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I have had an awesome few days, and I just wanted to share.  Mostly so that I have a record of it for later...because let's be honest, I haven't written in my journal since Christmas (blush). 

Thursday, Independence Day, we spent the afternoon with family.  My aunt's family owns a private bit of space on the mountain that they used to ranch.  So we still call it "the ranch" but now it's just a playground, pavilion, and small pond, along with some old farm equipment and hiking trails.  Jamison was in heaven playing in the water.  We spent an hour and a half swimming and splashing (well, no swimming for Jamison...he just splashed...) and I don't have a single picture because we were all too busy playing and my camera is not water-proof.  When Jamison started shivering, we tried to tell him it was time to get out but he kept telling us no.  I finally had to bribe him with a cookie.  He ended up eating two.  Oh well!  After all that swimming, little man was exhausted.  He fell asleep about a minute into the ride home.  And he looked so cute.  :)

That night, Jamison had a sleep-over with my parents.  Tyler and I enjoyed the night to ourselves and then the next morning we headed to Logan for a mini-vacation.  It was our early anniversary trip because Tyler has a work training over our anniversary and I will be so hugely pregnant that I don't expect to be much fun to be around. 

So Tyler and I spent the day in Logan.  We went to the Tabernacle, walked along Main Street, went to a Pepperidge Farm outlet, and to Gossner's Dairy (where they were all out of Mango Milk which was seriously the only reason I went!) and then went to our hotel for a nap.  The rest of the night we went to dinner, watched a crazy storm come and go, saw the sun set, watched an interesting documentary (Craigslist Joe), and just enjoyed each others' company.  Oh, and played with Legos we bought at Wal Mart.  ha ha. 

Saturday morning we went to a HUGE car show.  They boast that it's the biggest/most popular in the Western United States.  I can't say that for certain but it was definitely large, and really neat.  I'm glad we were about to go.  We had no idea it was going on while we'd be in Logan but we kept seeing neat old cars driving down the road while we wandered Main Street on Friday, so we got on Google and found the car show.  I'm so glad we did!  We walked around for an hour and a half and I'm sure we still missed a lot of cars but let's be honest...34 weeks pregnant and walking in the heat?  I could only hang on for so long!

The neat thing was coming home and showing the pictures to my grandma.  She told me that she remembered when these cars were on the road!

When we came back Saturday evening to pick up Jamison I had envisioned this sweet reunion where he was super happy to see us and hugged me and maybe wanted to sit in my (non-existent) lap for the rest of the night.  Instead he refused to even look at me.  I was in deep trouble for leaving him!  It wasn't until  I gave him milk over an hour later that he'd finally even talk to me (though he was playing with his dad much sooner than that...don't know why I was the main one in trouble!).  And it took even longer before Jamison was willing to let me give him a hug and a kiss.  When we brought him home, Jamison was excited to unpack his bag and hop into bed.  Oh how I love that boy!  I'm glad he forgave me but I do worry now about how he'll respond when I leave him for a few days and then come back with a baby....Wish me luck!

I often look at my blog and realize I haven't posted much since we moved to Provo.  I think, "I should probably post something."  And then wonder what on earth I would post about.  My public blog covers most of what's happening with Jamison (that's most of my life, anyway).  So I've tossed around to figure out what I can write and I think it's just time to throw out some random updates.  Ready?

Tyler is still working for the Provo School District doing computer tech support.  He was hired part time but they love him and have worked him full time.  He's also applied for another position that would work him at one specific school.  It would come with a small pay raise.  We are still waiting to hear on that.  He's loving his job, though, and it's making him more confident in his schooling choices too.  He's getting more experience and learning what he likes and doesn't like.

I don't have a calling in the ward, or even a visiting teaching assignment.  That has been hugely frustrating to me.  I want to get involved in the ward!  Tyler got a calling this last week (3rd Sunday teacher in Elder's Quorum) and has a Home Teaching assignment.  I'm crossing my fingers that this means I will soon get a calling too.

Tyler's sister, Meagan, who is living in Tennessee came to visit a few weeks ago.  She and her son, Conner, who is Jamison's age.  I was not sure how Jamison would react to Conner.  He can be so weird around other kids...clingy, and scared.  He and Conner got along great, though.  They both love playing with balls.  Jamison loves throwing them and Conner was a good sport and chased them.  It worked out great.  It was nice to have Meagan visit and nice to see the boys together.  Hopefully we'll get to visit again before too long.

We traded our truck in for a more practical vehicle (though when I tell you what it is, maybe you won't find it practical?).  The gas price was astronomical and we didn't really need such a big vehicle anymore.  Not to mention it's getting old enough that we worried about what things would start falling apart before long.  Now we have a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Tyler loves it.  And my brother is basically green with envy. 

