were so huge! To eat them basically you would need a hammer and many mouths. After the "tour" we headed to the store.

A stand full of lollipops

A stand full of stick twists and lollipops

And of course candy canes! So many different flavors and colors

All four of us got a sample after the tour but we also got some of their 'oops' candy that is of course cheaper but still ever so tasty. Apparently in December they have a candy cane festival where they have Santa and real reindeer to feed and tons of other neat things. Spencer and I plan on making a trip back to the candy factory for this event. We got Kathy and Rachel to the airport in plenty of time and they made it back to Vernal safely. Spencer and I had a blast and can't wait for our next visit with family or friends!!

Thus Far.

2010-09-13T16:24:00.003-05:00

We are now all settled into our lovely apartment and Spencer is on his fourth week of school. I have been job hunting and am still coming up dry but I haven't given up yet. Since I have ample amount of free time, I spend my mornings exercising. I also have my public library card which will keep me busy too. :) Last week was the first speech of the semester for Spencer's recitations so this week he will be kept busy with grading. He also has to keep up with his own classes so needless to say he has been busy as a bee. It's as though he has a job working from eight to five during which he is on campus and then a few hours in the evening at home sometimes. Our roles have definitely been reversed from what they were over the summer.

For labor day we headed down to Denver to attend the 'Taste of Colorado.' This is basically an event full of vendors selling really neat items under white tents, similar to the farmer's market but ten times bigger. There were also fifty different food vendors from the popular spots in Denver. We tried several different things and among our favorites were the Louisiana sausage and a buffalo taco, talk about yummy. As we headed back to Boulder we saw what at first I thought was a really weird cloud formation and then decided it was smoke. In coming over a ridge we were able to see that it was smoke that was coming out of the mountains right where Boulder was. The closer we got the darker the smoke became. Apparently a fire started in a canyon around 10am that morning. Boulder was very smoky smelt awful.

We never actually saw any flames nor were we in the evacuation area but 169 structures were destroyed and 6400 acres burned and we could no longer leave our windows open at night to cool off our apartment. As of last Thursday things looked good and it was under 56% contorl, which this control wasn't gained till four days after it started. The air doesn't look smoky anymore when we wake up in the morning which is very exciting. Spencer and I were able to go and volunteer at an emergency distribution center where we sorted the donations from the community, it was great to be able to help out. Unfortunately another fire has been started north of this one, so hopefully it will be contained very soon and the losses will not be nearly as bad as the one near Boulder.

Both Spencer and I have been enjoying our time here thus far and I'm sure we will have many more adventures to come. I can hardly believe we have been here more than a month but I'm excited for whatever lies ahead!

Can't Wait to go Back!!

2010-08-30T19:13:00.012-05:00

So the last hurrah with my family took place in McCall Idaho. Spencer and I were there for five days and my family six. We left early so we could make it back to Utah for the Kitchen reunion and my last hair appointment with my hair dresser :( We had a blast bike riding, boating and playing on the beach. We were able to bike around the lake which is something I haven't done for several years and it was breath taking. Every day was full of fun adventures that we were all exhausted each night. Rhianne was the only one to get burnt real bad the rest of us came away with new tan lines. I'll let the abundance of pictures tell the rest of the story (in no particular order). :)

Ashleen enjoying a good book on the beach. She wasn't the only one to take advantage of this past time.

Kelsey and Ashleen getting ready to head out with the help of dad.

My mom off to a good start and my day working his way upon to the wave runner. Kelsey's boyfriend was good enough to help them get out past the rocks.

My dad, Chase (Kelsey's boyfriend), my mom, Rhianne and Kelsey all getting ready for another run.

The beach we found while riding around the lake and were we came back to the next two days while playing with the fun water toys/machinery.

Kelsy and me. My hair got extremely wind blown while riding the wave runner!

Me, Kelsey and Spencer. Getting ready to take the boat back to the other side of the lake.

Kelsey on the wake board, looking scared.

Rhianne excelled at the knee board!

Kelsey not looking as easy going as Rhianne on the knee board.

Spencer taking a turn at the wake board.

My dad was finally able to make it up on the wake board, if only for a few seconds, and this is his first time wake boarding!

Ashleen so close to getting up on the wake board. She eventually got there for the first time too!

Rhianne on the tube.

Kelsey and I on the boat. Yes that's a sweatshirt. The morning was a bit cool, especially with all that wind blowing in your face off of the water.

Ashleen, Rhianne and Spencer on the boat.

Spencer looking very proud with his fine art work, teeky men. I'm off in the back reading.

Can anyone say 'Queens of the rock?' Ashleen, Rhianne and Kelsey striking a pose.

Kelsey pushing Rhianne in.

Spencer and Rhiane hauled these rocks over to protect Spencer's art work from the waves. Both so strong :)

Spencer's sand crab.

Frisbee anyone? Kelsey, Spencer and Rhianne.

Nice throw! I'm pretty sure Rhianne caught it and I think Spencer threw it while Kelsey watched.

Another view of the lake from the beach.

Reapplying sun screen at a garden full of beautiful flowers on our bike ride around the lake. Ashleen, Rhianne, Mom, me and Spencer.

After two intense days of biking he was just a tad tired.

Ashleen, Rhianne and Kelsey, all very silly. :)

Ashleen attempting to shove Kelsey off the bridge. Rhianne, me, Spencer and Kelsey.

Kelsey in all her weirdness.

Two chairs at the garden. Anything but a bike seat felt wonderful.

Kelsey and I on the beach being silly.

Spencer and I on the beach.

Another view of the lake while on our bike ride.

Taken after a pretty intense trial ride, at the place we really should have started the ride so that it would have been basically all down hill. We were just glad we made it. Spencer and Kelsey on the rocks, my dad, Ashleen, me and Rhianne on the ground. Mom took the picture.

Both Spencer and I can't wait to return to McCall, but till then we will enjoy the out doors in Boulder, Co!!

Our Time Spent In Vernal

2010-08-26T14:32:00.006-05:00

Spencer and I lived in Vernal for two and a half months. We were able to house sit for his parents neighbors (house just behind theirs) which was such a blessing cause we didn't have to pay rent. I worked at the Vernal temple the first three days of the week and at a nursery in Jensen (20 min away) the last three days of the week. Spencer was able to get a job with the county Weed Department, so he was lucky enough to spray weeds all summer in a hot white suit to keep the chemicals off of him. The chemical was dyed blue so that they would know where they had sprayed. Needless to say the shoes Spencer wore to work are now a nice blueish/green color. Spencer didn't particularly love this job but was willing to do it for our the two of us. I'm pretty sure he now knows more about weeds and chemicals than me and I took plenty of classes to learn the stuff :) He also worked four tens so he was lucky to have a three day weekend. I on the other hand worked six days a week and I don't ever want to have to do that again. Spencer became the 'house wife' you could say. He did an awesome job with weeding the back yard and mowing the lawn.

My days started early Mon-Wed. I started work at six am at the temple and rode my bike every day. In all honesty I preferred it that way. We were able to avoid the afternoon heat and I was done by 2:30 which was great. My days at the nursery started around nine and ended at either five or six but after I got off work I had the twenty minute drive home, I don't like commuting that much I've decided. Spencer started work at seven and got home at fiveish, depending on if he rode his bike. We were a super busy pair and due to my working weekends we didn't get to do much traveling. With the lack of traveling, even around the area, I really can't say I truly got to experience living in Vernal, aside from finding out the lack of shopping opportunities.

For Memorial Day I worked a half day and then Spencer and I went out into the desert for a bike ride. This was single track bike riding, something I have never done before. It was a bit scary and steep in several places. Needless to say I made quite a bit of noise till I got the hang of it better. We enjoyed ourselves and would have loved to do it again. Here are a few pictures of the adventure.

This picture doesn't give justice to the terrain we rode on but you get the idea of it being desert.

I'm happy to be there!

But I'm even happier to be there with Spencer!!

A really cool rock formation

Also during our stay in Vernal we had several dinners around the fire pit in the backyard of where we lived. We had tinfoil dinners, roasted hot dogs and of course s'mores! Each time was a blast and we always had family over to join us making it all the more fun.

Rachel, Kathy, Elisa and Lucas

Two thumbs up for s'mores! Spencer and Emily sure enjoyed them.

Spencer was the fire master each time we had one, he really knows his stuff :)

A very cool picture of Emily, Lucas, Me and Elisa through the smoke.

For our Anniversary this year we went to Seven Peaks in Provo and had a blast!! I'd never been there before and it really is so much fun. Spencer and I went on all of the water slides, even the free fall which was wicked scary. We also had a ton of fun in the wave pool, especially when it wasn't too crowded. Unfortunately we both ended up pretty burnt even though we thought we were doing so good with reapplying, turns out we just did it too late. Hopefully we make it back there someday.

