Baby Prep

FRIENDS
Our good friends, the Wood family, threw us a surprise baby shower. One day they just came over and gave us a ton of gifts including cute outfits, embroidered burp cloths, baby bath thermometer, disney video, diapers and more. They also gave us a crib, high chair, bouncy chair, etc. this summer. What amazing friends we have.

EDUCATION
Tonight we attended the infant care class at the hospital. We feel much more confident! This week's class included feeding babies and a tour of the hospital. Next week is CPR and other baby care. We knew 2 of the couples attending the class.

NEEDS
Some of our friends and family members are asking what we still need. We have a lot of items, but here are the needs. I'll try to keep the list updated.

♥ Diapers - all different sizes, not premie
♥ Baby Hair Brush
♥ Winter wear - including hats
Idaho is cold. Hace frio.
♥ Baby Thermometer
♥ Aspirator - may get one free from hospital
♥ More books for the baby
♥ Portable baby bed
♥ Frozen casseroles

I'm also looking for a used baby jogger stroller, bjorn carrier, and bike trailer.

Fishing Report

After an action packed week of hard work & deadlines, Scott and Bethany went on a mini adventure / fishing trip to the Menan Butte area, or more precisely, the Deer Parks Wildlife Management Unit. We hiked a mile in and never saw a soul.

The main reason that I am adding this post is to see if I can figure out how to add a short video. I'd like to be able to post baby videos, so I'm learning how now. Here goes...

Life Changes - Getting Away

Things in Salt Lake didn't work out for Scott, and Bethany didn't know if she would be staying on or quitting her job with the BLM at the end of the month as she had planned due to Scott's change in work. So..... We decided to escape life's daily routines and get some solitude to make some plans and decisions.

We originally planned to go to Meadow Lake (elevation~9000 ft) But as you can tell from the pictures it was a little bit cold at the end of June to camp and we were not prepared as you can tell by the shorts and sweater Scott is wearing in the picture. The road became impassable due to several feet of snow which completely covered the road about one mile from the camp grounds. So we decided to hike in and Scott tried the fishing along the shore line. Fishing was no good and it was getting dark. We hiked back to the car and settled on camping at Birch Creek (elevation 6000).

The following day after reading a little, talking about our plans a little, and going fishing we decided to check out the Charcoal Kilns in the once thriving town (1880) of Hahn. The kilns had been restored, the city was all but gone and there were all kinds of historic stories posted in a small kiosk about the area. They were fun to read and made our imaginations dance with thoughts of immigrants, Wild West, fortune, lost fortunes, lifestyle, and influence that these people had on the history of Idaho.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to float down Birch Creek in our inner-tubes that we had brought. The water was cool and the sun was hot, the current was slow but the water wasn't quite deep enough to enjoy a completely relaxing float down stream, we had to keep our bums up to get over many a rock that would stop us mid-stream, we also had to steer clear of the branches that would overhang the creek and make obstacles in the water. When we finally decided to get out and begin walking back to camp, a stranger pulled up in a truck and asked us if we wanted a ride. To our later regret we gladly accepted because we didn't want to walk back in our flip-flops. We got in the truck and experienced what could be considered a world class rollercoaster ride back to our camp. When we got out of the truck the driver wanted to talk. We found that he was drunk, and wanted to bash marriage, republicans, and Mormons. 3 things we enjoy while sober.

The following day we did a little more hiking around. Bethany had fun gathering wild flowers and looking for fossils. Scott almost stepped on a Rubber Boa, A very seldom seen and docile snake in the Boa Constrictor family natural to the area. We also sat up on a viewpoint that was very picturesque but failed to take a picture of the view.

All and all we had a great time, cleared our minds, and made some progress in creating a new direction for our lives. Bethany is still working for the BLM and Scott is currently in the process of obtaining his broker license and starting a new brokerage in Idaho.

Memorial Day Weekend

Siblings from all directions gathered for a slumber party at Amy's house. We had yummy fry bread with lots of toppings. We played "Dear Abby" until our sides hurt from laughing.

Our evening drive took us to the Bear River where cranes, baby Canadian geese, and blue herons were spotted.

On Memorial Day we drove through beautiful Logan Canyon to Bear Lake. Our hiking plan was changed due to snow.

We toured the beautiful historic Paris Tabernacle, built shortly after the Logan Temple. Scott tested the accoustics with his amazing voice.

We set our flowers on our family's headstones at the Bennington Cemetary and had a cold and memorable picnic at the park.