Life is Good: Day 43

We're back from a little trip to Heaton Ranch. What a wonderful time we had!!! I can't say I was any help, or much fun. But I can say how grateful for the help that I was given and the fun that I had! My sister, Leif, and Grandma Baron were absolute life savers! I felt bad for not being able to help.

I will spend time tomorrow with details of the ranch. But I figure a little update with the pregnancy would be good. I had to go to the hospital again right before we left to the ranch. I guess I'm experiencing official pre-term labor. It's a bummer! I just have to sit around a lot and hope that I'll not progress for several more weeks. There's not too much more to say. On second thought, I guess there is one more thing. I am SO Grateful for this:

From Life is Good Count Down

Our Memory Foam Mattress Topper!

Life is Good: Day 46

Still having a Great Time!

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 47 (Heather's Visit)

We have had a wonderful time! I have pictures. But I'm too tired to upload them tonight. Heather baked cookies all day. I strung my rug onto the loom. Leif was our gopher ALL Day (Such a good sport!!!!) The kids played and played and played! We ate yummy food and have enjoyed just being together!

Life is Good: Day 48

We have had a busy and fun couple of days. Leif and I got the house ready for company a couple of days ago. Then we all climbed in the car and drove to Manti to meet my sister and her girls for the pageant. All went well on the way. Unfortunately, Heather got VERY sick before the show. We felt so bad for her. Luckily we all survived and Heather was able to rest in the car. The kids did fantastic during that late and kind of long performance. I was blessed with extra strength too. It was a good experience for the most part.

Today we drove a lot and shopped for groceries. We also stopped at Leif's brothers house to walk around. I won't be able to make any more long drives before the baby. My body is done with that! It was such a beautiful drive though. So green!!

It was nice to get home this afternoon and spend time just settling in and letting the kids play. We're all going to have a great time!! Life is Good!

Life is Good: Day 50

I have much to be thankful for and to look forward to tonight. The Ambian worked wonders for me! Caleb slept in too.:) So I felt better today. Still a lot of contractions. But... I'll slow down soon.;) Have you ever taken all of your laundry to the laundromat so you can get it ALL done in a couple of hours? That's what we did today. Great Idea!! Leif helped so much today. It's so nice to have someone to help when I can barely get around. I DID do the dishes today though. Very proud of myself. However, It's hard to reach the sink these days. So we're going to have to come up with a better routine and wash the dishes after the meal.

So we got everything pretty much ready for my sister and her girls to come for their visit. I am Almost done with my homework. And tomorrow we head out for Manti for the pageant. Then I'll have my sister here for a while and I'm Very Excited!!

Life is Good: Day 51

Today was a day at the doctors. So I'm grateful for our doctor today! Caleb has strep throat, and is now on medicine. I've had steady contractions for a few days. So I finally went in and was monitored for a while. They pumped me with saline and gave me an ambian to sleep really well tonight. I'm looking forward to it!!

My boys helped Leif scrub our bathroom today too. What more could I ask for!!;)

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 52

I am so grateful to say that Leif is home today, tomorrow, and ... He was supposed to have Jury Duty this week. We prayed that some how he would be able to pass this time and not have to drive the 4 hours and stay for the few days. Well, our prayers were answered in a very unusual way!! There is a fire blazing in Flagstaff and the highway that Leif would need to take is closed. WOW! I really didn't pray for a wild fire!;) But oh I am grateful Leif is home.

Life is Good: Day 53

Being Father's Day, I will take a minute to share my love for my father and my husband. My Dad has always been good to me. I know that he doesn't feel like he has been the best dad. But he shouldn't feel that way!! I have many wonderful memories of my dad growing up and on into life these days. I think the earliest memory I have is of him singing to my sister and I as we were falling asleep. My dad loves us, I have never wondered about that. What more can I say? Actually a lot, but I will leave it at that for now. I Love you Dad!

My husband is my boys' best friend. Oh how happy we are when Papa is home! You only have to read a tiny bit of my blog to catch a glimpse of the wonderful father Leif is. We are truly blessed! I Love you Leif!

Today we went to Leif's brothers house for a BBQ. It was wonderful! Leif took a couple of pictures this time so you can get an idea of why I like it so much there. These are of the family gathering grass feed for the pigs. We're surrounded by so much green. And it's so quiet and peaceful. Their neighbor has a row of Poppies in their yard that were beautiful!

