"Camping"

Two years ago, my parents bought a new camp trailer from good friends.  We offered to buy their old trailer from them.  It is a 1984 that technically could sleep eight, but more comfortably sleeps 6-7. We're paying it off monthly so it has been very affordable!  Good thing they are nice!

We leave the trailer at the ranch and hadn't made it out to spend the night all summer.  Finally, Friday, August 29th was the lucky day.  We loaded the kids in the van and drove out for a fun-filled* 24 hours of camping.

As it turned out, our trailer didn't have water in it, so we actually slept in my mom and dad's newer trailer.  Ah well, it all counts.  They both have bunk beds, so the kids are happy as clams.

My brother Jord-man made this good looking sign and now the ranch** feels so much more official.

After arriving, we got a fire going and roasted marshmallows, made s'mores and had some yummy cobbler.

The first thing my girls always do (not Easton, he doesn't like getting dirty) is to play in the really, really, fine dirt inside of the pole barn.  As you can see, Devynee took full advantage of the dirt on this trip as well.

Grandma and Grandpa Wyo joined us just for the evening (no pictures unfortunately).

We got the kids down around 10 p.m. and they all slept great.  However, when the sun came up at 6 a.m. they were all ready to go, go, go!

We had a breakfast of eggs, bacon and muffins (I forgot the key ingredient for the mountain man dutch oven breakfast we were supposed to make) and then the older kids went on a 4-wheeler ride with Ron. Devynee and I threw rocks, climbed on the tractor and sat on it, and did general ranch-y things.

Then, we got out the .22 for a little target practice and a nice gun safety talk.

Easton and Kendree also spent some time practicing their archery.

When she thought no one was looking, Devynee tried to get in some archery practice as well. (Notice that nice, soft dirt she is standing in.  That's the stuff).

Then, we had lunch, one last 4-wheeler ride for everybody and we packed up.

It was a great trip!

*I have a profound respect for my mother after prepping for this trip.  Camping prep is not for the faint of heart.  I haven't had that many lists going in quite some time.  We should have stayed for a week instead of a day, but it was still very fun.
**Snowflea Ranch is the original name of the ranch.  My dad purchased it from a family who had owned it for quite some time.  We do not know where the name came from and there is no such thing as a snowflea (that we are aware of).

Quilt #2 for Baby #4

I decided to go with a chevron quilt for the "fancy" quilt for this little girl.  To be honest, I just wasn't up to making another ruffle quilt.  Also, the ruffle quilts aren't super great to actually use, so there is that as well. I found a new and easier tutorial online that doesn't have you piecing or cutting triangles and went on my merry way!

I'm always surprised how quickly baby quilts come together.  That smaller size really makes things just hum along. I machine quilted this on my beloved Bernina, following the seams, but a little outside of them.  It was perfect. I also did the binding on my machine, I just don't have the patience for hand binding!

First days of school

On Tuesday, August 26th, Easton started his first day of 1st grade!  Due to some major miscommunication last year, he had to switch* elementary schools. He has friends from church at both schools and in true oldest child** fashion, the change didn't seem to effect his enthusiasm for school at all. In fact, he gets to walk to and from school while the weather is good (with kids from the neighborhood) which is infinitely cooler than mom picking him up.

Easton is attending Goins Elementary School and has Mrs. Hall for 1st grade.

Hanging out in line, waiting to go in.

Kendree had to sneak in one last goodbye hug.

Looking like a stud, at his desk table.

After school one Easton's first day, we grabbed ice cream from McDonald's as a treat and enjoyed it on the lawn.  The perfect celebration/official end to summer.

Next up, we had Devynee, who started an in-home preschool with a good friend in the ward on Tuesday, September 2nd.  She goes once a week for two hours and loves every minute.  The class is very young (most will start kindergarten in two years, Devynee won't start for three years) so it is low-key and perfect.

Finally, Kendree had her first day of preschool with our beloved Miss Donna on Tuesday, September 9th. It killed her that she was the last one to start, but on a positive note, it was rainy and chilly, so mom agreed to let her wear her FAVORITE long sleeved unicorn shirt, which has been taunting her from it's drawer for a few weeks. She will have preschool twice a week for 2.5 hours.

