September 2014

Baby shower was September 4. So I guess that should be included in this post. But me and my pregnant brain included it in August. Whatever. 

Partied it up in Henderson with this cute thing for her 4th birthday.

I flew back to Rexburg from Las Vegas by myself. A one hour plane ride for $38 sounded so much more pleasant than a 10+ hour car ride. This also left David free to stay in Panaca and hunt longer. He drove back on Saturday up the 93. The I-15 was closed off due to flooding that literally took the road away in Logandale, NV.  I would write more about that craziness, but it's getting late. Suffice it say, Panaca- little, old, little, little Panaca- became a boom town for a while as traffic was diverted up to and through it's Main Street. bumper to bumper for days. Days is not an exaggeration.

The week that I was home by my lonesome, I ate some really yummy food. And took pictures of it, because what else do you do when you're home alone? I would go out each night and pick a few things from the garden to add to my dinner plate. It was heavenly. And delicious.

Zucchini crust pizza. (Actually I think this one was back in August. Whatever. It was dang yummy)

Chicken with zucchini  and peppers saute.

Bread. Nom.

Cucumber, onion, pepper, and tomato salad. 

And then Wednesday night, the 10th, a nasty frost rolled through. The temperature dropped to 25 degrees that night. I knew a frost was coming through, so I went out late that evening and threw a "water blanket" down hoping that would be enough. Um no. Not for 25 degrees! I was 8 months pregnant and didn't want to lay down row covers by myself. I should have. My two rows of tomatoes with fat green and ripening tomatoes, my pumpkin patch, corn, peppers, everything- gone! It was very sad. But now I guess it's kind of a blessing because I would be spending a lot of time right now/ the past few weeks harvesting and preserving things from the garden instead of working on school stuff. And I definitely have more than enough school assignments to be working on and knocking out before baby comes. Blessings in disguise? I'm glad I enjoyed my garden this year while it lasted, I just wish I could have got more out of it and saved from it. Oh well. Se la vie.

School started September 15, and things have been crazy and nonstop busy ever since. 

David's classes: range management, ecology, biostatistics, doctrine and covenants

Giulia's classes: deciduous i.d., interioscaping, pest management, practicum (running the horticulture business for the semester)

A few nights before school started we checked our schedules again. We signed up for classes way back in May so we thought we should reacquaint ourselves with our classes. We had everything lined up perfectly and we didn't have class at the same time for when baby comes. But as we were reviewing everything I noticed that there was an hour in the mornings that overlapped. I asked David about it, and he said I was crazy because that class of his wasn't until 10:15. Turns out, the class he was signed up for... the teacher left. The school assigned a new teacher and a different class time and didn't care to let anybody know. Kind of frustrating. So we both have a class from 7:45-8:45. My class doesn't get out until 10. Luckily, it's a first block class and will be over on October 29. Hopefully we'll have David's mother here still to help us with the little one until then and get us through October. 

A few days into the semester I was informed that the evergreen i.d. class that runs the second block, which I was signed up for, has a week-long field trip to Arizona. I'm going to have a weeks old baby when that rolls around. I can't go on a week long field trip. Why is this information not posted on the course requirements/ course description when registering for classes!? Argh! 

I dropped that class and replaced it with interioscaping for the second block. The class was full but I went and talked to the teacher and he added me anyway. :) [I'm grateful I've taken the time the last year to get to know my professors and make sure they know who I am. This is done by: 1- I'm a good student. 2- I typically make 1-2 or more visits during their office hours to ask questions so they know me outside of class. Those of you new to the college game- take the time to know your professors] Unfortunately, this class is from 11:30-1:30 (...I think...) And David also has class from 11:30-12:30. So we'll need to find someone to watch our lil' man cub for us during that hour. Ugh! Not what we wanted and we worked so hard to avoid this. We just keep telling ourselves that everything will work out! It will all work out. 

This month we also took a childbirth education class. I'm so glad we did. I feel like both David and I are on the same page now about what will happen during labor and we are better prepared to be a great labor and birth team. We got this!

September has quickly moved into October. Baby will be here in no time. Parenthood here we come!

July 2014 part 2

 The annual GAS reunion was up here as well. We definitely lucked out and had all our family come to us this summer. It was awesome! :) We should do that every summer, because really, Idaho is the bessst. 

Oh, before reunions got under way, it was Jenette's birthday. And I have these pictures that should be shared of that sweet and sassy sister of mine! :)
Prom 2008- we we're in the same date group and everytang!

And now pictures from the Gas reunion:

Thursday we just hung out and waited for everyone to come in.

Shooting bows

 David the jungle gym

 

Had a little surprise baby shower! It was so sweet and unexpected. 