It was great being close to Spencer's family and we did have a lot of fun. The last week of 'living' in Vernal we spent in McCall Idaho with my family, the last hurrah with Spencer and I. I love McCall and was super excited to take Spencer, and he fell in love with it too. While there our camera ended up dying so all of our pictures are on my sisters, so till we get those I'll wait to post about it.

Four Months Ago......

2010-06-06T15:52:00.004-05:00

Spencer and I graduated from Utah State University! Yay!! It was a very long day full of activity. Both Spencer and I wanted to graduate/walk with our own college and friends so we attended three ceremonies, the big one where Danny Glover spoke, mine and then Spencer's. Our families were troopers being carted back and forth across campus. After each of the individual college ceremonies we were served Aggie ice cream, which was cool and refreshing. Once we had our fill of ice cream it was picture time. We had three photographers, my dad, Spencer's dad and my mom with our camera. Needless to say we have a ton of graduation photos. I'll only post some of my favorites.

Old main in the back ground of the two graduates! (Where Spencer spent most of his time the last two years of his schooling.)

Yes we are both looking at different cameras, that's just the way it goes where there are three.

Surrounded by family on the 'A'

Spencer and I on the 'A' and having fun!

We are grateful to the family members who were able to make to our graduation and celebrate with us. In the days following graduation Spencer participated in a conference with one of his professors while my mom and I packed up our apartment for the move to Vernal for the summer.

Just a Tad Late

2010-06-06T15:35:00.005-05:00

Spencer's birthday was pretty chill and spiritually uplifting since it was over General Conference weekend. For his "own" cake/treat I took him to Jamba Juice and got him his favorite flavor! We brought it home stuck a candle in it and he made a wish.

We had Kelsey over to celebrate along with us in the festivities. We had lots of laughs, especially when Kelsey and I tried to sing happy birthday. We both came in on different keys and it sounded terrible but was incredibly funny.

Here is Spencer in all his glory surrounded by his loot!

All in all Spencer's birthday was a success!! Lots of shopping will be happening in the future so he can use the many Khol's gift cards he received. One year to go and renting a car will be much cheaper :)

True Aggies at Midnight

2010-05-09T15:18:00.004-05:00

While attending USU, we have learned the history of True Aggie Night dating back to 1916 and the block "A." One can become a True Aggie by receiving a kiss on the “A” under a full moon at midnight by somebody who already is a True Aggie, or on Homecoming or A-Day by somebody who is not. We have never taken the opportunities to become True Aggie, so we planned that before we graduated, we would make it to A-Day and seal the deal.

That night preceded many activities at the Institute a local movie theater before we made it to the Quad just after midnight. We jumped in the line and waited our turn to climb the "A" to kiss. In great anticipation, we climbed the steps and smooched! We received a card giving us all the rights and privileges eligible to True Aggies before calling it a night.

Spencer returns to the Symposium

2010-05-04T19:34:00.008-05:00

I had the opportunity to submit some work for this year's Language, Philosophy, and Speech Communication Undergraduate Research Symposium. Each year, my department asks students to submit written work for presentation and for consideration for best paper. Last year's event was a blast, so I enlisted some team members to submit our group paper from our course in persuasion. The group project from last semester is the model example for group work in my undergraduate work. Everything seemed to fall into place. We all really enjoyed the experience while having a lot of fun.

I'll give a brief overview of the project before I share the results of the symposium. We designed a study to test whether teams are better able to withstand having a sour person in their group. We gathered some research subjects, created some games, and did our best to gather in all of the responses. But some of the best experiences we had were in our own group. The best thing we could have done was giving ourselves a name, KAL Corps, taken from the first letter of our last names. We worked hard, met for hours, and in the end, walked away with a great paper without feeling the burnout of working in groups too often associated with class assignments.

After a couple of weeks, we learned that not only had be we been accepted to present at the symposium, but also awarded the Best Paper over all language, philosophy, and communication papers that had been submitted! It was an honor to receive this award as a team. We had worked hard together and it was great to see the reward together. This experience has taught me the unique benefits teamwork offers when trying to get work done.

Waldo, Carmen San Diego, and the Kitchen's. What do they all have in common?

2010-04-30T00:25:00.003-05:00

We are grateful for all of the support and excitement from friends and family about our summer plans this year. Because of this, we are obligated to share the change of plans. Due to jobs and housing not coming together in Salt Lake and great opportunities arising in Vernal, we decided to head east and spend the summer in the Uinta Basin.

Brenna has been offered a job working the grounds of the temple and has a lead or two working for some local nurseries. I am following up with some openings for the county while continuing to look for other employment. Once in Vernal, I'll be looking for opportunities to extend my education and skills in an unpaid internship. We feel this has been a blessing and are not willing to let it slip away.

We hope our friends and family will still be excited for us. We still look forward to having a lot of fun this summer prior to heading even further East as we make our way to Boulder, Colorado. When you are looking for a place for a vacation, give us a ring. We can be your host and hostess and treat you to a great stay in the heart of Dinosaurland.

Celebration of Birth and Resurrection

2010-04-25T18:14:00.010-05:00

One of this year's rites of passage for us was not having Easter celebrations with our families. Luckily, the realization came to us in March, in time for us to prepare. To start our own playful traditions, we decided to pack some plastic eggs with chocolate goodies and Starburst jelly beans. To earn the treats, we planned on hiding each others' predesignated colored eggs in our quaint apartment. The one rule we had was that the eggs had to be in plain sight, no burying them under anything.

Leading up to the egg hunt, we took the opportunity to dye some eggs at a housing function put on by our Resident Assistant. Both of us tried really hard to be creative in the decorating of our eggs. See if you can guess the imitations...

***Stop reading and check out the photos before you stumble upon the spoiler!***

We hope you guessed, a newly hatched chick wearing its own birthday hat, a goldfish, a bumblebee, a cow, Humpty Dumpty before he had his fall, an upside down tree with eggs around it, a flower, and Buddha. If you got all of them right, we ought to consider going into business decorating eggs, if you got half of them right, we are flattered, if you only got a couple of them right, we should probably retake some art classes.

Easter weekend entailed several hours of listening to great leaders for General Conference. Since leaving my parents' nest, I haven't been very lucky at finding another guy to help me keep my family tradition of getting ice cream after the Priesthood Session. Luckily, since being married, Brenna has been very supportive as I indulge in eating a cold treat. This April, we went to Firehouse Pizzeria for their Fh'zzookies: half-baked cookie goodness, topped with a scoop of ice cream, and dressed with a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

Our hunt was a success! We hid and later found all of the eggs without any failure. All eggs kept the rule with only one on the border of pushing the limits.
To share the abundant sugar wealth, we cracked open the eggs and spilled their bounty into the basket. We are pleased with our decision to only get a few bags of candy. Not that we are health nuts, but a lot of candy doesn't do me any good.

This Easter gave us a great opportunity to focus on creating traditions that focus on the family. Our choices to build our relationship with each other and with our King is our joy, our source of comfort, and our strength that coupled with our faith, provide the right to be a family that will never be separated.

Drum Roll Please.......And the Winner is......

2010-04-12T20:36:00.005-05:00

The wait is over, we have decided and are happy with our decision. Yes it has taken us a bit, and the whole 'stay tuned in' was so that we could formally let the schools know before we told the world. Both schools have been informed and it's official (well in the mail) Spencer will be attending the University of Colorado in Boulder this coming fall and we will be becoming the Buffs. Not real impressive I know but the mascot is not the important part.

The colors are black and yellow (some would say gold) which remind me of bees not buffalo's, oh well I'm sure I'll get used to it. We are super excited for this move. Boulder will be a new experience for us due to size and proximity to Denver (and the mountains in the west not east).

As for other big news we have decided (finally) that we will be moving to Salt Lake for the summer. We are hopeful that Spencer will be able to get a job within his field so he can gain experience. Salt Lake will have better opportunities for Spencer's field than what Logan has to offer. Our move date is May 13th (out and in...eek!). This semester is really starting to wind down, although I think Spencer would not agree. He doesn't feel like he has enough time to get everything done that is demanded of him. I have a hard time seeing it this way since I'm ready for it to be over.

We expect, anticipate and are excited for any new adventures this crazy world has to throw at us. As graduation approaches one chapter of our lives will be closing and another opening with our move to Salt Lake and then on to Boulder.

The Big One!!

2010-04-12T20:13:00.004-05:00

Here is the 'BIG' cake Spencer and I got to celebrate our birthdays at the end of March. Spencer has two blue and two green candles to signify 24 and I have a pink and orange one for 22 years. The cake is German chocolate, mmmmm....yummy. Got to love all that coconut :) We also got ice cream and decided to go with a new flavor. The new flavor: chocolate (ok not so new) with chocolate covered rice crispies throughout (now that is new!). This ice cream got a thumbs up from the two of us. We would offer some to all you readers but unfortunately (not really though) it is all gone.

