Since we've been home

We have been really busy getting ready for the Baby.  We are so excited!  We are looking for a larger vehicle, a house a stroller and car seat... ha ha there is so much to do.  

 I finally went to the doctor.  I had went before I left, but while I was in Alaska I didn't go to a doctor.  We moved around to much! At 28 weeks we found out that we are having a girl.  We couldn't wait any longer!

Our friend Kurt Walker invited us to Acappellastock in Ogden Utah.  We were up north shopping and decided to stay and head up to ogden.  The groups that sang were amazing!  I love live entertainment.  Especially acappella groups.  It takes real talent to sing with no music or instruments! This is the group Mosaic, They have won many awards including some from MTV.  We also like the group called Face, and more.  

view of the stage. 

Lloyd helping my parents get the house ready to paint.  What a hard worker!  

We went to St. George to visit Lloyds family.  This is Lloyd showing his mom how to use the ipad.  :)

We went swimming with the kids in Maryanns pool.  This is Jerzi. 

Jett

Jerni

and Gavin.  We really missed the Kids! Jordyn was at school...

Lloyd and I took my parents to see the Lion King at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake.  It was pay back for them watching our dogs all summer!  The play was such a huge production!  The costumes and the actors.  We all really enjoyed it!  Lloyd got us tickets for the first row center stage.  It was different to see a play up so close.  I loved it!  We could see the sweat dripping off Cimba towards the end. ha ha... The red paint was running.  yuck. 

Horrible lighting!!! sorry guys :(  We went to eat at the Macaroni Grill afterwards.  

Sadie and Jakk made some babies while we were gone in Alaska.  We were so happy to see them when we got home.  I learned a lot about dogs in a hurry.  They are pregnant for 64 days... 2 months.  I wish I was pregnant for only two months!  :)  I even read up on how to deliver puppies.  I will spare you the messy details.  Luckily we didn't have to help Sadie at all.  I left one morning to go shopping with my mom. (my mom knew Sadie was going to have then on Sept. 7 a tuesday.)  She calculated just right.  When we got home from shopping I noticed a little rat moving around under Sadie.  I didn't want to bother her and she seemed fine so I left her alone.  A half hour later There were two more puppies.  She gave birth all by herself.  I am pretty sure that I will need some assistance and I am only have one baby! Here are pictures of them after 4 days.  They are called Yoranians or Porkies.  Lloyd wants to keep them all, but I can't imagine having 5 dogs!  NO WAY! We are for sure going to sell them.  After Sadie had them Lloyd was right up in Sadies face laying on his tummy just watching them.  He said it was like a boyhood dream.  (He said he didn't have pets growing up) 

Two girls and a Boy. 4 days old...

Lloyd helping my dad separate his sheep.  

Lloyd helping my dad get firewood for the winter. 

This was the invitation to The shower my mom threw for me.  I used tiger print because she is going to be born the year of the tiger.  The day we found out we were pregnant Lloyd and I went out for Mongolian BBQ in St George.  Lloyd was so excited he told the cashier.  She told us about the Chinese tradition of the tiger.  She said that our baby is going to be feisty.  I will be afraid of her and that Lloyd and her won't get along.  The lady said that chinese men do not want to marry a tiger because she is very fierce and controlling... ha ha ha 

I love my mom she is wonderful!  I had such a great time at my shower.  There were a lot of people there.  I was really surprised!  People are so nice.  After all the wonderful gifts I feel a lot more prepared!  We played measure your belly, and a few other games.  People guesses when I will have the baby and gave me advice.  My favorite was get an epidural. ha ha ha

It all turned out really nice! 

My mom made some really good food for us to eat.  She made rolls and sandwich spread (chicken salad) to go on them.  She also made Heathers treats (white chocolate with peanuts and marshmallows and peanut butter) , and indoor Smore's.  We also had watermelon, grapes, strawberries, good chips from Costco, and MaryAnns fruit dip.  YUM!

Aunt Patsy, Cindy, me and Terry after the shower.  They were so much help! 

Bexi me and Melissa two of my awesome sister in laws!

Mom me and Dad

MaryAnn, Me, My mother in law Donna Mae and Radaun.  They drove all the way up from St. George.  They are so nice.  They got me a stroller and a car seat!  I love it!  It is pink and brown.  Perfect for a little girl!  MaryAnn and I are due the same week! 

