Goodbye 2013

The end of 2013 was fantastic. Although, it didn't start off that way. 

We traveled to Payette, the Friday before Christmas, to spend the holidays with my family. The roads were clear until we got just east of Mountain Home. After that, it was pretty bad. We could barely see three feet in front of us. The weather starting clearing up a bit when we hit Boise, but the roads were still pretty bad. We were driving fairly moderate for the conditions, but we had car after car passing us a much higher speeds.

We must have just hit a patch of slush because it no time Ethan was crossing into another lane, and not by choice. We started sliding sideways and towards the concrete median. It honestly felt like we were in slow motion, because we had enough time to brace ourselves for the impact and Ethan had plenty of time to continually tell me we're going to be ok but that we were going to hit.

We hit the median on the right front fender, which then propelled us into a 360 (on the interstate) and hitting the back right fender as well. Ethan was able to gain control and get us pulled off to the shoulder (without ever having another car involved in the accident).

I was freaking out a little bit but when we finally got pulled off I lost it just a bit. My dad called seconds after we pulled off and I had to pass the phone off because I couldn't talk. We turned on our hazard lights and drove to an exit that we could pull off and assess the car a bit better.

My brother who live just a few minutes from the exit, met us and we decided our car should not be driven long distances, so we took the back roads and stayed at his house that night. We got everything worked out the next morning to get our car fixed and a rental car to continue driving to Payette. This was the damage:

We are both so grateful that we weren't harmed and that no one else was involved. We know we were extremely blessed because it could have been much, much worse. 

After that debacle, the rest of the year was great (maybe not so much for Ethan)! The entire break was full of relaxation and enjoying time with my family. On Christmas Eve, Derrick and his family, Cameron and his wife and Ethan and I all gathered at my parents house. We didn't do the tradition that I remember us doing all growing up, but we watched a little move about the first Christmas for the kids and then had fun talking and hanging out together. 

The next morning we woke up and Ethan was feeling pretty crummy. He was coming down with the flu, but that didn't ruin his morning once he saw he finally got the .22 he's been wanting! 

I could not wait for him to open it and see his reaction, that I made him open all of his presents first. 

It was then my turn to open my gifts. I was so excited when I opened this beauty! It's the 50 mm lens that I've been wanting (along with my amazing Steve Madden pumps)!

I know it may not seem exciting to others to get a muffin tin for Christmas, but I got this same William-Sonoma muffin tin two years ago from my sister, when I was living with her. I never wanted to take it to school because I didn't want it to get messed up from roommates. Long story short, my parents brought it to me before we got married, and we when got back from our honeymoon, it was gone. I'm so glad to have it again and see how much I love it!

The day after Christmas, my mom and I went shopping (since Ethan was dead to the world with the flu). I have really been wanting to find some maternity jeans since I only like the demi panel and the ones from Gap I tried on, I despised. So we were on a hunt. The first place we went was to Macy's. I tried on one pair and I was done. This whole body changing thing is really doing a number on my self-image. Luckily, my mom was able to find some great things and it was fun spending time with her. 

The next couple days, my mom was working and Ethan was still getting over the flu, so it was very laid back. We stayed in our pajamas most of the day and I occasionally put my make-up on. 

New Year's Eve came and with everyone feeling 100% again, we all decided to head over to Boise to do some shopping. We went out for a late lunch, and found out that all of the places we were wanting to go, they were closing early. We were able to finally find some jeans that would work for me from Old Navy, and then headed to the mall. Bath and Body Works was having their semi-annual sale, so I got some lotion for super cheap! Gap was also having a good sale, which meant some cheap clothes for baby boy Thomas!

Once the stores closed, we headed to Derrick and Kim's for the festivities. We had some great food and enjoyed our time together. We watched the Potato drop (it's a new thing Boise did) simultaneously with the ball drop. We ended our night with a New Year's kiss and headed home.

I'm so excited for this upcoming year and all of the changes and exciting things it will bring. Happy New Year!!

Grandpa Yule

Fifteen years ago to the day,  my grandpa, Ralph Yule, passed away. At just 9 years old, I still have some amazing memories of him. My favorite would have to be when he would play the accordion as I danced around my grandparent's house. He would play for hours and I would dance and listen the whole time. My all-time favorite song he played is called the Clarinet Polka. It's not a song that is played a lot, but when it is, my entire body wells up with floods of memories of him and I can't help but smile. 

I still remember the night he passed away. My parents had gone to a company Christmas party and my brother Nathan was playing the piano as the entertainment for it. I was in the shower when they got home and we were getting ready for bed. I was relaxing in the tub when everyone kept telling me to hurry. I got so aggravated. But I got out and was instantly in a bad mood. I got dressed and went out to the living room. That's where I saw my mom crying. I sat down knowing something was wrong and my dad proceeded to tell us what had happened. 