Blowing out the candles

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

Real Quick: Spring Break....

2010-04-10T19:17:00.008-05:00

For spring break Spencer and I decided that we would go and check out the two potential grad schools for this fall since we couldn't get cheap enough airfare to go to DC. Boulder had a whole weekend planned for all potential grad students the beginning weekend of spring break for us so it worked out nicely. They offered to pay for part of our trip to visit, yes that is how bad they want Spencer, so we flew. The flight was quite short. I swear the plane barley leveled out and all of the sudden we were on the decline. It was super nice to get there in 45 min instead of nine hours.

Once in Denver we took a shuttle to Boulder and Spencer went straight into meeting with professors. I finished a letter and explored campus. This campus is pretty big, a lot bigger than USU's. Tons of buildings that are in close proximity and not a ton of green space. The buildings all have the same look, red sandstone and Italian style roofing, and look real nice. However this outward appearance is just as facade. Once inside the buildings are all run down and you can see all the pipping. Anyway, at noon we had lunch and mingled with other grad students so we could ask questions about everything. They were all really friendly and thought it was great that I had come along! After lunch we took a campus tour, which was really quite lame. The tour guide was in a hurry to get back to work.

Following the tour Spencer had a colloquium so I found a couch to relax on. An hour or so later we headed to Pearl Street for happy hour with the department. Pearl Street is a cobblestone strip with tons of bars and neat little shops. Happy hour was interesting. Spencer and I made up half of the people who don't drink, of the other two one is Mormon and the other a recovering alcoholic. Here we did more mingling and met too many people to remember. We ordered appatisers and had lots of fun. Spencer and I decide to check out the rest of Pearl Street once people started getting a bit tipsy. We decided that dessert sounded good and found that the Cheesecake Factory was calling our name. I had never been before and my the dessert was good. After dessert we decided to call it a night and our host took us back to his place and we sat around talking for another few hours.

Saturday started early. Since there are no mountains to the East I was awakened by the sun at 6:30 am and I thought it was 8:00. A bit frustrating to say the least. That morning we went to check out housing. We were lucky to run into the Mormon grad student, who lives there, and he was able to show us an apartment in all of the different complexes. We then proceeded to look off campus in hopes of finding something cheaper. Housing is outrageous in Boulder since the city cannot expand due to a greenbelt separating it from other cities, and the three floor capped limit. By noon we were sick of housing and had lunch. After lunch we went on a hike with the department and it was beautiful. That night we had a pot luck dinner at a member of the department's house, and played some foos ball, (we did awesome). Sunday we flew back to Salt Lake, had dinner with my aunt and uncle then drove back to Logan. Monday at noon we headed to Montana.

Spencer and I chillin' on campus which looks like,

this and this:

On our way up the hike

At the top we stumbled upon these

I decided to try them out

Spencer soon joined me

The view from the top

A view from near the bottom

And a shot of campus in the background to top it off!

MONTANA
(this is the mascot)

We made it to Missoula by 6 in the evening and found a place to eat. Now we planned this trip on our own. The department invited us but they didn't have a weekend set up like Boulder did. Tuesday morning Spencer met with a few professors and I went to the library to look up housing. We met for lunch and then I read while Spencer met with some grad students. We then checked out housing, which the prices are much nicer than the ones in Boulder, and then we called it a day. Wednesday we hiked up to the 'M' on the mountain. This hike consisted of 13 switchbacks that were extremely steep. We could feel the burn in our calves. We made it up and down in 45 min. Spencer then had a meeting with a professor and then we took a real campus tour (not like the lame one in Boulder). This tour we had to schedule and we got a free lunch out of it. This campus is pretty small, smaller than USU's and sit's right up against the mountains like USU (wouldn't have to worry about getting up with the sun at 6:30 :P).

Later that afternoon Spencer had colloquium so I went back to the hotel to shower and do homework. I then picked Spencer up and we went to dinner at some pizza joint that we were told was really good, I however would beg to differ. I don't like how much cheese they use. After dinner Spencer dropped me off at the hotel and he went back to campus to sit in on a grad class. Once again another busy day for us. We headed to Rexburg Thursday morning to visit with Spencer's sister Kelli. We had a great visit and enjoyed gourmet cupcakes! Spencer and I then headed to Idaho Falls to see my family. We left Friday evening, stopped in Pocatello to visit more family and made it back to Logan at 11:30 and went straight to bed.

Missoula had lots of cool buildings on campus and here is one of them.

The 'M' we hiked to with the building Old Main in front. It looks a lot like our Old Main here at USU....

We made it to the top and boy was it windy! Us with the 'M' (as best as we could :)

Missoula in the background from the 'M'

Unfortunately we didn't feel particularly inspired (we knew that was were we are supposed to be this fall) at either place. However we did have lots of fun at both places and now at least the decision we make will be and informed one. One huge difference between the two is that Boulder is big on drinking and Missoula smoking (not to say that they don't drink and people in Boulder don't smoke, we just saw more smoking on campus in Missoula). In both places marijuana is legal so that doesn't really factor into our decision. Now that it is three weeks later we have decided on were we will be going, but you'll have to stay tuned to find out where!

Birthday Brenna!

2010-03-28T20:53:00.007-05:00

With the whirlwind of activity this semester, we do our best to make special occasions... well, special. It isn't easy. I now admit that I like to have extra school projects that end up eating up time. When assignment deadlines come up with classes, I start to fret.

This semester is no different. Brenna has been busy. I have been busy. Our neighbors sound like they have been busy. But when it came to Brenna's birthday, we were going to have some fun. Unluckily, Brenna still had to go to class that evening for her senior seminar. However, we still went to Costa Vida for her birthday dinner. Scrumptious as always.

After her class, I had a couple of surprises for her. We didn't plan on a having a cake each for our birthdays, but I wanted to have something for her. So I found this huge brownie. I stuck it with a candle, had her Pink Lady apple and candle, lit them up and led her to her surprises.

Some may wonder why have a birthday apple. As much as we like cake, there are times when we wish for an alternative. Pink Ladies are the current favorite of Brenna.

My favorite gift to Brenna this year was our bookmarks. As a very thoughtful gift to us when we were married, some friends wrote down the advice and comments made by the sealer during our marriage ceremony since we were far to busy staring into each others' eyes with silly but gleeful smiles stuck to our faces. We have treasured those notes, but haven't had a good place to put them. They are something that we want close by so as to remind us of that sacred and special moment.

The idea I got was to print the advice up on cute paper and attach some wedding-themed scrap booking stickers to make a great pair of matching bookmarks. One for both of us so that we can share the advice given to us. I wasn't able to get the product finished in time due to some printer problems and time constraints. When I get everything done, I'll post some photos.

Brenna here: This is the first year of my college career that my birthday has not fallen on spring break, so going to school was a bit of a bummer, especially with a night class. However dinner and the thoughtfulness of Spencer made up for it all. I had phone calls in the morning and evening and some carrying over to the next day! All in all it was a busy but great day.

(Spencer and I have decided to have one 'big cake' here at the end of March since our birthdays are less than a month apart and we don't need two cakes. So once we've got the cake we will post a picture.) :)

A Bitter Sweet Moment

2010-03-07T20:38:00.012-06:00

The night of March 6 brought a moment of sad recollections for many graduating seniors. At 10:07 MST, the last Aggie basketball game finished with Utah State becoming the regular season conference champions for the third consecutive year. The final game, New Mexico State 63; Utah State, 81, didn't create the high energy, down-to-the-buzzer tension that we had hoped for, however we did enjoy celebrating and commemorating the win, the season, and our undergraduate athletics participation. The student section has filled to the limits for the final hooray to the basketball team.

Brenna and I have found great enjoyment going to the games since we first met in 2008. We did not have the opportunities to attend all of the games, but we screamed, hollered, cheered, and celebrated with the crowd on many occasions. We have taken deserved bragging rights as we outplayed some teams, but never participated in the demeaning behavior that, occasionally, our home student crowd is embarrassingly known for.

As we proudly belted out our fight song, accompanied by our faithful singing of The Scotsman in the lingering moments after the March 6 game, swarms of hyperactive students rushed to the court to praise and cheer for the team. We observed from the safety of our perch, high up in the seats. The students lifted up their arms to indicate to themselves, the remaining spectators, and the team, what rank, with their loyalty, Utah State ought to be.

As we walked back to our small, quiet apartment, we voiced our realization that the likelihood of us cheering for Utah State basketball within the echoing walls of the Spectrum had shrunk smaller than the chances of Utah State lowering tuition within the next 3 years. That walk back home was somber.