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 54

This morning we had the fun opportunity to participate in the Kane County Farmers Market. We sold 9 dozen of our eggs (all that we brought.) We sold them for $4.00 a dozen. We earned enough money for the chicken feed that we needed and that was worth it. Next week we'll have it set up so Jakob can help us more with the money part. Maybe we'll let him separate the bills and coins or something. It was fun for all of us!

From Life is Good Count Down

Long Day

It's been a really long day. The morning started out great. So I'll save that for my next post:)

The rest of the day was just one of those days. The kind that you want to make better, but it's just not meant to be. Anyway... Leif got a lot done. He cleaned out the chicken coup. I mean really cleaned it out. I am so grateful. It is NOT an easy or fun job!!! I tried to get out and help in the yard. But my body just wasn't having it. I couldn't stand up without my breath and blood flow dropping until I had to sit down. It was VERY frustrating. I did water the flowers and took care of my rose bush. But I really wanted to straighten the yard more. Oh well...

Then I went in and tried to do my homework. All was well until I found out that I was saving it in a non-existent file. I went to submit it and after hours of Leif and I trying to find MY file, we had to settle with Leif's. I had no idea that Leif had taken this class earlier (until I pulled up the file name in the documents only to realize it had Leif's name.) So anyway, I really did the work, so I turned in his file. But Oh I was SOOOO frustrated!!

And THEN, Leif brought in the mail. Right on top was a Jury Duty summons for Leif. He has to drive 4 hours to Flagstaff Monday for a trial on Tuesday. I am SOOO bummed!! I'm just praying that he'll be back before Thursday when we're supposed to go to the Manti Pageant. It's such good timing, and horrible timing at the same time. Luckily he's not in a class or working. But we really wanted to do a few things before my sister gets here. GRRR! Not to mention that he is the only thing that keeps things alive here at home right now...

And to top it off, Caleb woke up with a fever. The poor kid has literally been sick for a month with one thing or another. We've taken him with us to my Dr. appointments and had his ears and throat checked. He was okay then. But in between visits he's been sick. I finally made an herbal elixir tonight I'll try faithfully for a week and see if it helps.

So, now I've vented and I feel better. All will be well!

Life is Good: Day 55

Hey we're coming along here, 55 days. That's better then 75! :)

I have a lot to be grateful for today. Jakob enjoyed his swimming lessons. He struggled last year. So I'm proud of him. Leif took his final for the class he's been taking. That means he has two weeks off! YIPPEE! I relaxed a lot today. That was really nice.

And on the way home from the library today we saw this:

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

It reminded us why we enjoy living in a small town out in the middle of nowhere. Our neighbors can ride their horses to the corner store, and we think nothing of it (other then wow, that's a pretty horse.) Life is good!

Jakob's Swimming Lessons

Jakob finished his first session of swimming lessons today. He LOVED it! He will have another session in July. But here are some cute pics of this session. They let the kids play after their lesson today and he was in Heaven.

From Jakob Swimming Lessons

From Jakob Swimming Lessons

From Jakob Swimming Lessons

Life is Good: Day 56

Today was a low key day. We got to Jakob's swimming lessons this morning and found out that they were canceled. I felt bad for him. I surprised him by taking him to the store and buying a Slip n' Slide for he and Caleb to play with. We set it up and Jakob was overwhelmingly grateful for the gift. It made me feel good that they were having so much fun and Jakob told me several times how grateful he was. I was too lazy to get the camera today. So I'll post pics later. It was a fun day!

Life is Good: Day 57

I'm back! And as you can see from my previous posts, life was good on the days that I didn't post.

Today I am thrilled to say that my house is in order, my blog is up to date, and I hope to start sewing my prayer rug tomorrow. Leif is going to make me some type of loom contraption to help me keep it together while I sew. I'll take pictures.

So it's late, but it's been a good day. Tomorrow makes 32 weeks along. So Good!!

Special Time With Hunt Grandparents

After the funeral we spent a couple of days with my parents and uncle Jason. Leif and I worked on homework in the mornings and then spent the rest of the day playing. Sunday we relaxed and had a nice dinner. The neighbors have two kittens that the boys LOVED! Leif enjoyed watching a basketball playoff game with my dad. Fun!