My grandpa had been diagnosed with cancer years before and it had finally taken him. My dad continued to tell us that he passed away approximately the same time my brother was playing the Mannheim Steamroller version of Stille Nacht. If you've never heard it before, it is an amazing song. It has also become one of my favorite Christmas songs. 

My grandpa was an avid kayaker and outdoorsman. After he passed away, the Missoulian wrote an amazing article about him. Here it is:

A kindly teacher, outdoor lover passes

Friends, family mourn death of Ralph Yule, who inspired all by example. Ralph Yule didn't do any preaching, except by his life and his example. "But boy, that was powerful," said Walt Hill, with whom Yule was a Boy Scout leader for nearly 25 years. Yule, who died Dec. 19, will be remembered at a memorial service at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3201 Bancroft in Missoula.

The memories, Hill said, are of a man of "deep wisdom, infinite patience and absolute kindness." He was a Scout leader who each summer took boys into the Mission Mountains -; along old Indian trails, to the top of peaks, to fields of wildflowers in miles-long meadows. He was a kayaker who built his own boats, and boats for others, and who ran the same nasty stretch of the Lochsa River every year on his birthday. When kayakers lost their takeout on the Alberton Gorge, he got them a new one -; through sheer stubborn persistence.

He was an accordion player who learned to play in Civilian Conservation Corps camps during the Depression, and continued to play at dances and in bands for the rest of his 80 years.

He took up telemark skiing at age 70, served on the Clinton School Board for years and built the Milltown Garage. For 12 years, he fended off the cancer that took his life.

"He was unsinkable," said John Salisbury, a friend and fellow kayaker. "He just had a buoyant nature. Part of that was stubbornness. Part of it was positive attitude and enthusiasm."

Born in Ray, N.D., on April 16, 1918, Yule made his first trips into the Rocky Mountains as a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps. He and his bride, Lola Liberty Osborn, moved to Missoula in 1947. Yule worked first as a foreman for Tucker Motors, then for Eino Wiemer's garage Milltown. In 1971, he built Milltown Garage.

Yule was known most for his love of the outdoors. "He knew it all: camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, skiing," said his son, Tom. "Every summer for 25 years, he'd take his Boy Scout troop mountaineering to the tops of the Mission Mountains -; six days, unsupported." Yule was the assistant Scoutmaster, the outdoors specialist. Hill was the Scoutmaster.

"Ralph knew how to get to places that nobody else did," Hill said. "Old Indian mushroom trails, unmarked cross-country treks. We saw reaches nobody else ever did. He was like a mountain goat scrambling over rocks."

Yule was at peace and ever-at-ease in the mountains. "He loved the wildflowers," Hill said. "In August, he would get into his garden patches in the Missions. There'd be square miles of flowers, and he'd have us sit right in the middle of them for lunch." "He looked for beauty."

Salisbury said he loved Yule's stories. "He knew all the legendary people in kayaking," Salisbury said. "And he knew all their stories, and all the rivers." He also knew how to get results. When kayakers lost their takeout spot on the Clark Fork River below Alberton Gorge, Yule went to work, talking to the railroad and power companies and other kayakers. Eventually, he negotiated a land sale and an access easement, and kayakers now use his takeout at Fish Creek -; they call it "Ralph's."

"Ralph's involvement led to a whole series of events, including the creation of the Missoula White Water Association and work by Fish, Wildlife and Parks to improve the put-in at Cyr and protection of the whole recreation corridor on the Gorge," Salisbury said. "He just went to work, and things started happening."

Yule didn't begin kayaking until he was 50, but his skill was known throughout the kayaking community. "He was a smart river runner," said Salisbury. "He was always friendly, and always willing to teach new boaters. And he was an innovator. He built his own boats, and his own backpacks."

"He's an unsung hero to a lot of folks out there," said Hill. "We'll miss him."

Announcement/reveal pictures

I got the pictures back from my friend Whitney that took our pregnancy/gender announcement pictures and I love how they turned out! It was snowy and cold, but Whitney was a trooper and got some great shots. Here are just a few of my favorites:

 

The bump

Here's my first official "bump" picture. I'm not very good at taking pictures every week, but I'll post some occasionally. 

18 Weeks

Well, it's official (and has been for a while). We are pregnant and have a little mini Ethan in May!

We found out back in September that I was actually pregnant. I was positive I was pregnant, but after many negative tests, I decided to take a test. I wanted to be sure before I told Ethan again (that's a whole other story). I went to the store to pick up some tests and hid them in our downstairs bathroom. The next morning I woke up before Ethan and went downstairs. In less than a minute my suspicion was confirmed! It was positive!

I wanted to wait so I could do something fun to surprise Ethan. I designed a little announcement that I said was for my friend Brennan's client, and then secretly took of video of it on my computer. Here's the video:

Here's the announcement I showed him:

(I know it's a little blurry, but I don't want to have to go remake it a bigger size.)

I ended up showing him the test so he finally was able to believe me!