This is Chris and Aubrie Eastman.  I did their engagements in Alaska.  They are one of our favorite couples to hang out with.  Their wedding was so beautiful!  We are so happy for them.  Lloyd sold with Chris this summer. 

Terry, Lloyd, Chris, Aubrie, Me and Megan

Homeward Bound

We decided to drive home from Alaska.  We wanted to take a cruise down to Seattle, then fly home but they wouldn't let me on the boat if I was more then 24-26 weeks pregnant. :(  Our next plan was to rent a car, but one of our friends Kade was driving home alone so we went with him, and caravanned with Josh and Mekenzie.  It took us about four days to get home.  We did stop a little bit, but we never actually slept in a hotel.  I thought that I would be miserable being pregnant and all but I wasn't.  I enjoyed seeing all the scenery.  We passed through the Yukon, British Colombia, and Alberta Canada.  It was my first time in Canada.  

We rode the fairy to Wakefield then to Homer.  Kade's car got damaged on the fairy.  We had to wait for a while so they could get things straitened out. 

Josh and Kade putting a puzzle together on the over night fairy ride.  I helped a little bit.  Lloyd was amazing at it!  It was a Buddhist puzzle.  We pretty much learned all about their religion by putting it together.  This time on the fairy we were really crammed in.  The fog was so thick flights were canceled.  (very common) so everyone was on the Fairy trying to get to Anchorage to fly out.  All the rooms were booked.  We had no sleeping supplies.  Lloyd and I slept on a bench together... to give you an idea it was skinnier than a single mattress... my pregnant belly stuck out over the edge.  There were also a lot of high school students from the track team surround us sleeping on the floor or where ever they could find a space.  They run track in the summer even though they are out of school. It's to cold in the winter :)  

One of the stops in Canada.  The gas stations there were like stepping back 20 years in time.  You would pump your gas and then pay.  There were times that we had to fill up every gas station for fear of running out of gas.  The stretches between stations were so long!  One time we stopped at a place to top off the tank.  It only ended up being six dollars.  The guy said don't pay with a credit card I will loose money.  Luckily they took american money, and then would give you Canadian change... ha ha We also got our credit cards turned off because they thought someone had stolen them.  Lloyd made a quick call and told them we were in Canada.  Everything was fine after that.

This place was the highlight of our drive!  We stopped in Edmonton Canada at the biggest mall I have ever heard of.  They had a water park, an ice skating ring, a huge aquarium, a hotel, not to mention all the shops.

This place was more intense than 7 peaks.  There were slides everywhere!

The wave pool was a little scary.  The waves were huge.  I almost got taken over.  I discovered there that I have no ab muscles, and that I cannot swim pregnant.  Lloyd got me a tube so I could enjoy it. 

All the slides had this sign in front of them.  I felt like a short kid at a theme park.  I wasn't able to go on any of the slides.  I still had fun taking pictures of everyone and riding the wave pool on my tube. 

We finally made it to Utah!  We stopped at my grandmas.  I thought she knew we were coming... we got there and no one was home.  I didn't want to scare her so Lloyd waited outside until she came home.  I fell asleep inside.  My grandma drove up with Aunt Vickie and said there is a man with luggage on your front lawn... ha ha surprise! We were there to stay for a few days, until my mom could come get us.  She didn't mind.  She loves company. 

My cousin Terry is going to school in Logan so she drove to Lewiston the visit us.  We were craving Cafe Rio!  We hadn't had it all summer.  She brought us some!  We then went for a walk down the street to my grandpas old barn to take some pictures.  

Lloyd saw these little midget goats.  Some of them only had one horn.  Weird!

Kodiak Alaska Aug. 2010

Kodiak was a lot like Hawaii but colder.  I haven't been to Hawaii yet but Lloyd said it was comparable.  Kodiak was by far my favorite place in Alaska.  The locals said that the temperature stayed from the 40's to the 60's year round.  They never got snow.  It was so green and full.  We had to ride a fairy to get there.  People had to put there cars on the fairy as well.  It took all night to make the trip.  We spent time putting puzzles together.  Lloyd and Josh were really good at it.  They put 1000 piece puzzle together.  Lloyd got us a room to sleep in on the way over.  It was a little closet, but a lot nicer than what I slept on on the train to Urumchi China... 