By Sunday night I still wasn't sure if I should play hard with everyone the next day. I was pretty sore and pregnant. But I woke up feeling good so I went along with all of the fun. And we did have FUN! Grandma Hunt went with us to the zoo for the afternoon. The weather was heavenly. I was so grateful!! It was fun to see the boys' reaction to the zoo. Caleb Loved the animals! Jakob tolerated them. I've concluded that Caleb is my outside loving animal hugger. Jakob is my scientist. A fun combination.

After the zoo we went home for a power nap. We then met up with grandpa and grandma and went to a new place called Incredible Pizza. And it was incredible. Not necessarily their food. But they had a lot of fun things for everyone to do. Leif and Jakob played on the bumper cars and a game of laser tag together. How fun that Jakob is old enough. Caleb loved the arcade cars and the jungle gym. I was even able to play a game of air hockey with Jakob. It was a great night! A very full day altogether but so much fun!

We packed up and headed out the next day. I was happy that I was able to travel so well and get all of my literature homework read on the way. The kids were happy because we bought them a DVD player with their own screens for the long ride home. Leif was just happy to be done driving by the time we got home.

The sweet thing is that Leif jumped right in and unpacked the car and started helping me clean up the house that had been left a mess. Such a treasure!

So we;re home now and our house id put back together and we're back into the swing of things. Leif has his final two days of classes tomorrow and the next day. How Nice that he'll have the next few weeks without any classes!!!!!! We're excited for my sisters visit that's coming up. And time is rolling by. Good Times!

From June Trip North (Zoo, Pizza, Hunts)

From June Trip North (Zoo, Pizza, Hunts)

From June Trip North (Zoo, Pizza, Hunts)

From June Trip North (Zoo, Pizza, Hunts)

From June Trip North (Zoo, Pizza, Hunts)

From June Trip North (Zoo, Pizza, Hunts)

From June Trip North (Zoo, Pizza, Hunts)

Great Grandpa Baron's Funeral

We had a nice drive up north (5 hours) to go to Great Grandpa Baron's funeral. We met up with Erik and Stacy along the way and had some yummy DQ Blizzards. We also appreciated Erik leading the way. Somehow we made it to SL faster;) We were also grateful for his handyman skills that he used to help replace a bulb in our headlights. It's actually a real pain to do. So THANK YOU Erik!!

We slept at my brothers' apartment because they're all out of town for work. So that was wonderful to have a room for us and a separate room for the kids. We also loved Jared's master bathroom. So nice!

We made it to the church the next morning in time for the viewing before the funeral. It was fun to see all of the family that we haven't seen for years and years. All of Leif's siblings made it except for Seth. And all of his cousin's made it except two. Very Impressive! Many had to drive a LONG way to get there and in short notice. It shows the Love that they have for grandpa and the love he showed to them. The funeral was very nice. Grandpa was a good man who became better as his life progressed. He was a hard worker and a diligent leader and service oriented man. All of his grandchildren (and spouses) and his great grandchildren sang during the program. We sang "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" and "Love One Another." It was a special moment during the service.

The weather was yucky during the funeral and the dedication of the grave. But we all huddled together under the tarp that was set up and the prayer was nice. It was a short moment of reflection for Leif and I as we stood there. Our girls are buried right at the feet of great grandma and grandpa Baron. So it brought back memories. The pain isn't overwhelming anymore. Just a feeling of awe. After the prayer on the grave our little family lingered and showed Jakob the girls' headstone. We've been there before. But it was good to be there again. I wish it wasn't so far away...

The Relief Society provided the family with a yummy lunch after the service. That was nice to be able to visit more and take some pictures. All of the cousin's had their picture taken years ago (When Leif was around 8 years old) and the cousins lined up and took another photo in the same line up to go along with the photo today. That was neat to see them all together.

From Great Grandpa Barons Funeral

From Great Grandpa Barons Funeral

After the lunch Leif's family all gathered at the Canyon Home. We had a wonderful time letting the kids play as we visited. We talked about everything and nothing throughout the day. We often talk about the politics and current events in the world today mixed with gospel understanding and clarification as we go along when we get together. We also went around the room and talked about each family and their goals and struggles. Leif's family shares a strong love for one another. His parents did a great job with all of them. As we were wrapping up the conversation Leif's oldest brother asked his parents how we could help them. Truth was, none of us could even come close to returning all that they do for all of us. So, those who could went out and helped clean up the Canyon Home yard. Along the way somewhere they started a fire and we made Smores' and roasted hot dogs. It was such a great time!! Great Grandpa wouldn't have wanted us anywhere else, doing anything else. FAMILY, that's what it's all about!