We now look forward. With only weeks left in our undergraduate careers, we pushed forward with Aggie pride and determination to finish strong. We have our caps and gowns, we are working on summer plans, and we look forward to more adventures.

Recap...

2010-03-07T19:37:00.003-06:00

I am still having trouble facing the reality that February is gone. It was as though I blinked and all of the sudden it was March. March for our family has lots of deadlines with school work, exams, birthdays and a week off of school (yay!). This is not to say that we were not incredibly busy during February though. Here is a quick recap of some of the more significant things that happened in our lives during the month of "LOVE:"

* We attended basket ball games galore with several starting at 10pm and one at 11. An eleven game meant that we wouldn't be home till after midnight! But it was a good game and we won, making it worth it.

*Spencer and I attended a Chili cook off for the college of Ag. There we about twenty different types of chili and we each found a different one that became our favorite. My departments club won for the best chili, which was awesome. I couldn't tell you if it was really as great as the judges thought since neither Spencer or I had any of it. :)

*We were able to attend the temple twice and each time it was amazing. We made it a goal when we got married that we would attend at least once a month. So far so good. I have been fortunate enough to have lived in a city with a temple in my entire life. I am sad that where we end up going to grad school (hasn't been decided yet) we will no longer be in a city with a temple. This is going to make our monthly goal a bit harder to keep.

*Spencer was accepted and received funding to both of the grad schools he applied to (more details to come). We are super excited about this. Now we just need to decide where we will be going, so we will keep you updated.

*We had our friends the Lillywhites come over for games and we had a blast! The game of Phase 10 took a bit longer than we thought it would but we had lots of laughs and so much fun which counteracts the lateness.

*Spencer and I are on the activities committee in our ward. For Valentines Day our stake held a "Ball" where there was a dinner and dancing. We were lucky enough to be assigned to babysit in the nursery that was provided. The kids we watched were anywhere from 10 months to 6 years old. I completely understand why kids are kicked out of nursery when they turn three. The older children are so destructive!! The toys are not for their age level so instead they try to see how many different ways they can break them. In a nut shell it was crazy. There we far more kids than what was planned for and they far out numbered the adults. We were only supposed to stay for a half hour but it ended up being an hour and a bit. We were glad when we left. Later we went to our friends the Lillywhites and watched 'Sleepless in Seattle.' There aren't very many Valentines day movies out there.

*Spencer and I had a good Valentines day together. He bought me flowers and made me lots of origami hearts. In the card from him were origami items of things we will have in our future such as a house and a dog. It was real sweet of him and I know took quite a bit of time. I got him a foil balloon, that is still going strong, and gram crackers. Spencer loves loves gram crackers so I decided to spoil him with a big box. I also made him homemade frosting to go with the gram crackers, and died it pink. It was a day full of love!!

*Presidents day we had a break form school. We didn't do much, mainly homework but it was a needed break anyway.

*We had stake conference and had both Elder Ballard and Elder Hales in the same weekend. It was great having them both here and we learned lots.

*I got a cold. Something I was trying hard to avoid but it happened anyway. It took me a week and a bit to get ride of it which is a pretty long time for me. I blame it on my classes.

*My cousin and her husband came to visit. We cooked them dinner and then played games. It was wonderful to be able to catch up and laugh together. They used to live in Pocatello and just recently moved to Brigham City. It is great having them closer. Lisa (my cousin) is pregnant and due in May so we are super excited about that and need to get in our 'play' time before she becomes a mom.

*The last weekend my sister came over for dinner and then we watched 'The Kid' one of our favorite movies. I am so glad that she is here and that we can spend time outside of school together.

That about sums up our lives during February. Looking back we were real busy but also had a lot of fun at the same time. Perhaps that is why it goes by so fast. Oh and a miracle happened.....I got a 78% on my second genetics test!!!!!! This is amazing to say the least. So things are looking good for graduation. Let's just hope that I can continue to pull a C average. (The first test I completely bombed making this all the more extraordinary).

Sisters and 'Blondies'

2010-02-03T11:48:00.006-06:00

This last weekend Spencer and I were up in Idaho Falls as a favor to my parents. My parents left on Thursday for their Mexico cruise (yes I'm a bit jealous, warm weather and all) and asked if Spencer and I would take one weekend to watch my two youngest sisters and Kelsey take the other. Well the last weekend in January was 'our' weekend.

We headed up north shortly after my last afternoon class. Ashleen ended up having to work till eleven so Friday night was pretty chill with Rhianne. We ate a delicious dinner (soup my mom had made before leaving), did some homework and then watched The Emperors New Groove. This movie would be ranked on my favorite list. I still remember the first time I saw it in the theater with two high school friends, Stacie Smith (now Couch), Emma Le Seure and a box of gummy bears. We laugh long and hard during the entire movie and the great thing is that I still do and did last Friday, solidifying the amazingness of this movie. After the movie we all retired for the night.

Saturday morning Ashleen had to be to work at 8:20 (basically we came to watch Rhianne, not Ashleen) and she wouldn't be home till 11:00 am, but then she had to go back to work at 12:45 till five that evening. (In case any of you readers are wondering she is a life guard at the local pool and she also coaches the high school swim team/guards the meets.) As for the rest of us I was up by nine and Spencer and Rhianne rolled out of bed by ten. We cleaned up around the house, did a bit more homework and lots of recreational reading. Spencer and I went to WINCO to take advantage of the bulk prices and we had another delicious dinner of the same soup from the night before. My mom hadn't left specific instructions on what food I needed to prepare so we ate soup, seeing as everyone liked it.

Ashleen joined us for dinner but then had Valagram practice (fundraiser for choir at the high school during V-Day week) at six. Rhianne had babysitting at 6:45 so before she left we started a game of Phase 10. Spencer and I finished the game (all the phases) after Rhianne left and then Ashleen walked in and wanted to play so we started a new game of Phase 10.

Now Spencer had heard from a fellow classmate that the 'Blondies' at Applebees was amazing and better than a FH'zzookie at Firehouse. We both love FH'zzookies so we decided that while we were in Idaho Falls that we would try them since there isn't an Applebees in Logan. We wanted to take Ashleen and Rhianne and scheduling/deciding when to go was becoming crazy but we ended up going after Rhianne got home around nine.

Here is a picture of a FH'zzookie. I couldn't find a picture from the resturant so here is one that a homemaker took when attempting to make one at home. Mmmm, it still looks delicious. A FH'zzookie for all you who don't know is a half baked cookie with vanilla ice cream on top with carmel and hot fudge drizzled on the ice cream. It come to you in the pan it was baked in so its fresh and hot!!

After looking at the picture of the 'Blondie' (like the one at the right) it was obvious that it was nothing like a FH'zzookie. It was more like a soft yellow brownie with vanilla ice cream on top with a maple brown sauce. So we only got one of those and two of the Chocolate cookie sundaes to share among the four of us. The 'Blondie' was bland and I would never recommend it to anyone but the sundae was scrumptous. Needless to say desert was devoured quickly and Spencer ended up eating most of the 'Blondie.' Spencer, Ashleen and I also picked out a redbox movie to pick up on the way home from desert, My Sisters Keeper. By the time we got home it was after eleven so we all got in pj's before starting the movie which ended at 1:30am, good thing church was in the afternoon.

Sunday morning I made a hotdish, since I hadn't made a meal on Saturday, for the girls during the week. After we were all ready for church we still had time to spare and Rhianne wanted to finish our game of Phase 10 (which Spencer and I had already finished) so we finished the game and then headed to church. Spencer and I only stayed for sacrament meeting and then headed back to Logan and the weather was terrible. It was a good thing we left before dark. We had a great weekend and I think my sisters did too but we are a bit Phase 10ed out :)

Civil Rights Day Triumphs

2010-01-24T19:34:00.014-06:00

Our traveling has increased since the last... nine months. Ever since we went to Nauvoo for Brenna's internship, we have had many opportunities to visit new cities, familiar homes, and lovely faces. Driving on the road has become commonplace and we love it! We treasure the many adventures we share together.

Civil Rights Day weekend was no exception. Spencer's brother, sister-in-law, and cuddly nephew live in Provo as David finishes his MPA from BYU. We have always had a rip roaring, stay-up-way-too-late visits with David and Jaclyn. With the opportunity available, we packed the car and took off. We had a fantastic time down in Provo. Let me illustrate it.

It was too bad that Austin was already in bed when we arrived... With full stomachs, we played a laugh-out-loud game of Last Word. David and Jaclyn picked up on it at amazing speeds. Jaclyn proved herself a considerable foe for Brenna, keeping neck to neck. David and Spencer were competing for last place for a few rounds until David learned the ropes after which he sped off to join the wives. Spencer has never been very good at board games involving making up words i.e., Scattergories, My Word, and Last Word. Despite Spencer's disadvantage, we all had a great time playing a few rounds together. To top off the night, we shared a favorite episode or two Glee, a FOX Network musical sitcom. We both agree, the music is fun and well performed.