Other than that...we've just been trying to act more like a real family.  Who knew it would be such an adjustment to actually have Tyler around on a regular basis?   Over Labor Day we went to Park City for their amazing book sale ($5 to stuff as bag as full of books as you possibly can), and we've spent time with family.  While Meagan was here we all went to a Scottish Festival in Jackson Hole.  I think we are so used to traveling that Tyler and I can't help but plan family activities that require lots of traveling.  My goal this fall/winter is to find fun things to do within 30 minutes of where we live.  There has to be lots (like this fun park up the canyon where we had a picnic lunch)!

I have packed two boxes.  Go me.  And I mean that sarcastically because really that's pathetic!  I'm moving in 18 days and I have thrown away/donated one trash bag worth of stuff and packed two boxes.  You're wondering why I don't get off blogger right now and go pack more, aren't you?  It's because Jamison is asleep and getting to the boxes would probably wake him up.  Despite that, I need to get my butt into gear so that when crunch time comes, I can feel like I've got things under control!  (Plus I'm hoping that if I have a lot of the packing done when Tyler gets home, we can maybe do a few "this is our last chance before leaving the state!" things.  Like maybe a trip to Yellowstone Bear World.)

When is my husband coming home, you ask?  Good question.  I wish I knew the answer.  Next week, I've been assured.  Though what day is still up in the air.  Oy, this job!

Jamison and I took a trip up to Jackson today to visit my friend, Misty, and her darling baby girl, Becca.  (I know, I should have been packing....but it was my last chance to see her before we move which makes it totally justified!)  My son was such a trooper, even though he probably spent a good 6 hours in the car!  We got a few fun pictures and had a nice time just chilling with friends.  If we weren't moving away, I'd say I will make that trip once every month or two.  Should have thought of that sooner, I guess!!!

Onward and upward.  The next two and a half weeks will be full of packing and cleaning and hopefully catching up with the hubby.  He's missed a lot in the past two months!

Tyler is now in Germany and enjoying scenery like this:

Okay, so he's also working hard.  But when he's not working, what an awesome thing to see out his window!!!  I've told him multiple times that I expect pictures of all the things I'm missing out on.  So far he's been very obliging.

We spent the weekend in Utah. Friday night was Tyler's mission reunion.  It was nice.  President and Sister Joyce are such sweet people.  I appreciate that they remember who I am and I can feel their love not only for the missionaries, but for the spouses and children.  Sister Joyce even noticed and commented on my hair cut!  They have a beautiful home and just look at the scene from their balcony!

Saturday and Sunday we enjoyed conference.  Well, actually, Tyler flew to Germany on Sunday morning, so he missed those sessions.  Thank goodness they are easy enough to view/read at a later time! 

Jamison makes watching conference a very different experience.  He doesn't sleep through most of it like he used to.  Now I have to keep an eye on him while I watch.  I feel like I missed most of the talks.  The message I got, though, was a reminder of what I've been trying to work on already.  Being more Christ-like and less judgmental.  I can't wait to re-read the talks and continue receiving needed inspiration and guidance. 

Now Jamison and I are back in Idaho.  We kind of took our time getting back.  Jamison no longer sleeps through the whole trip, so I try to break it up.  We stopped and had lunch in Malad and then stopped at the mall in Idaho Falls and visited my mother in law before finally arriving in Rexburg. At lunch I introduced Jamison to tomatoes and cucumbers.  He wasn't too sure what he thought, but he ate the tomato!  The cucumber ended up on the floor.

He's such a funny boy.  He definitely keeps me entertained.  Which is good, because I'll need lots of entertainment to help me get through the next few months!  Tyler and I have never been this far apart, and the time difference and not being able to use his cell phone are killing me.  I hate that I can't end my day by calling him, and that I can't just text him in the middle of the day to tell him something funny that Jamison did.  Thank goodness there are so many modern technologies that allow us to be in contact at all, though.  And actually tonight Tyler did call me (through Skype) before he went to work (he's 8 hours ahead).  It was so sweet of him.  :)

What a week we have had! Sunday night my parents came up to visit me for my birthday. They were so sweet. Even though they could only stay for less than 24 hours, they didn't want me to spend my birthday alone. Then Monday morning Tyler called and told me he was flying into Salt Lake Tuesday afternoon! So we quickly packed and Jamison and I followed my parents to Utah.

It was so nice to see Tyler. Jamison smiled and giggled so much to see his daddy!

My uncle flew in from New Zealand on Wednesday and we have spent the week visiting with him. It's been really nice. I haven't seen most of my New Zealand family in 12 years.

We thought Tyler would be around until the 12th but then we got a call and he is flying out tomorrow (the 5th). What a week!

Today we went up to Park City and saw the Olympic Park. We also had shakes at a cool restaurant in Heber. It had a train theme. Jamison loved it! I took a lot of pictures. So here they are:

Can I just say...what a week! And it's not over yet. Wow. Let's go day by day.