Here's a little questionnaire to give you all a little snippet of how the pregnancy is going!

How far along? 18 weeks
How big is baby? I think they said it was about 6 inches long (I don't remember how much they said it weighs)

Total weight gain/loss:  7 lbs. It's a little rough on me, not going to lie.

Maternity clothes? No maternity clothes yet. I've looked for some jeans but I have no found a single pair I like. Why do they not have pocket details?!

Sleep: Depends on the night, but I would say 98% of the time I sleep great.

Best moment this week: Warming up to the idea I'm having a boy. :)

Movement: Not yet.

Food cravings:  I don't have cravings, but I do allow myself to have other stuff besides a chicken caesar salad when we go out to eat. :)

Food Aversions: Nope, and never did. :)

Gender: It's a boy

Labor Signs:  Nope, which is good. It's a little too early for that.

Pregnancy Symptoms:  Thankfully I never got sick! I would say the only symptoms I had was a tender chest (getting elbowed in basketball was 1000x more painful than usual thanks to that!), and I was absolutely EXHAUSTED! But I found out I had low thyroid and that's actually helped a lot. Other than those, no real symptoms for me and I'm not going to complain!

Belly Button in or out? It's still in.

What I miss:  Basketball. I took a pretty hard hit so after our last game, I decided it was probably better that I stop. It kills me to not go play pick-up ball!

What I am looking forward to: Seeing what he looks like. From the ultrasound it looks like he's going to look a lot like his dad!

Upcoming appointments/events:  My next appointment will be my 20 week appointment

Milestones: Finally telling everyone I'm pregnant. 

I told you he's a mini Ethan. He definitely has his nose and his eye position. He may end up having my chin though.

Say what?

Surprise, it's a boy!

Happy birthday

Happy birthday to the greatest guy I know! Ethan turns 24 today. We started off the morning with some cinnamon rolls and his birthday bucket (minus an actual bucket).

The picture quality isn't fantastic, but I couldn't get a picture with my actual camera before he broke into the Yoohoo.

It's going to be fairly low-key. Ethan has homework and then it's off to Idaho Falls for grocery shopping and a birthday dinner.

I'm also excite for today because I called up my friend Whitney to see if she would be able to get us in to do a little mini session for some new pictures I can use for our Christmas cards. She (thankfully) was able to do them at short notice and I'm so excited to get some new pictures.

It'll be interesting to see how they turn out though since it's been snowing all morning! I can't wait to see how they turn out though!

Throwback Thursday

I see throwback Thursdays all the time on Facebook, and while I never do them on there, I thought it would be fun to maybe do one every so often on here. Let's go back to the year 2011 where this hunk came to visit while I lived in Arizona and we took a trip to the temple lights, although in this picture you can't tell the lights were even up. Love this guy!

Blogging hiatus

Well, after traveling, our internet being out and a 6-hour power outage, I'm finally able to write! (Unfortunately, I don't have a single picture to go with it.)

The Friday before Thanksgiving we took a red-eye flight out of Salt Lake to Charlotte, NC to spend the holidays with all of Ethan's family. The flight was long, but I fortunately slept the majority of the trip. We got in about 5:00am, but for some reason, we had to wait about 45 minutes to get our bags. I was tired and grumpy and I was over traveling. Luckily, Ethan's mom Sarah came and picked us up and I was able to take a little nap on the way home.

The entire week was awesome. It was low-key and relaxed, no plans it was perfect. We spent a lot of time talking and hanging out which I loved because I got to know his family better. We don't get to spend a lot of time with his family, so it was awesome to be able sit and talk.

Each of the families were in charge of a couple different dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. I chose to do the pumpkin pies, finger jello, and the veggie tray. The veggie tray was less than desired during the actual dinner, but it eventually got eaten through the next couple days. Two of the little boys, however loved my finger jello and the pumpkin pies were a hit too! I felt pretty good about my dishes.

During the actual dinner, we each had time to say what we were thankful for, and I have to say, that was probably my favorite part of the entire trip. It was very special and a time with them I will truly cherish.

We flew back Saturday after Thanksgiving, where our friends Austin and Brennan came and picked us up. We stayed the night at their place and had a great time with them. We miss them and their adorable little Lainey. She is growing up so fast and she totally loves us! Even after months of not seeing her, she smiles and loves playing with us. We drove back Sunday night and it was back to real life after being gone for over a week.

That was, until today, when we woke up to a power outage that spanned about a 20-40 mile radius around Rexburg. I couldn't go into work and the school was closed, so we spent all morning in bed catching up on some much needed sleep! The power came back on about 1:00pm, so we got ready to go to work.

We also received some exciting news!! Ethan went to Portland the week before Thanksgiving for a job interview. We heard back while we were in Charlotte, and they offered him a position!! We don't know where it would be yet (they have places all over the country), and we have until January to make the decision, but we're so thankful for this offer and we hope to get a couple more!