Arches

This weekend was the first of many babymoons planned for this summer. We went primitive camping down in Moab Friday night with our good friends the Matthews and spent the day Saturday hiking and exploring Arches National Park.

It didn't occur to us that Memorial Day weekend would be so packed, so we were forced to make camp in on free land the middle of nowhere, about 10 miles from Moab. Honestly, it has always been a dream of mine to find an empty bit of land in the desert and just camp there. This lived up to that experience. 

Home on the Range.

 

 Making dinner in our handmade fire pit.

 Desert sunsets are unrivaled.

Driving into Arches the next day.

  Getting ready for some bouldering.

Balanced Rock.

 Yes, the boys climbed it (before a park ranger mentioned that you aren't supposed to. Tell that to the other 1,000 people who did that day.)

 North Window I think.

South Window.

 I always get really excited to see cacti. It's something I'll miss about the West.

 

After eating lunch in Devil's Garden, we hiked 3 miles to see the Delicate Arch.

No wonder that thing was formed. 30+ mile an hour, sand-infused winds up there.

Sam and I under the arch. It drops off several hundred feet at the back. Standing there was a pretty cool experience.

 Aaaaaand we have wicked sunburns as souvenirs. Believe me, this does not do it justice.

And more big news, my sister Jennifer had her baby girl yesterday! Can't wait to cuddle my first little niece! Baby Shannon is next. :)

Living it Up

I've been on a kick lately of trying to cram in as much 2-person family living as we can. For example:

Saturday night Sam and I went on a spontaneous date to see "Thor" and restaurant hop for dinner and dessert. . .because we can.

We've stayed up late talking and laughing the last several nights. . . because we can.

This summer we have plans to camp down at Arches National Park, visit St. George again and see another show at Tuacahn, go to a Braves game with his family and a beach trip with mine while we're back in the south, and spend a romantic weekend at Sundance for our anniversary. . . all because we can.

Not to say that having children will eliminate fun and freedom for us, it will just make things more complicated (especially while they're young). I'm fine with that. I'm thrilled to do these kinds of fun things as a family and to raise our children, but I have to say I'll be sad to see these days of just "us" go. When our precious little baby arrives and steals our hearts and lives, I want to look back and say, "yeah, we really lived it up." And then we can live up our family of 3, then 4, and so on.

P.S. I've had very vivid dreams about both a baby boy and girl, and in my dreams I loved each of them like crazy. I'm so anxious to know which it will be.

My Samuel is Wonderful

16 weeks and just looking a bit thick and not really pregnant. Also, this pose is very awkward. I don't know why I keep doing it.

After doing not much of anything all Sunday or eating much either, Sam resolved to improve my day and sat me on the couch to watch one of my favorite movies while he made my birthday cake.

The incredible cake.

 And the sicky.

I'll admit, it looked too good not to eat a bite, but it took til the next night to really enjoy it.

The best birthday gift of all: my Samuel. That boy knows how to take care of me. Also, my sweet baby who let me feel him/her for the first time today.

The Worst Birthday

It didn't start off like that. I got several cards throughout the week, my bosses at work took us out to a nice lunch on Friday, then Saturday Sam and I did a little shopping for some maternity clothes and went to dinner. It was a nice enough birthday by that point. Then all heck broke loose. I felt a little off right after dinner, but didn't think much of it and after planning our awesome lesson for our Sunday School class (I was actually really excited to teach it), we went to bed.

Shortly afterwards I was up and violently sick and the misery continued until 7am. I'm still not sure exactly what the culprit was, but I can tell you I won't be in the mood for California Pizza Kitchen again for a long time. Thankfully our class was deferred until next week when we can teach and we got a chance to rest (Sam was up with me the whole night.)

So my actual birthday today is spent in pajamas with a BRAT diet and lots of fluids and rest. I am feeling a bit better, but very untrusting of food and a lot sorry for myself too. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a birthday cake.

And that's the story of my worst birthday.

Grandpa's Birthday Weekend

Sooo I had this whole blog post written out about my Grandpa's Surprise 80th birthday last weekend in St. George (maybe a few of you saw it) and then Blogger went and had a stroke and voila! Gone.

So here's the summary in pictures:

 Aunt Wendy and cousin Dustin

 Mom and Aunt Renee

The Wilcox Clan

The Dad

 

4 generation span (minus my dad): Grandpa (80), Great Uncle Blaine (89), and Ross (19)

The Grandparents on their wedding day in 1953

And the handsome birthday boy 58 years later.

Happy Birthday, Gramps! So glad all the family got to be there!

One final word on the situation

3 Nephi 4:28-31

  "28And their leader, Zemnarihah, was taken and hanged upon a tree, yea, even upon the top thereof until he was dead. And when they had hanged him until he was dead they did fell the tree to the earth, and did cry with a loud voice, saying:

  29May the Lord preserve his people in righteousness and in holiness of heart, that they may cause to be felled to the earth all who shall seek to slay them because of power and secret combinations, even as this man hath been felled to the earth.

 30And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.

 31And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies."

Is it just me?

Or has this been a busy few weeks for world news?

 

 

P.S. I really hate that I have a picture of Osama on my blog.