From Great Grandpa Barons Funeral

From Great Grandpa Barons Funeral

From Great Grandpa Barons Funeral

Life is Good: Day 63

Another full day. After we finished our homework and Jakob's swimming lessons we drove to SG. I was thrilled to have the chance to get my hair cut and a weave of color put through it. I am very happy with the results so far. It was the first time I've had my hair done by a man and he cured me of all prejudice I may have had before. I also found a dress for the funeral. So, it was a "spoil mama day." and Mama's happy! I'm sure I'll have photos from the funeral, so you'll be able to see them then.

Life is Good: Day 64

Today was another fine day. Leif and I took care of the family and managed to find the time to finish a lot of our homework along the way. We have to finish it all before Friday so we're a little more tight in our schedule. But it seems to be working out. We had Leif's brother and his wife over for dinner tonight. We ended up going out for salad and pizza. So that was a nice treat to end the day. I am also glad to have been able to finish the photo collage of Great Grandpa Baron that I posted just before this post. I know it's nothing extremely fancy. But it is mostly for the kids to help them catch a better idea and remember who he is. They have a lot of grandparents in their lives so this will help a bit. Tomorrow marks another week further in the pregnancy too. So that surely makes life good!

Remembering Great Grandpa Baron With Love

Life is Good: Day 65

WOWSERS! I am so sore and tired. It has been a full and productive day. Many good things have come from this day.

I was able to go walking today. Thank you Mandy for taking the first step to call me!! So good to get out with a good friend. We took on a huge project today as a family. We tackled Jakob's bedroom and made it into Jakob and CALEB'S bedroom. Leif had to lift the bunk bed with his back and adjust the shelves under it as he went to get the bed moved into the right place. It was quite impressive!! We also emptied our food storage cabinet, moved it, and restocked it. That was a big job alone. And Then Leif took apart an extra crib and used the rail to make a crib for Caleb under the bunk bed. It turned out great and it sounds like Caleb is doing fine so far. I hope the boys will let each other sleep in the morning. We'll see how it goes. Either way, it needed to be done in preparation for the baby and I'm grateful for Leif's willingness to make it all happen. Jakob and Caleb helped A LOT too!

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

Leif and I were able to sneak some homework in the day while the kids napped too. Good thing. However we did get the call while we were studying that Leif's grandpa passed away. So that was sad news. We'll head out this weekend for the funeral. Tomorrow I hope to post a picture tribute to Grandpa Baron. He was a good man whom we all loved!

Life is Good: Day 66

Hmmm? Which reason do I choose? Today was a good day. There were a few bummers and some sad news. So the good that came in the day seems really good! Jakob started swimming lessons today. Unlike last year, He LOVED it. My Community College classes started today. It was hard to get all the little hiccups taken care of with logging in and such. But Leif saved the day as well as a prompt IT guy on the school's end. So glad that's worked out. I am taking Intro to Literature and Intro to Word 2007. I will be busy, but it should be do-able. Today We decided to take a trip to the Manti Pageant this month with my sister and my parents. That should be a lot of fun! And then the sad news came, Leif's grandpa is in a coma and will be passing on within the week. He has been unwell for a long time. But the end is never fun. We will take a trip North for his funeral and maybe we'll stay longer and catch a family reunion on my side. It would be fun and nice to visit. But we just have to see...

It was a Very Hot day today. So this is where my feature "goodness" of the day will come in:
Leif searched the property (our piles and his parents piles) and he found an old but working window air conditioner. We do have one already. But it doesn't overcome the 100 degree temps. So this was a much needed and very much appreciated find. It is NOT small or light either. It took a lot of strength and maneuvering to get it in the window. And Leif did it on his own (I held the cord and he says that it made a difference. But I think he's the muscle that made it work.)
So there it is folks, Life is better today because of a thoughtful husband and a life saving invention such as the Electric Air Conditioner.

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 67

Today was another very hot day. Our house was almost 90 degrees when we got home from church today. We decided that it was the perfect day to drive north and up 2000 feet in elevation to Leif's brother's house. It is so peaceful there. It's at least 10 degrees cooler, trees and hay fields are mingled amidst the country homes in the town. No dogs barking or racing cars. Only birds, horses, cows, and an occasional wild turkey during the day and crickets at night to serenade. The whole town is a valley within a ridge of mountains topped with red rocks which are actually the back view of Bryce Canyon. So they have a stunning view to top it all off.

