Waiting

We're patiently waiting for this little girl to come. (Is she really that little? Doesn't feel like it!) We're not heading to the hospital or anything (no contractions yet) but I had a doctor's appointment this morning and the doc was quite surprised at how "ready" my body is already. Apparently I'm kinda ahead of the game. So she could come anytime and we're all ready!

I'm especially ready since I had another wonderful baby shower on Saturday. Brenda (Chase's mom) threw a lovely baby shower for us, and so many friends and family came to support. Thank you to all of you who came and a BIG thank you to Brenda. You're the greatest mother-in-law! She's been a busy woman with church, teaching, mothering, grandmothering, and finishing her master's degree. Plus the holidays. Craziness in her life. But she generously made time for us and I'm so thankful! We love you Grandma Fly! My mom was able to come for the baby shower and it was so fun to have her here for the weekend. I love my mama! Thanks for coming...see you soon!

So I guess continue to watch our blog...maybe the next post will be a giddy announcement!

Baby Updates

I'm a bit behind on many things, but I thought I'd at least get a little caught up on the baby stuff. So here are a few pictures:

This is me one week ago. Don't mind the ever-chubbying face. :( But now we're in count-down mode, which is fun. I still feel great and have very few pregnancy complaints. Still love being pregnant and am actually going to be sad when I won't feel her wiggling inside me...but I'll have her wiggling outside of me and I'm sure that will bring me much more happiness.

Just putting this one up so you can compare...taken one month ago.

We finally got the nursery organized and put together. (We moved into our apartment in Boise the end of October and it took us a few weeks to get to the nursery.) Still have some decorating to do and I'll be refinishing the vanity you see as well as a few other things. But her clothes and accessories (there are MANY) are mostly put away. She has some adorable stuff that I can't wait to put her in!

Here's a close-up of the crib with the blanket and dust ruffle my mom and I made.

Back in October my mom and sisters threw me a baby shower in Utah. It was all so wonderful--the friends, the food, and the gifts. Unfortunately we didn't take many pictures, but it was a blast. A giant THANK YOU to Mom, Brittany, & Karli for a wonderful baby shower. I love you!

As far as the baby goes, we're in the final countdown. I'm going to the doctor every week now. We just had another ultrasound (that's a total of 4 ultrasounds...yes, we've loved every one) last Monday because our little girl measured quite big in her previous ultrasound, so the doc wanted to make sure she still wasn't that large. And she wasn't--she's right in the 50th percentile for height and weight. It was fun to see her again...we even got to see some chubby little cheeks. So cute!

We still haven't decided on a name. We thought it was going to be Chloe, but then someone got burned out on it and decided that it was becoming too common. So we began exploring other options and have a few solid leads. I have a feeling it will be a delivery room decision.

Other than that, we're making final preparations for this precious girl and are enjoying the last of our time as just the two of us.

Thank you for all the love and support we've received from so many of you. We love you! And a very special thank you to all of you who gave marvelous advice in response to my HELP WANTED ad. If you think of other stuff, I'm all ears!

HELP!

To all you mothers out there....I NEED HELP!

I have hit panic mode with 6 weeks left in this pregnancy. I'm looking for any and all advice in any and all areas...pre-labor, labor, hospital stay, leaving the hospital, first days at home, sleeping (or not), what to make Chase do for me, etc. :)

Okay, I'm really not panicking (too much) but I would like advice. Any great products I just HAVE to have? Things I MUST do before going to the hospital? While at the hospital? I think you get my drift.

We're on a 6 week countdown! Can't wait!