And just like that, our world is back to its glorious, structured (albeit crazy) self.

*Our neighborhood has been switched between two schools a few times due to school sizes, etc. He should not have gone to Rossman for kindergarten, but fell through the address-checking cracks.  Also, the school district did NOT update their website to the change, so I was clueless as well.  I could have done a boundary exception and kept him at Rossman, but in three short years, I'll have three kids in elementary school and at some point the boundary waivers would be denied, so we decided to just switch now while he is young.

**As the oldest as well, I think you just get used to new situations and being the guinea pig for everything, so an additional "new" thing isn't that big of a deal.

A little getaway

Next summer, one of the meetings that I plan for work will be held at the Jackson Lake Lodge outside of Jackson, Wyoming.  If it is a new location (it usually is), I normally do a scouting trip as our family's spring break in March/April.

As luck would have it, the Jackson Lake Lodge is closed from the beginning of October through Memorial Day, so a scouting trip when everything is closed up wouldn't be very fun for me. ;)

We tricked talked my sister Erc and her husband Dan into taking the kids for two nights at the end of August and made the trip into a little baby-moon. (We have offered to take their kids anytime as a trade).

So, we loaded the kids up, drove to Rock Springs and dropped them off with Erc, Dan and their kids and went on our merry way. (We traded cars as well, so Erc could haul around five kids and Alayna, her five-year old, thought that was just about the best part of the whole thing.  A van!  Super exciting!)

On our way to Jackson, we stopped in Farson, Wyoming for some of their famous ice cream.  I had the butter pecan in a waffle cone and it did NOT disappoint.  Delicious!

While at the lodge, we enjoyed spectacular views (seriously, like a movie set that you can't quite believe is real) and cold, rainy weather. That was a bit of a disappointment.  We walked all around the lodge and saw the rooms for meetings, etc. We also just relaxed.

View from the lodge, the cloud cover was not ideal for viewing the Tetons.

One day, we drove about 30 minutes down to Jenny Lake, took a ferry across and then did the Hidden Falls hike.  My 31 week pregnant body protested a little, but it was so good to get out and hike.  

Jenny Lake.

The Hidden Falls!

Sunday evening, we attended the LDS branch that meets at the lodge for the summer tourist season.  I was asked to play the piano (that has to happen every once in a while for me to jump start my practicing again) and Ron got to bless the sacrament. It was great to serve where we were needed.

Those pesky clouds almost let us see the full mountains on Sunday night.

And then Monday morning, they covered the bottoms.  :)

Such a great trip.  Got things squared away for work.  A little relaxing in and time with my favorite guy. Thanks to Erc and Dan for making it possible!

August 2014: Random Catch Up

On the last day of swim lessons, Kendree got to ride Shamu! ;)

Silly girls in the tub.  Think they have a little different natural coloring?

A little perler bead making on a warm afternoon.  I'm living my childhood dreams through my kids as I always wanted "melty beads" when I was little and never got them.  In my mom's defense, I don't think I ever really asked for them either.

 Devynee did this number puzzle no less than 15 times during Kendree's preschool evaluation.

Instagram: August 2014

A little pre-swim lesson foot soaking.

The five amigos at the Children's Village.  Apparently my kids need to work on their silly faces.  #Devyneeisjustpouting

Hawaiian Shaved Ice with cousins! (It's a good thing that I just tried this place for the first time, as I WILL be going back).

 Easton and Ron enjoying the Broncos game!  I'm enjoying a quiet house. ;)

 Quilt #1 for baby4 is done!  This will be the quilt that comes everywhere with us.  Love it.

I'd say that someone enjoyed their spaghetti... #everylastnoodle

Two more baby4 projects done! Crib skirt and bumpers are ready to go, now onto the second quilt.

After a lovely two day getaway, Ron and I have to say goodbye to the gorgeous Grand Tetons. #nofilter #jacksonlakelodge

First day of 1st grade!  He was so excited!

First day of school ice cream treat.  Totally worth the mess.