Saturday's enjoyment can be summed up as dirty, clean cuts, and loud crowds. Spencer and David had a humorous time replacing brake pads on David's street-screeching, road-rumbling speedster. Mercifully, David had enlisted the aid of a wise hometeacher. As the boys were getting dirty, the girls were making cute welcome packets for the Relief Society sisters. The boys inspected them later and gave full approval.

BYU Bookstore invited all of us over for a basketball game against Colorado State University. (a.k.a. David got free tickets from them.) We had heard from David and Jaclyn that Austin really enjoys basketball games. We had heard all morning about the "ball game, ball game." Sure enough, he was fixated on the action as the crowd roared around him. As Spencer watched, he was thankful that he decided not to apply to CSU for graduate school (great visual comm and rhetoric school). Their basketball team is kind of... well... lousy. We can't say we cheered for either team that day, but we had a blast.

With dinner over, we all talked, watched Minority Report, and talked some more. We gel well with Jaclyn and David. It is just too easy to stay up late chatting with them. :) Spencer provided some entertainment as his rare second wind kicked in and then left him to fall. He usually stays awake pretty good until the magically stroke of 11:30. Then the Sand Man just pounds the poor guy with sleeping sand. Although it wasn't at 11:30, the Sand Man came just the same. Spencer would be talking and then BAM! his eyelids slide shut.

We don't have much to share about Church other than Austin describing Spencer's nap as "praying." The chapel was warm. Warm enough to induce sleep. Spencer was a sucker for that nasty Sand Man's nagging pull on his eyelids and head. Spencer was nodding off despite all of his efforts to stay awake. He happened to have his arms folded as he was resting so any person, even an acutely observing toddler would be fooled by this disguise.

We are big gamers. Not the "Call of Duty," "Mario Kart," or "Sims" type but the Cribbage, Swap, Wackee 6, Liverpool Rummy, Last Word, and Scattergories type. We couldn't resist playing some more games Sunday evening when Jaclyn and David brought it up. A great game of Loaded Questions ensued. David pulled off a quick getaway with moving the length of the board in only three rounds! His visits to Vegas must have finally paid off. :) Ironically, he didn't win the game, as I remember. The final task kept him from winning as we all caught up with Jacklyn stealing the victory. Happy day! Spencer would like to announce that although he did not win Scattergories, he did lose with a more respectable loss. With several rounds of play, he was able to stay with in 20 points of the next lowest player. Quite the achievement for him.

Monday, was a relaxing day with more chatting and Disney's Scene it! 2 in the background. We love being able to connect and swap news, stories, and fears with David and Jaclyn. Our stays with them are always filled with fun, smiles, and warm hearts. We love them and their beautiful son. Austin has such wonderfully gracious parents. We look forward to our next weekend with all of them. David, Jaclyn, and Austin, thanks for a superb time!

My First Last....

2010-01-11T22:51:00.003-06:00

Today was my first last day of college which was exciting, yet also exhausting. This semester I am taking 20 credits so that I can graduate in May and I'm feeling all 20 and I haven't even been to all my classes yet! Here is what I have deduced now having finished my first last day:

I love not having to get up at six thirty so that I can be to my seven thirty class! After a semester of five days a week with seven thirty classes, eight thirty and nine thirty is heaven!
In connection with my last statement, it's not as cold when I walk to class now and the sun is up. And thanks to Spencer and his wonderful Christmas gift of the earmuffs I wanted, my ears stay nice and toasty.
My love for Genetics has not changed, even after my first day in the class. I still hate it and I am hoping to come out of it with the class average....a C
Campus is my second home. Today I was on it for six and a half hours. It's like I'm back in high school, as my sister Kelsey pointed out to me. At least it's warmer than my apartment I suppose.
I will be bringing a lunch with me on campus every day.
I'm glad that my sister is in both of my PE classes, we will have so much fun!
I really enjoy seeing the familiar faces of my fellow classmates who have now been in my classes for four years, they are great friends.
Spencer and I will not be seeing a whole ton of each other :(
I can't wait to graduate!!!!! Hopefully I will be able to stay motivated and not have senioritis too bad.

There are some ups and downs to this semester but I think it will all turn out okay, even if I fail genetics. I'm really looking forward to several of my classes and the thought of warmer weather. Spencer and I are hoping to have some fun adventures along the way with the days we have off, and some in Logan too. Today has been long, with five classes, but tomorrow I only have three which is a happy thought indeed!

One Final Goodbye

2010-01-11T22:35:00.003-06:00

This past weekend was my best friend 'farewell' and my whole family made the trek to Boise to support her in her decision and to say one last goodbye. Spencer, Kelsey and I headed to Pocatello to meet my parents and my younger siblings on Saturday morning. A little after one we headed to Boise crammed in my parents suburban, which brought back memories from my childhood. (That four hour drive can sometimes feel like a life time.) We stayed with my mom's youngest sister and had a wonderful evening full of games a delicious dinner and lots of laughs.

Sunday morning was early as we all got ready to be at Camille's nine o'clock church. She gave a fine talk and had a great turn out of family and friends. After sacrament we had lunch at her house and then it was pictures and goodbyes on the front lawn (Boise is so much warmer than Logan!), and then back to the eastern side of the state.

Camille and I

Camille surrounded by her second family (my family), including Dinky (the dog) who just adores her

It was a short trip but we were all glad that we could be there for her. Camille will be entering the MTC on the 27th and from there headed to Louisville, Kentucky to serve, Spanish speaking.

A Little Less Wisdom Now...

2010-01-06T16:23:00.002-06:00

After four plus months of migraines and my jaw aching my wisdom teeth are gone! I got them taken out on the 18th of December and I guess this next semester we will see if I lost any of my own wisdom. :) In the days leading up to the surgery I spent most of my time with my mom since Spencer was working for my dad and my sisters didn't get out of school till the 23rd. My mom and I finished her Christmas shopping, had fun working out at the gym and working on the beginning stages of cooking for our Christmas Eve buffet.

On the day of the surgery I woke up with what I hoped would be the last migraine due to these teeth. I opted out of general anesthesia and went with oral sedation due to my fear of needles. I took the sedative one hour prior to the appointment. I have decided that when I am medicated I become very emotional and break down crying at anything. For instance Spencer called me a half hour after I had taken the meds and I started crying because I couldn't remember a question I wanted to ask. I ended up remembering after I started crying, I had been wondering if he had eaten his lunch or not.

I was told that the whole procedure would last three hours: one for more sedation, another for numbing and the last for the extraction. I don't remember much of the first hour and of the second all I remember is crying once I realized that there were needles in my mouth numbing me, but at least I didn't resist. The third hour is a blur. I had one tooth that was still impacted and all I remember is hearing a drill.

Here is a picture of my wisdom teeth after the extraction

Before I took the sedative I had signed a check for my mom to finish filling out since I would be out of it. This preventative measure ended up not mattering. My mom forgot to have them take the discount off so I had to sign another one. My first name didn't look too bad but my last looked like a second grader had signed it. Spencer found this to be really funny. Once I got home I took the pain medication and the steroid that was to help with the swelling and went to bed. I have been told by my mom and sisters that I acted pretty funny and said some pretty funny things but also cried a lot.

The first few days after having my teeth out were not too bad. Once I had finished my steroids the pain really began to kick in. I ended up being resistant to the pain medication that was prescribed for me, so instead I took four Ibuprofen and two Tylenol which equal the strength of a narcotic without the side effects of a narcotic. The swelling went down fast and was not that bad to begin with. Missing out on all the good food was probably the most disappointing but at least I don't have to worry about my waist line I suppose. I can now eat just about everything and am almost healed up. Hopefully by next week with school starting I'll be all healed.

Christmas in Idaho Falls

2010-01-06T16:21:00.002-06:00

For Christmas Eve my grandparents, great aunt and my moms youngest sister and her husband and son joined us. I have never had a Christmas Eve, in my family, with anyone but my immediate family members. Having a crowd was lots of fun. We finished baking during the morning and afternoon and had our buffet around six. The food was delicious and there were lots of laughs around the table. Following dinner we sat around chatting and the proceeded to play games well into the evening. Many of us went to bed quite late that night, full stomachs and all.

Christmas Day in the Smith house takes place well after the sun is up. Spencer and I didn't get up till nine and once everyone was assembled around ten we all went through our stockings. After stockings we made and ate breakfast. Once the kitchen was cleaned we headed for the tree. Two presents were opened at a time which was nice so that we weren't there for hours on end. Overall we had a really nice Christmas and are so great full for our amazing family members and their generosity. It's crazy to think about were we will be this next year for Christmas. Spencer was able to get one grad application out in December. Only two more to go and then comes the waiting to hear back.