The Latest

Life continues to change for us. We have left Cascade...and we're not happy about it. We obviously knew it was coming, but it came too fast and we just really loved it there. We loved the scenery and how close we were to fun places. And we especially loved the ward there. Actually, it was a branch, and we really felt like we were one of them. And it always seems like when we get comfortable somewhere and start to make friends that's when we have to pick up and move. Someday we'll stay in one place for a while.
So now we're moving to Boise, which we're excited about. We'll be going down to Utah to get all our stuff out of a storage unit (where it's been sitting for a year and a half) and I'll get to "play house" with it again. I'm excited for that. Chase is still working for the Forest Service and I'll be substitute teaching until the baby comes.
This past Monday was Columbus Day, for those of you who didn't know, and Federal employees get days like that off...thank you, taxpayers. So we took advantage of that and went to some hot springs near where Chase has been working. They're called Rocky Canyon Hot Springs, and they're really cool. Well, they're hot, actually, but they are awesome. They're super pretty and clean and just lovely. Unfortunately, Chase found out last night that they are blowing them up today because whoever built them didn't go through the proper channels. Big bummer.

View from the top. The pools get cooler as you go down and that's the river at the bottom. The road is on the other side of the river so you have to cross the FREEZING, PAINFULLY COLD river to get to them, but it's worth it.

View from the bottom

From across the river

Us chillin in the pools. Don't worry, I got in the coolest one which was cooler than a bathtub...I'm not endangering our child. :)

On our way to the hot springs we stopped so Chase could try a little fishing. No luck with the fish, but we got to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

This is what we woke up to on Conference Sunday...SNOW! It was beautiful (and cold) but melted quickly due to the rain. I'm not quite ready for full-fledged winter, but a little dusting of the white stuff was kinda fun.

And here is my latest pregnancy picture...taken last Saturday. I am now 28 weeks, which is 6 months. So I've now begun my 3rd trimester. I'm still feeling GREAT and continue to love being pregnant. Our baby girl is still quite the acrobat and I love feeling her move and seeing my belly take on strange shapes. So fun. And apparently I look pregnant enough that almost daily total strangers ask me when I'm due. I always tell them "January 2nd" but I really want to say, "You're lucky I'm pregnant, but how would you feel if I said I wasn't pregnant? Don't ask a strange woman that question...it's ALWAYS better to be safe than really, really sorry." But I don't. I just smile and share with them our happy news.

Girl Time

Back in August my mom and sister, Karli, came for a visit. It was SO fun to have them here. We did typical girl stuff....watched movies, ate delicious food, went out to eat, and relaxed. We also sewed. Mom helped me make a blanket for our little girl. It turned out BEAUTIFULLY! Thanks Mom!

My beautiful mom and me

My wonderful sis and me

Baby girl's perfect blanket

The lady folk at the end of the week. Thanks for coming...I miss you guys!

This is for those of you who are not close enough to see my growing belly. It's definitely poking out there! I guess that's how it's supposed to be at 25 weeks!

Movie Star

At our ultrasound we got a few videos of our little girl. I thought that was so fun. So here are a couple of my favorites.

You can see her kind of wiggle and then wave to the camera at the end. So sweet.

In this one you can see that she's got the hiccups, which is kinda sad since they shake her whole body, but also cute to watch.

The Good Stuff

Now that we're officially "private," I feel a bit better about sharing pregnancy and baby stuff on here. Sorry about the hassle of having to sign in or not being able to check out our blog with Reader, etc. (I know the feeling...not my favorite thing in the world) but I've heard about too many weirdos. Hopefully you'll still check up on us from time to time. Let's be honest...it's not as if I post all the time. But I will try to be better. I've got a few things I want to blog about, but we'll start with the best part---OUR BABY! As you all surely know by now, I am pregnant with our first little one--and it will be a darling little girl. I am due January 2nd and we couldn't be more excited. I am now a whopping (almost) 24 weeks, so I'm more than half way! We have had 2 ultrasounds (they couldn't see her spine at the first one, so we got to go back for another) so here are some pictures of our little babe.

Foot

Profile

Her cute (kinda creepy) face...and big round belly

Full body shot

So there you go. I'll get some pregnant pictures up soon...Chase isn't home during the week, and I can't take a picture of myself, so you'll just have to wait. :) But I'm definitely getting nice and round!

I've had a wonderful pregnancy and I love being pregnant. I haven't been sick, I haven't had crazy mood swings (for the most part), nor have I had cravings, unfortunately. I feel this little girl kick/move all the time, especially when I'm in a reclining position. All the more reason for me to relax. :) I love feeling her, and I love that Chase can feel her now. It makes it all so real.