Sunday: We woke up early and tried to finish the last minute packing before Sacrament meeting. After the meeting we said our goodbyes, finished packing, and hit the road. We drove for the next nine hours (with breaks for Jamison and gas) and arrived in Clarksville, Tennessee around 10 p.m. Before we fell asleep, Tyler told me he was a little concerned about the transmission in his truck...it appeared to be overheating. We knew we'd need to be careful.

Monday: We tried to wake up early and get out of town but...we didn't actually leave until around 8:30 a.m. We drove through the rest of Tennessee, Missouri, and part of Kansas. Another long day of driving where we ended up in Topeka, Kansas for the night. The truck did alright, but did leak some fluid.

Tuesday: Again we tried unsuccessfully to get out of town early. Getting four people and a baby up, dressed, fed, and packed is a lot more challenging than I expected. We expected this to be the most boring day of driving since Kansas is so flat and the towns are so far apart. Tyler had to add some fluids to the truck at lunch time and then the car gas sensor started having problems. We ended the day just outside of Denver, Colorado. Jamison had a tummy ache and it made me so sad! I was glad when he was finally able to get some sleep.

Wednesday: We actually got out of the hotel at the time we had decided on the night before. We stopped for gas and Tyler had to add more fluid to the truck. We drove for an hour and had to stop because there was obviously something very wrong with the truck. Originally we thought it was the water pump...but after finding an auto shop in a nearby town we were told it was not just the water pump but also the head gasket and timing seals. I don't know what all that means but I did know it meant we were looking at an expensive and time consuming repair. We spent the rest of the day trying to find a cheaper and faster way to get our truck and our things to Utah. Tyler rented a moving truck and we moved all of our things from the trailer the truck was pulling to this moving truck in the hopes that we could put a dolly on the back to pull the truck. But no one in the area had a big enough dolly. So Devin thought he had found someone who could tow the truck to Utah. We waited and waited to hear back as to whether or not they could help us and at 5 p.m. Tyler sent Leisl, Jamison, and I to Utah since Leisl had work training the next morning. Tyler and Devin stayed in Colorado to wait for someone to tow the truck. Jamison slept through most of the remaining drive and we arrived in Utah before midnight.

Thursday: Tyler and Devin continued waiting to get details about getting the truck to Utah. I spent the day trying to work out details about an apartment contract we were trying to get some another couple in Idaho. It's been a mess and all the people who can help me sort it out are gone for the week at a training. I am hoping someone will be in tomorrow who can help me. We have to return the moving truck, in Idaho, on Sunday. I don't know where we will be living or putting out stuff. Tonight Tyler told me that hopefully the truck will get towed tomorrow afternoon. I hope it works out and we see each other tomorrow night. I also hope we aren't homeless.

Oh, but today Jamison, Leisl, and I visited Meagan, Zach, Conner, and Emily. So fun!


And on the bright side, look at the nice view we had while we were trying to figure out what was wrong with the truck...this is near Frisco, Colorado. It was cold (48 degrees...that hurt after the nice warm weather in South Carolina) but beautiful.

Charleston and Folly Beach

Devin and Leisl flew in to South Carolina yesterday evening. It's so fun having them here! I wish we could just hang out the whole time and not worry about packing, etc. Since they did come all this way, though, we knew we had to make it to the beach and give them a little taste of the south.

So today we went to Charleston and walked around. I found a place where we could eat alligator meat, which Devin has really wanted to do. So we had lunch at Poogan's Porch and had alligator meat, fried green tomatoes, amazing biscuits, and a variety of other delicious items. There were some famous people who ate there...the only ones I remember are Jim Carrey and Barbara Streisand.

After lunch we headed to Folly Beach. Jamison's first trip to the beach, if you recall, was in Hilton Head when my parents came at the end of May. He was NOT impressed when we put his feet in the water. This time he tolerated it and we got a half smile out of him. I think he might have enjoyed it more if he wasn't tired and a little bit cranky.

We had a really great time. Now it's back to packing, cleaning, and prepping for our cross-country move. Wish us luck!!!

What have we been up to?

Well....since I last posted, we have:

*purchased a Tennessee outfit for Jamison

*tried on straw hats


*celebrated Tyler's birthday




*visited the Parthenon and Musician's Corner (both located in Centennial Park) in Nashville


*spied a deer in the field behind our hotel

*gone to the Western Kentucky State Fair where we went to the petting zoo and then attempted to watch Mud Bogging...but it was too loud for Jamison's liking...

(this is moments before he began screaming because of the noise...poor baby!)

*watched Fireworks (which Jamison actually DID enjoy despite the noise)




*toured downtown historic Clarksville

*visited the Gaylord Opry hotel (also in Nashville)

*attended cousin Jessica's wedding

*tried alligator tail

I'm not joking when I say it tastes like chicken!

Now Jamison and I are back in South Carolina and missing Tyler lots. But don't worry...we'll see him again at the beginning of August at another Tennessee family reunion.

By the way, there was an old graveyard next to Tyler's hotel. How's that for creepy?