My little helpers showing off these adorable onesies that Keri made: 

("I like big bucks" and "Idahome Boy")

 Handsome David

 

It ain't a secret that David is always the favorite. :)

 

Made ice cream and explored the property

We stayed at a cabin in Island Park and also had camp set up on my parent's property a few miles away from the rented cabin. My Dad certainly knows how to set up a camp in the middle of nowhere.

 

All the grandkiddos (except Josh who was sleeping)

Friday was spent exploring Yellowstone and West Yellowstone (again, but with different people this time, so it's all good). 

Old Faithful

 Grand Prismatic Lake- we hadn't been to this area of the geyser basin before. The contrast in colors was amazing!

 Babies babies babies!

^This picture of Wyatt could be made into some sort of meme.

And then we went to camp and had dinner and celebrated Spencer's birthday. The day before as gifts we're being brought out for the mini baby shower, Spencer was convinced that all those gift bags were for him...until he realized they weren't. Poor guy! So we really wanted to make sure to get him something special. When we were exploring West Yellowstone Spencer saw an orange camo knife that he really wanted. So when he wasn't looking we got him the knife. It was fun to watch him open it up.

^ And Nonnie got buffalo teeth necklaces for the kids. ^

Finally got to love on this ball of mush. Being so far away is hard after being so close.
And holy moly it looks a bowling ball is stuffed in my shirt. Ha! Being pregnant is weird. 

 Spencer trying out his birthday kite.

 babies in camp! 

The girls were so cute keeping Liv and Wyatt entertained playing Peek-a-Boo.

Camp bath from Liv. ^
Saturday we pretty much just packed up and headed out. It went by too fast! 

We went out to dinner at Big Jud's (where the burgers are bigger than your face!) and then Frostop for root beer floats in Ashton with friends one night after floating the river in tubes. (Idaho, we love you and your perfect summer weather! Not too hot, not too cold.)

And if your main squeeze doesn't know his way around a set of tools, then you should find a different man. JK. kind of. Tuesday night I showed David a picture of a bookcase made out of pallets that I want to put in the living room. Wednesday night- we have a bookcase!

Love it! and him.

We finally got the 2nd bedroom cleaned out and are now working on turning it into a nursery. Eeek! So excited! Goodbye July, hello August and baby preppin'!

July 2014 part 1

This month has been busy, busy, busy. We've been gone playing with family or working more than we've been home. So it's a good thing we worked around the clock in June doing house and yard projects while we could, because now I'm in baby prep mode and will be focusing on my projects for October. Pretty much I have one month to get it all done. Ah! 

Back to July.

We were the lucky ones that got to work the 4th of July weekend. Ugh. But we made the best of it! Our sweet friends- Brandon and Janet- came up to visit us Friday night. We fished on the lake. Roasted burgers and hot dogs, and lit our own fireworks.

A day after we got home from work we had our first four visitors arrive Tuesday night. Scott and Finis (Papa and Nessie) showed up with Amelia and James. 

Wednesday we went to the Legacy Flight Museum in town. James was in love and couldn't get over all the airplanes everywhere. "Airplane, airplane, airplane, airplane, zoom zoom!" 

 His little arm doing the "zoom, zoom!"

 Content as can be in the cockpit and waving goodbye.

 Bye bye!

 WWII Willys Jeep

 After the museum we went to campus for lunch and to the wildlife museum, greenhouses, and gardens.

James hauled all these pillows in this box afterwards and took a little a rest. He must have been tired from all that playing!

That evening we went to the splash pad at the park and then waited for Joe and Felicia to arrive.

Thursday we went to Bear World. (we had a free pass for a car load from our friends)

Husky grizzly.

 Big ol' big brown bear. Seriously, he was huge. And he left nose smears on the car he got so close.

 Bears, bears everywhere! + an albino elk- pretty cool.

Then we picked up Zach from the airport and headed to our campsite in Island Park.

The boys did a lot of fishin'.

 

We played in camp, floated and played in the river, and went to Yellowstone!

We didn't have much time so we just hit a few spots on the west side of the central loop.

First stop- Gibbon Falls!

 Then on to the Norris Geyser Basin.

 Where Amelia got a sliver in her finger and her uncles thought it hilarious to have her show everybody.

And where we saw the Steamboat Geyser sputtering (apparently it's bigger than Old Faithful). We were here last year on July 27. They never know when this one's going to blow, and it had been over 20 years since it last went off. Apparently it last went off July 31, 2013. We were shocked! We just missed it last year. Crazy.

Oh and there's Old Faithful in the bottom right.

Also where the forest is resurfacing after a fire and the trees are baby elf size. It was so cute.

Saw a few buffalo. This one looked like a rock just sitting there and we almost missed it.

 It was so fun to play with family; we didn't want to see them leave. We were so sad that Chelsie and Preston couldn't come. Hopefully next year everybody's schedule will work a little better.

And lastly: produce from the garden! Yum.