I'll try to keep you updated on our progress, especially for those of you who are far from us. Thank you for all your love! We love and miss you all!

Privatizing

In order to be able to safely and comfortably put up pictures, videos, and information about our upcoming baby, we have decided to take our blog private. So for those of you who are interested in continuing to read my frequent :) blog posts (I promise, it will get better) send me your e mail address and I will add you. This will probably happen in the next week or so! Love you all!

Making Contact

As you all know, we live in the mountains. You also know that the country recently switched from analog TV to digital. That little switch took away the 2 channels we received through a monstrous antenna. We're too cheap to get cable (and we don't really need it) so we decided to try our luck at picking up digital channels. The video below is Chase's attempt at finding that long-lost signal. Or perhaps he was just trying to locate his friends from outer space. Either way, he wasn't successful. But it makes for a good laugh.

The Life of 2 Cascadians

Cat's Out...

Here's our big secret....I'M PREGNANT! I'm only 3 months, and due January 2nd. We're excited for a New Year's Baby.

Here's an ultrasound picture of our little tyke at 7 weeks. Now I'm a whopping 12.

We're excited.

Now you know.

Anything new?

Unfortunately....not. Nothing is happening. Same 'ol, same ol for us. I am still subsitute teaching as much as I can, and Chase was working some landscaping jobs while waiting for his Forest Service job to start. Today was his first day back with the U.S. Forest Service as a Hydrologic Logic Technician Supervisor. He's excited to start this job again and to be doing something he enjoys and is good at....definitely helps that he gets to work in the mountains with his hikin' boots and granola bars. I'm still waiting to hear about the 15 jobs I applied for in the McCall-Cascade area. No one is hiring until things get busy....probably the end of May. So I'm still waiting....it sucks. But we're hopeful something will work out. So for now, Chase is working in Boise getting things ready to go and he'll be starting in Garden Valley in 2 weeks. That's when we'll make the big move to Cascade. It'll be fun. We're excited.

Update

I've gotten a few comments about not posting. It's because we don't lead exciting lives anymore. No more traveling, seeing castles, meeting family, etc. I don't know what to blog about. But I've decided that I like to read others' posts, even when it's just about normal life. So here is our update.

Right now we are living in Caldwell, ID with Chase's family. Chase just recently accepted a position with the U.S. Forest Service. He'll be working mostly in the Garden Valley area, which is in the beautiful mountains of Idaho.

And while he's working in those mountains, I'll be working (hopefully) in these mountains...

...the mountains of Cascade, ID. Gorgeous. Chase's Grandma & Grandpa Fly have been gracious enough to let us live in their cabin in Cascade for free. It's a beautiful place with views of the lake and mountains. We love it up there and are excited to call it "home" for a little while. Chase's job will begin early May, so we'll be moving up there sometime around then. Now I'm just looking for a job in the Cascade/McCall area. Wish me luck!!

Other than that, we're having fun just hanging out with family and spending (more) time together. While we miss our traveling days, it's fun to be home with friends and family. A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who supported us while we were gone...through e mails, packages, and prayers. We really appreciate it.

Keep watching....hopefully I'll continue to blog. About what?? I'm not sure....

This is what we've been doing to "kill" time...HAHAHAHA! Don't worry, we only "killed" clay pigeons.

Dublin

Dublin...ahhh...Dublin. The only reason we went to Dublin was because the flights back to the states were significantly cheaper. It was good...and bad. Good because it was cool to see one more city and Dublin was pretty and nice. But it was bad because we got stranded at the Dublin Airport and had to spend the night there, all because of a little snow. So the trip was fun, but getting out of the stinkin airport was a pain!

This was an Irish street band that was really entertaining.

Keys to our B&B....and Chase's attempt at being artistic. (Successful, I think.)

Pretty park (and a moment's sunshine) in downtown Dublin.

Chase and I at the park

A pretty church in Dublin (sorry for all the vague references...I don't know what anything is)

A shopping street....yes....in Dublin

Chase at Trinity College...looking wise.