The final quilt for baby4 is complete!  Just a few sewing projects left.  Two months to go. #pleasesomeoneslowdowntime #theendalwaysgoesthefastest

One of my favorite places on earth. #snowflearanch

When you camp, you fully embrace the dirt... #idontknowhowsheseesthruthoseglassessometimes

Find the goggles mom got on clearance [check]. Wear until they are so foggy you can't see anything [check].

The kids loved shooting the .22 and it was a great opportunity to talk about gun safety. #snowflearanch

Cousins Visit!

My sister, Erc, came to visit for a few days in August, and the kids loved being able to play with their cousins.

One day, they came over to Cheyenne and we took the opportunity to go to the Children's Village at the botanical gardens.

I didn't get any pictures of all of the water wading we did (it was HOT), but did snap a few of the puppet show area.  The kids have a bit to learn about how the whole thing is supposed to go...

Group shot to prove we were there.

 

Then we went for some Hawaiian shaved ice.  The coconut ice cream addition was divine!

We had a great day and love spending time with Grandma, Aunt Erc and the cousins!

34 weeks

Things sure have livened up in this pregnancy.  I went in for what I would call my 34 week* appointment and the doctor I saw that day (there are 7 in the office, and you don't choose who delivers you) measured my uterus and I was measuring at 32 weeks.  She wanted an ultrasound to check the baby's movement and measurements and it so happened that the ultrasound was open right then.  So, Devynee** and I made our way to the ultrasound room and proceeded with a 30 minute ultrasound where they were looking for specific movements (both body and lungs) as well as measured the baby's head, femur, belly (around the outside of her body) and stomach (organ).  Her head, femur and belly were all measuring within days of where I think I am, but her stomach (organ) was only measuring at 30 weeks. They also checked my fluid, which looked good and my placenta, which had normal calcification. During the 30 minutes, the baby did not try to exercise her lungs (not concerning) and also was not active at all (concerning).  That is not normal for this babe, but nothing I did would convince her to move.

Next, the doctor sent us to a non-stress test (NST) room.  I was hooked up to monitors and had to sit for another 30 minutes.  During this time, the baby did fantastically.  Her heartbeat was steady and accelerated several times and she was moving around like crazy.  That helped to ease both the doctor's and my concerns.  The doctor then came in and said that due to the stomach (organ) size, the baby may not be getting the nutrients she needs from my placenta.  They wanted to start seeing me twice a week (Monday and Thursday) for NSTs and then an ultrasound every Thursday as well.  If things continue to look okay, they plan to induce me on October 11th*** so that they will no longer have to worry that my placenta won't last for the entire pregnancy.

Since that appointment (Thursday, September 11th), I have had my first NST, and the baby did great again.  Great heart-rate with accelerations and great movement.

Aside from general concern for the baby, my biggest stress is that my estimated arrival for this little doll has moved up about three weeks!  I am now constantly paying attention to movement as that will be one of the first indicators that my placenta may be starting to give out.  I have had great support from friends that have offered to watch the girls while I spend an extra 3 hours in the doctor's office every week. :)

Let's focus on some normal stuff, shall we?  I continue to feel good, just more sore and achy after doing things like cleaning the basement. I am sleeping pretty well and have even slept through Devynee coming into our room in the night (she goes to Ron's side, bless her little heart).  We continue to discuss names, but right now, the ones that remain on the list (in alphabetical order) are: Angilee, Brynlee, Eislee, Hallee, Kamree and Kimber. We're always on the look out for new suggestions!

*You may remember (but probably don't) that my doctor and I have differing due dates.  I think I am due October 27th, which would put me right at 34 weeks.  They think I am due October 18th, which would have put me a few days past 35 weeks.
**Devynee was an ANGEL during all of this.  She played quietly with the toys in each room and cleaned up after herself. It was like I had brought I different child with me.  I was so blessed!
***They would like to induce at what they think is 39 weeks.  My concern is that according to me, that would really be inducing at 37.5 weeks. Obviously we will see how things continue to look and I don't want to endanger the baby by keeping her in, but also don't want to take her out unnecessarily early.

Other baby4 updates: 30 weeks, 28 weeks, 24 weeks, 22 weeks, 20 weeks, 16 weeks

Wanna compare?
Devynee at 34 weeks
Kendree at 34 weeks
Easton at 34 weeks