This is the tree and all the presents before we started

The clean up of wrapping paper etc

For New Years Eve Spencer and I watched the second Lord of the Rings extended edition. My youngest sister can now watch them and we decided to watch them with her. So far she has enjoyed them. We didn't end up finishing the second that night cause Spencer was falling asleep. Spencer and I alone ended up finishing them by ourselves since we ran out of time while in Idaho Falls.

On our way back to Logan on Sunday the third we stopped in Arimo to see Spencer's Aunt and Uncle and his sister who was stopping there for the night before finishing her way back up to Rexburg to start school. It was great to see Kelli, especially since she has been in Russia the last four months. She had a blast and can dance again now that her knee is all healed up from surgery during the summer. It was also fun to see Aunt Debbie and Uncle Kelly and their family. We had a great breakfast dinner with them and made some fun memories.

Our apartment is all back in order now, with Christmas down and the fridge refilled. It's good to be home and get everything ready for our last semester of school.

Fondue and Ugly Sweaters

2009-12-12T13:26:00.007-06:00

I'll just start off by saying that pickings are slim when your trying to find ugly Christmas sweaters at a DI in a college town where tons of ugly sweater parties are thrown, or the fact that nobody wears them and if they do they don't get rid of them. Spencer and I were invited by my friend Whitney to an ugly sweater party, so the task of finding that perfect sweater was at hand and this is the results:

Spencer is sporting a toddlers Christmas sweater and me an over sized Christmas pajama top. Spencer was not too willing to wear womens' clothing and this was all we could find in the boy section. As for me, well there were no Christmas sweaters to be found in the womens section so I headed for the 'lounge' wear and found an ugly pajama top. It was either the pj top or pj bottoms (which I would have put my arms through the legs). I think we turned out to be a cute couple with what we found, even though Spencer was being squeezed to death, what a man will do for fashion.

The party was at Whitney's house and we had fondue, oil fondue in which we dipped chicken, meat balls, mini corn dogs, scones, and pizza bites. It was delicious.

Here is the table we sat at and some of the food we ate.

Me, Whitney's cousin and fiance

Our fondue pot full of cooking food!

In the back ground you can see the chocolate fountain at the desert table where there was gram crackers, rice crispie treats, cinnamon bears, cheese cake, marshmallows and potato chips. Potato chips may sound crazy but it's actually not bad dipped in the chocolate, a good balance of sweet and salty.

Spencer and I after finishing our fabulous meal.

After dinner we sat around and told stories and had lots of laughs. We then played white elephant and I'd have to say that Spencer and I made off like bandits. Here is what we won.

Spencer got the pregnancy book and I the biology book.

Unfortunately neither of them would sell on the internet, bummer, but the game was way fun. After white elephant we played Battle of the Sexes and the girls totally smoked the boys. The evening was great fun and we came home full, tired and happy. :)

Now I Have to be Creative!

2009-12-11T18:35:00.005-06:00

My floral design class is over, sad day. All of my classes are over for that matter, yay! The semester is officially over, I took my last final this morning at 7:30 am. As exciting as that my be I will miss going to Kaysville every Thursday. It is now up to me to be creative on my own and put the skills I have learned to good use. So far I guess I would say that I have had a good start, but we shall see how long it will last.

This week has passed in a slow motion blur. I was a bit bored at times and when I wasn't bored I was studying. At least I can say I passed all my classes and with the grades posted so far my GPA has gone up, which is always a plus. Spencer has also done well and is in full swing of filling out grad applications. It's crazy to think that Christmas is just around the corner which means the year and 1/2 point for Spencer and I! Time really has flown and we are well on our way to turning the page of undergraduate schooling.

We will be spending Christmas with my parents this year and will be in Idaho Falls for three weeks! That means we will have to do laundry while we are there. We haven't stayed that long with anyone since we've been married. Spencer will be working for my dad and I'll be getting my wisdom teeth out, reading, helping my mom paint the kitchen and.....I'm going to have to come up with more stuff to do. Tonight we are attending an ugly sweater party so pictures to come soon.

Here are the pictures of the last creations in the floral design class, really one picture, I forgot to take ones of the corsage and boutonniere and my Thanksgiving center piece, oops.

This is the Christmas center piece, the chair in the background really throws the candles, not my best photography skills put to use.

I have done a few of my own creations and am quite proud of them:

A basket full of cinnamon scented pine cones with silk poinsettias (burgundy and white) with a green bow that turned out well.

Another Christmas center piece. A vase full of dried horse chestnuts and colored ornaments with red twig dog wood protruding out the back. Hanging on the dogwood are tiny ornaments. I really like this one.

Thanksgiving.....

2009-12-11T18:17:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving this year for Spencer and I was spent at my best friends house in Boise, ID. Camille is going on a mission so she didn't come back to school this semester so I have seen very little of her in the past ten months (Spencer and I were in Nauvoo and Camille was in Spain). What better way to see a lot of each other than to visit for a holiday. The tradition in Camille's family is to have hamburgers on Thanksgiving day instead of turkey. It's an unusual family tradition but fun and the hamburgers where delicious! We also saw The Blind Side on Thanksgiving day and it was an excellent movie, very touching. After dinner we played games and had lots of laughs.

Black Friday is not something that I ever do and the one time I did I don't count, I was in a fabric store all morning and I hate fabric stores. Anyway this year I felt like going and browsing what the stores had to offer even though I was basically done Christmas shopping. We first went to breakfast with some of Camille's high school friends at the Egg Factory (yum!) and then hit the stores.

Camille was also able to schedule to go through the temple that Saturday which was great cause we were able to attend and it was an awesome experience. Camille leaves January 27 to the MTC and from there to Louisville, Kentucky. She is super excited and I'm way excited for her! Thanksgiving with her family was an adventure I'll always remember!

Here are some pictures of the center piece I decided to make for Camille's mom and bring to Boise. The vase is full of dried Horsechestnuts and gold ornaments with Red twig Dogwood sticking out (courtesy of the Logan Canyon). The remaining ornaments were made into turkeys, thanks to Spencer for all his help with them.

What a Ham!!

2009-12-03T00:29:00.008-06:00

A few weeks ago (almost four!) Spencer, Kelsey and I went up to Idaho Falls for my youngest sisters (Rhianne) Birthday. My Aunt Robyn and her son, and my grandparents came up too. The best addition to the party would have been my older sister Mindy and her son Michael. During the summer Mindy and her husband moved to Texas (right before Michael turned one) to go to law school and in return had some pretty upset Aunt's and grandparents in return, which made their visit so much more meaningful and exciting.

The Birthday girl catching a gift!

Hat on head and surrounded by gifts many of which are earrings. Rhianne turned 12 and that is the age in my family when you can get your ears pierced, and I think that was the highlight of her birthday this year!! She came out with a boat load of neat earrings!

Michael was smothered by his Aunts, and being as cute as he is it's no wonder. It was a unfortunate that he had a bit of a cold so he was a bit ornery but at times it was funny. Once he warmed up to the family he becomes quite the chatter box. My mom refers to his rambling as his Chinese. He will just sit there and talk and then start laughing with his hands over his mouth. Oh it is so funny and dang cute! Mindy says that he is quite the ham when he's got an audience. I was lucky enough to catch him doing it on video.

Since we do not see much of Michael I took the opportunity to take a lot of pictures of him. It was great to see him and my sister and I hope that the next time we see them isn't too far away.

Not sure what to think with a camera in his face but glad to be in his mom's arms

Laughing behind his hand after telling us something hilarious, who knows what it was though

Michael with Aunt Kelsey

Michael and Me, I think he was getting sick of the camera

Up close and personal

He has got the cutest smile

Mindy, Michael and Ryan (my cousin)

My cousin Ryan loves to have his picture taken. The whole night he was asking/telling us to take his picture, which he then asks to see. After he's taken a good look he's ready for another one. Our taking pictures of Michael probably made him a bit more camera jealous than usual. According to my Aunt he is like this every time a camera is brought out. He is such a cute funny kid.

Ryan and I

I told Ryan to smile for the camera and this is what I got!

Halloween Terrors: Marshmallows vs. Hitchcock

2009-11-07T22:42:00.005-06:00

Rather than attend the Howl on campus, rather than spend $14 dollars to see an obsessively gruesome and sicking horror film, we decided to treat ourselves to the true king of suspense and psychological thrills, Alfred Hitchcock. A month ago, Brenna had the superb idea to watch Alfred Hitchcock movies and make a scary treat with some friends. We invited a amazing friends, Lisa and Christian, to be apart of the fun. Lisa was a trooper by coming along even though she hates scary movies.