Megan at Trinity College...looking...less wise.

The sea...near our B&B in Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Done Larry)

Where's Chase?

Yeah....it was windy.

I just liked the green and the stones and the sea...for some reason it just seemed Irish.

Our B&B....it was so nice. I could really get used to the B&B scene...breakfast made for you each morning, the at "grandma and grandpa's" house feel, etc. We liked it.

So all the sightseeing went well and was fun....and then came the airport. LONG story short, our flight got canceled (along with ALL the other flights that day in Dublin) due to "inclement weather"--which in Dublin means an inch of snow. Anyway, it was mayhem trying to get our bags, waiting for hours in lines to re-book, sleeping on the floor until our flight the next morning, waiting for 2 hours on the runway while our plane got de-iced, and then FINALLY getting out of there. The stress was that Megan (Chase's sis) was getting married Saturday morning and originally we were supposed to fly in Thursday night, but because of the delay we were flying in Friday night. SO, as long as everything went perfectly on time, we could make it; luckily it did. We landed about 11:00 p.m. Friday night to the loving arms of our families, went home, talked and ate (the first thing we ate were tacos and chips and salsa...YUM!), and finally went to sleep around 4 a.m. Then the wedding was the next morning at 10 a.m. and all was well. We were tired, but just SO glad to be home and there for the wedding.

So there's our trip! Now that I don't have amazing locations to blog about, I'm not sure that I'll ever have anything exciting to put up here....we'll see!

Normandy

Our final stop in France was Normandy. What a beautiful place. As Chase and I were making our final travel plans before we went to Europe, we talked about cutting Normandy out because of time and distance and cost. But we decided just to go for it and I'm so glad we did. It was such a unique place. There's just a feeling of reverance when you're there. The more we learned about the people that lived and died there and the extensive undertaking D-Day was, we couldn't help but feel and overwhelming sense of gratitude and patriotism.

So below you will see a few shots of the Normandy American Cemetery, which was incredibly beautiful and overwhelming. The cemetery is located on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the landing beaches of the Normandy Invasion) and the English Channel. It covers 172acres, and contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and ensuing military operations in World War II. The graves face westward, towards the United States.

For those men and women who could not be identified. We saw a surprising number of these grave markers.

A view from above of a section of Omaha Beach

The disembarkment museum. This is where thousands of U.S. soldiers landed on the beaches. A huge, man-made harbor was built after the D-Day landing in order to ship supplies, vehicles, weapons, etc. to Normandy to aid in the invasion. It was the brainchild of Winston Churchill and they say that the Normandy invasion would not have been nearly as effective had they not built that harbor. (Here is a link to more info, if you're interested. We found it fascinating. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry_harbour )

A remaining part of the manmade harbor. You can see other pieces out in the distance.

A close-up of part of the old harbor

This is the Fiat Panda...our little rental car. We liked it just fine.

Chase and the manmade harbor...at the 360 degree museum. It was a cool place where they had a 360 degree theater (hence the name) where you could watch actual footage of D-Day and other battle scenes. While you were watching it you had to constantly be turning your head around to see all sides because things were going on all around you. It really helped me to feel the chaos of war. Very neat.

View from the 360 degree museum...D-Day Beaches and the manmade harbor in the distance.

This was a monument outside of the Caen Memorial Museum in Normandy. It was a HUGE museum all about Normandy and D-Day. It really put D-Day in a better context....it explained what happened before and after and because of D-Day. It was an amazing museum and we were just sorry we didn't have more time there. Fascinating pictures and film footage and true stories about people involved. It was truly moving.

Omaha Beach in the snow, which was kinda cool. In the distance you can see a monument to the soliders who lost their lives on these beaches and to those who continued to fight in their honor. It is supposed to be sets of angel's wings.

Normandy was an incredible place and we would highly recommend it to anyone who goes to France. You have a greater appreciation for those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice their time and lives for our freedoms. We have a wonderful country and we should all take more time to think about and thank those who protect and defend it on our behalf.