We sat together and visited over a yummy meal and then roasted marshmallows in their fire pit and enjoyed smores for dessert. It was all so wonderful! I even finished sewing Jakob's car seat cover while we visited.

And to close our great day Jakob was his ever talkative and inquisitive self and we had a full lesson of astronomy on the way home as the stars were clear and bright. A wonderful day indeed!

From Life is Good Count Down

I found this picture/painting online and it is an nice rendition of the town of Alton. However, this is in the Fall (I would think) because right now in the early summer everything is Very Green!

Life is Good: Day 68

I spent my time in the house today. Temps are almost 100 degrees and tomorrow will hit 100. So I took the opportunity to sew. And GUESS WHAT!? After almost one year, I've finished tying my Knotted Shag Rug (aka) My Prayer Rug. Now I will string it on a quilting frame and sew it together. I'm hoping to finish it soon! I also worked on re-covering Jakob's car seat cover. My goal is to re-cover all of the boys' car seat covers before the baby comes. I have a lot of sewing ahead of me. But I enjoy it when I'm in the mood. Another good day!

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 69

Today was a good day. Leif and Jakob worked with me to get the house all cleaned up and vacuumed. That always feels so good! We ate really yummy healthy sandwiches for lunch and dinner. The kids played outside happily (most of the time) while I worked on my Prayer Rug. I'm really hoping to finish tying it tomorrow. Then I'll sew it together. We had a good nap. Then we raced to the Plant Nursery before it closed to replace the veggie plants that froze earlier. Leif surprised me by purchasing a beautiful rose bush for me that I wasn't expecting. We also bought several flowers to pot. We came home and worked together to plant everything. By the end of the day, I am VERY Achy and tired. But I am thrilled at the way the day has turned out. And to top it off, Jakob sat with Caleb this evening after their shower and read to Caleb while I took a shower. Yes, all of this reminds me that Life Is Good!! (I'll post pictures tomorrow.)

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 70

There are several things that fit this post for today!! I had the energy to do all of the dishes and clean up the kitchen! Hooray! Then we all went outside and I had the strength to help Leif take care of the yard. I whacked all of the foxtails and weeds growing around the yard. Leif set up our garden boxes and mowed the lawn. Then Leif and his mom torched all of the foxtails growing in the front of our barn/house with a blow torch. That will be messy, but helpful! The boys had a great day playing in the water on the trampoline with grandma being her angel-self playing right alongside them. Jakob fixed Caleb's hair after their shower. And now, I get to take a nice bath in my BATH TUB!! Ahhh, Life is good!

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 71

Life was good today! Celebrating my husbands birthday was great. And to top it off (for me), I got to eat one of THESE!!! Oreo and Peanut butter Cup! MMM! Life is Goood!

From Life is Good Count Down

Happy Birthday, Love!/ Farewell Lady Bug

Today Leif and I are the same age again, 21;);)! We had a fun day. We drove into the nearest town (an hour away) with a big movie theater, dropped off our kids at the Jensens (our good friends), and went to a movie. We were the ONLY people in the whole theater. We watched the new Robin Hood. We give it a B-C grade. But the chance to sit together uninterrupted was definitely an A+ time!!

We picked up the kids and went to lunch together. Then headed home and pretty much started preparing our next meal:). Leif made life VERY easy with his meal request; Steak, Instant potatoes, and green beans. He then wanted homemade sandwich cookies (two cookies with frosting in the middle) for dessert. We had dinner with Leif's parents and had a nice time. Leif opened his presents and was happy to find a couple new comic books and a gift card to Sears. Overall, I don't think I could ever show him how much I love and appreciate him, but I think it was a fun day and I hope he enjoyed it!! Happy Birthday, My Love!!

From Leif's Birthday 2010

AND, LADY:
Well, we tried everything we could to make things work with our little dog, Lady Bug. But it just wasn't working out. But I haven't wanted to sell or give her away to just anyone. So I started asking friends. Some of them have been thinking about it for a while and the Jensen's called yesterday to ask if we were still interested in giving her away. We of course were happy to let them try to make things work with her and we hope it does work out. They're going to have her for a couple weeks and we'll see from there. My guess is that they will be able to train her well enough to make it work. They have more time and a lot more energy then I have. They love her too, which helps. So here's hoping!!

Life is Good: Day 72

This is who made life good today!!

From Life is Good Count Down