We started out by having some pizza provided by Lisa and Christian. It was great to fill our stomachs before we watched the films. Our first movie was Vertigo with Jimmy Stewart. Not so much a scary movie, but did get pretty suspenseful when, near the end, we were all trying to figure it all out.

After the movie, we decided to take a break and make our ghouls. The photo above is the intended results. We were excited to try them out. We took the recipe from our Pillsbury Halloween cookbook. I nearly ruined the whole thing when I melted twice as much butter than needed. I realized my mistake when the marshmallow goo was really yellow without being very viscous. We all laughed at my mistake and prepared to double the recipe extra marshmallows and substituted Kix with marshmallow mateys.

When everything melted down, we started to pour the goo over the Kix. It reminded me of Dr. Suess's Ooblek. We quickly found out that our Ooblek wasn't the edible kind. It started to crystallize instead of being oozy. We ended up canning the treat but before we did, we made some attempts of sculptures.

We had heaps of fun playing with the goo before it hardened.

To forget my mistake and the disaster, we watched another Alfred Hitchcock movie, To Catch a Thief, starring Carey Grant. Not the scariest movie, but very enjoyable.

I have a goal to watch all of Alfred Hitchcock's movies. So far we have seen Suspicion, The Birds, To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, Shadow of a Doubt, and Psycho. Brenna has seen a few more. This week we'll watch North by Northwest.

New in the Last Few Weeks...

2009-11-06T12:19:00.003-06:00

Here are the latest photos of my 'masterpieces' from my floral design class. I am still loving my class and dreading the day when its over. I was excited to be able to give a few of my arrangements away to family and friends and hope they enjoyed them. Some of the pieces are themed to go along with the holidays which is wonderful in the way of decorating.

In this arrangement we learned the principle of design.

This was one of my favorites and graced our table for weeks, since it worked for both fall and Halloween. This arrangement was not planned for class (that was the above one) but my teacher decided it would be fun so she collected material from good old mother nature and bam! this is the outcome. I used three weeds I have learned about in my weeds class, one of which was in my weed collection, amazing the many different uses.

This is a colonial style also known as mass type of form.

So I didn't make the wreath but I decorated it and was very pleased. I am also quite proud of my bow, it turned out great! Now I can't wait till December so I can put it on my door.

The most recent design is an open vase arrangement. I wasn't sure I was going to like it when my teacher demonstrated what we were to do. It looked messy and out of place, but I am actually very satisfied with my end result.

Weeds, Weeds and More Weeds!

2009-11-06T11:55:00.004-06:00

I got my weed collection back and am proud to say that I got a 100%, yay! It was well earned. As promised here are some pictures of the 50. I didn't feel like posting 50 individual pictures of each weed so I did it in sets of 12 so they are a bit further away and not as easy to see, but you'll get the general idea. I had to alphabetize the weeds by family and then within the family so there really is an order. Perhaps some of you readers will be able to recognize a few!

The one on the left here is Puncture Vine, also known as Goat Head. It's a real nasty weed that tends to take out bike tiers. I've never had it happen but I hear its aweful.

Here is an up close picture of the "Goat Head"

A Great Weekend

2009-10-24T20:00:00.003-05:00

Last weekend for Fall Break Spencer and I went down to Provo to visit David, Jaclyn and our nephew Austin who just turned two years old. We had a great time catching up on each others lives and spending time in one another's company. We arrived Friday evening and enjoyed a very tasty meal of black bean tacos. Later we played the game Scategories and Jaclyn beat us all. After the game we called it a night. Saturday morning Spencer and I made breakfast for our favorite hosts (sorry the sausage was a bit too spicy for you Jaclyn), and then David and Spencer did some yard work. While the yard work was commencing outside I helped Jacklyn work on some crafts for relief society. It was great to be able to sit down and become better friends. During this time Austin was regaining all his two year old energy with a midday nap.

Following lunch we headed to Pleasant Grove to the Hee Haw Farm. This farm housed a massive pig weighing up to 1200 pounds!! I couldn't see how this pig was able to stand on its feet and actually walk around. Austin loved the many different types of slides and would have been content to simply go up and down all afternoon. Austin also road a miniature pony for the first time. He was excited up till the point of getting on the pony's back and then became a bit skeptical, but once on really enjoyed himself. Being so full of energy Austin wanted to run everywhere, and we were constantly having to catch him. After the pony ride we went for a hay ride.

No trip to a farm would be complete without a corn maze, so we made that our last stop. Austin had fun running ahead and picking which way we would go, left or right or straight. By the end of the maze he was tuckered out, dirty (from falling down) and ready to head home. As soon as we got back to Provo Austin had a bath, Spencer took a rest and Jaclyn and I made cornbread and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies while dinner finished cooking. Dinner was delicious! Jaclyn makes a mean chili. Austin was very tired and distracted from eating his meal, but entertaining to watch. Once dinner was cleaned up and Austin was in bed and cookies were made we played a few rounds of Wacky Six and then Clue. Both games were fun and exciting. After the games we sat and relaxed watching the movie Hocu Pocus and then headed to bed.

Sunday morning Austin was quite the rascal but excited for church. Jaclyn taught relief society and did a fabulous job. There are some real cute old ladies in her ward that sat next to me and kept asking me if I could hear what was being said when there were comments. It made me smile. After church we said our goodbyes to Austin before his nap time and then to David and Jaclyn, and headed home. We had such a great weekend and are grateful that David and Jaclyn were such gracious hosts and willing to have us as guests. Can't wait to see you again!!

Austin sitting in a barrel of pumpkins and gords

In the corn maze David and I swinging Austin

Spencer and I on the hay ride

Austin ridding the pony with Daddy by his side

The 1200 pound PIG!!

Me trying to get Austin to touch a pony

Austin wasn't a huge fan of the piglets

But he loved the slide!

Austin on a jumping mat, he is such a cute kid

Me in the cows head, Austin in the cows stomach and David in the cows rear

Spencer did a superb job taking the photos. He always does a such a great job.

My New Found Joy

2009-10-13T22:36:00.003-05:00

I am taking a floral design class this year and am loving every moment of it. So far I have only had three classes but I'm super excited for class this Thursday. I only have this class once a week since it is an off campus class taught in Kaysville (about an hour from Logan). There are about six girls from USU taking the class which awesome. We have a nice to have a car pool party which keeps costs down for all of us. Here are a few pictures of what I have done so far.

Our first night of class we made corsages. I think mine turned out pretty good, but I stink at tying bows. It's something I try to work on in my spare time, but I feel like I'm not getting any better, oh well.

In our second class we made center pieces. At first when my teacher was demonstrating how to do it I wasn't sure I was going to like it...but I really like how mine turned out and it made a perfect center piece for our kitchen table!

In our first week of class we started making wreaths out of english ivy vines. The third week of class we finished the fall wreath with Magnolia and Hydrangeas flowers. Once again my bow looked pitiful but at least I can say I made every inch of this wreath, which now takes up residence on the outside of our front door.

Up close of the flowers

More to come later this week!!

The Month of September

2009-10-13T22:34:00.002-05:00

Idaho Falls was our favorite way to spend the weekends during September. I was up there every weekend. For Memorial day we went to see my family since we hadn't seen them for four months, due to us living in Illinois. We had this huge bbq with dutch oven ribs, which were delicious, and lots of family. My best friend, who I hadn't seen for 7 months, came with us also which was just plain awesome! It was great to see my family, dog and Camille.

The next weekend we went up again because my Aunt and Uncle who live in Virginia were here visiting with my Aunts father and seeing many of the western sites, such as Yellowstone ect. We went up to Big Springs and Mesa Falls with them and had a very enjoyable time in the out doors. This was the first time Spencer has been able to meet them, and the second time I have seen my cousin. Spencer, Kelsey and I are planning on going out to visit them for spring break, and see all that Washington DC has to offer. Kelsey and I have been before and I know Spencer would love to go so we are crossing our fingers that we will be able to find some cheap flights.

Standing outside a cabin built by a four foot man at Big Springs. Aunt Masami's Dad, Aunt Masami, Me, Spencer, Rhianne, Amilia

We saw a Cow and calf moose! That was awesome for me since I've never seen a moose in real life before!

Spencer and I at Mesa Falls

Mesa Falls

Kelsey, Rhianne and I (I don't care what people say none of us look alike)

Me almost getting eaten by a bear!

The third weekend I had a high school friend getting married. Spencer and I invited another couple who lived in our same singles area who are mutal friends to the bride to be to come with us. We had quite and enjoyable ride up to Idaho Falls and a good evening too. Saturday morning we went to breakfast at IHOP with some friends of our friends. What a yummy breakfast, and then we learned how to play a game my mom needed for her activity day group. The drive back to Logan was uneventful, aside from the car dancing, and full of sleeping people (except Spencer the driver :)), poor Spencer. That Saturday we went bowling with some friends and then cleaned the sink at Angies and watched Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn. Both Spencer and I really enjoyed the movie.