We went for a drive with Dani and Collin Brinkerhoff and this was one of the views from the top.

Lloyd and I

We were driving with Dani and Collin still, all of a sudden Dani said Deer... Collin turned around and pulled over so we could look at it.  the deer were really small there.  Their coloring was red.  It was right in front of us.   It took me a minute to see it because it was so small and camouflage.  After about 5 mins Lloyd still hadn't seen it.  We spent forever pointing it out to him.  He finally saw it after I swear 10 mins.      

These are just some pretty pictures I took at the beach.  We loved going to the beach.  The ocean is my favorite!  I could sit and watch the waves all day!  This was a black sand beach.  The water was a little to cold to swim in though.  I did get in to take some pregnant pictures.  Everyone thought I was crazy.  I pretty much am :)

Lloyd and I went on a hike with my brother in law's sister Katherine.  She showed us some pretty places.  She teaches school there in Kodiak.  She said we are the first family to visit her there.  

We found wild berries on our hike.  They were called salmon berries.  They tasted like raspberries but not as sweet.  A lot of the locals go out picking them for jam and other things.  

some of the views on our hike.

Katherine and I

We went bear watching again in Kodiak.  Each night they would come out around dusk.  We would stay out watching them until midnight sometimes.  In Aug. the sun started to go down earlier.  We saw the bears fishing and jumping around the banks of the river.  I never got a good picture of them though :( 

Makenzie was the only other wife out there with me.  Other wives came and went but we stayed out the whole summer.  while we were bear watching the mosquitos were really bad.  They kept getting her so she covered pretty much ever inch of her body. :)

The Boys all lined up alone the road trying to see the bears.

My first Laundromat experience was in Alaska.  I have used one in the MTC but it is not the same as out in the real world.  I was afraid I was going to get mugged or something.... All the hotels we stayed at had Laundry facilities, but the last one.  I am not a fan of doing laundry in a Laundromat.  I couldn't even figure out how to work the machines at first.  FYI not all washing machines are the same.  I finally dumped soap in every hole hoping that I chose the right setting and the right opening to get my clothes clean... 

The wildlife Museum in Kodiak.  This was a whale skeleton.  It had washed onto shore. The locals buried it and then years later they dug it up.  Now you can see the remains.  It was huge! 

A cute little tug boat that I liked.  It was tiny compared to the other boats.  We even saw some of the ships from the deadliest catch. (I never actually watched a full episode until we were in Alaska)  There are some crazy fisherman out there! We talked to some guys that said they were asked to be on the show, but turned it down because they wouldn't take dumb risk just to create drama for the show...  they said it wasn't worth it.  I don't blame them! 

In front of one of the ports in Kodiak.  This was one of the views we saw from our hotel. 

I loved the people in Kodiak!  They were all so friendly.  Lloyd knocked on the door of the RS president the first day.  She made sure that I was invited to come to their activity while we were there.  The ward was very welcoming.  I went to it and had a good time.  They taught me how to cook salmon.  

One of the brothers taught us how to filet a fish.  I took good notes.  :)

We went to the beach every chance we got.  In Kodiak it was usually overcast, but on sunny days it was spectacular! 

Lloyd and Emery (Collin and Dani's daughter)  She was soooo cute.  Lloyd is so excited to be a dad.  he is going to be such a good one!  

Lloyd skipping rocks.  He could skip it more than 6 times.  I was lucky if I got 2.  ha ha

Josh and some bizarre thing he found on the shore.  

sick! I am not even sure what it was. 

Makenzie and Josh Combe they are on the favorite list :)

On this beach we would go jewel hunting.  People would go target shooting with glass.  The glass would then be polished over time by the waves creating little jewels.  We all came home with pockets full of them.  

Dani Collin and Emery.  They were so much fun!  We mis them already!

My first Black sand beach.  So dramatic and pretty!

Katherine took us hiking twice.  This was the second time.  It was not a sunny day, but we still went.  We found lilly pads.  These were the blossoms from them.  They felt spongy and waxy...

She took us to Fort Abercrombie.  Our military men would hide out there waiting for the Japanese to come.  They never came.  Back then there was nothing on the island so you can imagine how bored they got.  No internet....TV??? Pretty place though. 

Lloyd hiding out inside one of the forts.