The fourth and final weekend up to Idaho Falls was just me. I had a dentist appointment to evaluate my wisdom teeth and schedule a day to take them out. I went up Friday morning after my 7:30 class and made it just in time for my 11:00 appointment. I had my teeth cleaned for the first time in a year and a half and am glad to say no cavities, and that I have been flossing consistently for a year now, the best I've ever done. The bad news is that my dentist is recommending me to an oral surgeon. I was really counting on him being able to do it for two reasons. First of all its cheaper and second I didn't have to be sedated which meant no needles, which I happen to be terrified of. Needless to say I wanted to break down with this news but I was able to hold together while at the dentist office. My mom is amazing and took me out to lunch after my appointment which did wonders at cheering me up. I ended up staying quite a bit later then I had planned and got back to Logan after dark, but gladly was able to stay awake, but only just, thanks to Spencer's calling me.

That Saturday Spencer and I went to the Ag Day BBQ. This is something they have every year and I have heard how amazing it is so since this is our last year here we decided to go. The food was way good and I recommend it to anyone. It's all you can eat for $8 a person, which wasn't a bad price, especially for fantastic food. We then had an hour to kill before the Homecoming football game, so we both put in some recreational reading. The football game was pretty good. Our team has the best defense I have seen in the three prior years. There were some pretty awesome plays as well as some terrible ones, but we won and for now that's worth celebrating.

Overall September was a busy month and the lack of weekends was a bit of a killer for homework especially when we had kayaking twice a week in the evenings, and me a third evening taken up by my floral design class. We are both glad kayaking is over but we both had a blast! Spencer was able to get the rolling down and I came pretty close. I would recommend that class to anyone, it was sweet. We are both doing our best to stay up on our homework as well as having some fun. Spencer has been spending a lot of his free time doing research for a class/paper he is writing, but is making headway and feeling good about it. I just finished a weed collection I have been working on for a month (pictures to come when I get it back), so now our kitchen table is visible!! Both of us have also begun the graduation application process which is so exciting, so lets cross our fingers that everything works out the way we have planned!!!

Walking Along the Edge

2009-08-30T15:21:00.004-05:00

As part of our visit to Vernal, we wanted to check out the Ashley National Forest. The forest is only about 30 minutes from Vernal and offers great hikes, boating, camping, caving, and many more outdoor fun stuff. We chose to go up to Red Canyon, a section of Flaming Gorge. We hiked the canyon rim trail, checking out the awesome overlooks and visitor center.

As seen in the photos, Red Canyon gets it name from the steep red cliffs above the reservoir's surface. The canyon rim is over 1700 feet above the water all along the hike. The distance from one side of the canyon to the other side is about 2/3 of a mile. Our hike lasted about 2 hours. On the way back to the car we saw a herd of Bighorn Sheep grazing. The large animals are majestic, and lazy. They aren't nearly jumpy as deer as they grazed along side the road.

Many times along our hike, we were able to look over the rim's edge to view upstream or downstream.

Spencer's sister, Kelli, joined us on our hike. She is now in Moscow teaching English with ILP.

The rim had massive crevices up top where we could jump or step across to get to the very edge. The cracks ranged from 20 to 50 feet deep.

Pictures of the Gardens and Pots we Planted While in Nauvoo

2009-08-24T17:45:00.007-05:00

To prove that we did actually work this summer and didn't just travel around site seeing here are some pictures of the Women's Garden at the visitors center and pictures from Carthage.

Women's Garden

Carthage

We are back and have a bit of catching up to do.....

2009-08-24T16:45:00.006-05:00

The last two weeks we were in Nauvoo we were without Internet so now that we have our own wireless unit in our apartment we can move forward with our blog!

The last week in Nauvoo was filled with packing and cleaning the apartment, there was also the excitement and anticipation of heading back home. Wednesday evening Michelle and Mike stopped by to stay the night. We were glad to have been able to help them out and are glad the move was success full! Spencer and I tentatively packed the car on Thursday to make sure everything would fit, we took a picture and unpacked it so that stuff wouldn't sit in the heat the following day at work (our last). After work on Friday August 14 we hurried home, showered and relaxed for a bit and ate dinner and then the real packing began. We pack the entire car Friday night so we could leave the at eight the next morning. I have to say that we did pretty well for ourselves, we had a bit more room this time seeing as we were able to lessen the load with the two biggest boxes. After the car was packed, minus cleaning stuff and our suitcase for traveling, we then proceeded to clean the entire apartment. We finished around eleven thirty/midnight and were tuckered out. The following morning we were up at six thirty and on the road by seven thirty better than what we had planned for.

We arrived in Kansas City around one where we headed to my Aunt Becky's home. We had a delicious BBQ lunch with them at Oklahoma Joe's and drove around Independence site seeing from in the car due to lack of time. (we planned on being back on the road again by five) It was great to see their family and catch up. By five we were on the road again and made it to Carlos, Kansas at eleven thirty, I was basically singing to Spencer to keep him and myself awake. We left Kansas around nine and made it to Vernal, Utah by six. Overall it was a very long two days in the car and we were excited to go for a hike while in Vernal. I was super excited when we saw the horizon in Colorado and there were mountains, I sure have missed their majestic beauty, but unfortunately I ended up falling asleep once we made it to them to cross. Spencer said it was a very pretty drive though. We were in Vernal till Wednesday afternoon when we then proceeded back to Logan!

Here are some pictures of Spencer and I on the mowers while working

It looks like I'm smoking but really its a sucker to keep me awake. I had a problem staying awake while mowing and a sucker was a big help and perhaps a life saver too.

The reason for the bandanna on my head and shoulders is that the the trees are full of spiders and their webs and other bugs that I didn't want in my hair or down my neck, thus the bandannas.

Doing such a fabulous job

Spencer concentrating hard core!

Spencer and I wanted a family picture at the temple and we found a nice elder missionary to help us out. Unfortunately the time of day was not the best, full sun which caused for squinty eyes.

While driving around Independence we saw the RLDS Temple, it is a very unique building.

Musicals and Museums

2009-07-19T18:20:00.009-05:00

While preparing for our Memorial Day trip to St. Louis, we heard about the Municipal Opera. It too good to pass up. However, when we checked for tickets, we were out of luck. Shows didn't start until June. So we just had to make another trip to St. Louis in mid July.

We were uber excited to see Meet me in St. Louis at the Muni. We joined the other 11,000 show goers packed into the outdoor theater to watch the musical. We didn't quite grasp how far back we were from the stage until the opening scene and we saw how small the actors were.

We really liked the performance. Brenna kept lip syncing and swaying with the music. "Meet me in St. Louis, Louis..." continued to ring out through the weekend.

Until our trip to Champaign, we didn't know what we were going to do on Saturday. Michelle, suggest the City Museum with its interesting artistic museum qualities. We booked our schedules to check it out Saturday morning.

Upon entrance to the museum, we tried to scope it out. It took us a while to figure the place out. What we saw was kids crawling through the walls, climbing over exhibits, and sliding down chutes. The City Museum is a sort of functional sculpture museum. The museum is three stories of things to climb and explore made from mostly junk. Rebar, twin engine airplanes, tour shuttles, and conveyor rollers were welded together to form a massive jungle gym labyrinth. We took our time surveying the mazes of bent steel. It must have taken years to assemble the museum.

The more recognizable pieces, we found two white cranes, elegantly standing amidst the rubble. I really wanted to try crawling through the mess and convinced Brenna to come along. We inched our way through a rebarb spiral over a walkway and through some walls. Because of Brenna's tender knees, we only needed to try out one passageway. Over the next couple of days, we found half a dozen bruises on Brenna's knees, elbows, and forearms. While climbing through all of the exhibits, we got really hot. St. Louis was abnormally humid and we were getting sticky and wet with water. We wanted out! But inside was no better than outside. We guessed that with so many active bodies, the place was heating up too fast for the limited AC to keep things cool. We often found grown men dripping with sweat!

On accident, we found a small AC unit running at full speed. It was located in the cave portion of the museum. Here one could walk through a mock cave. Just as we were passing through a cavern, we felt a cool breeze. We stayed in that cavern for a good fifteen minutes finding the coldest spots in order to cool down.

The following photos were taken near the indoor caves. One is of the ocean room that has a whale and flying sting ray. The other is an elephant that has its legs stuck in the floor.

The weekend was really fun. We thank Michelle for informing us of the City Museum. We enjoyed our adventure there. We did have some struggles on our trip. The AC in the car was out, so with the humidity, we were very uncomfortable traveling. We had to roll the windows down and endure the noise. Since then, we have found out the problem and are planning on getting it fixed soon.