Week 25

I volunteered at our fabulous local library for a bilingual Dia de los Muertos craft project.

An early Sunday morning hunt, where we saw rain, snow, two grouse, two moose, two squirrels and zero elk.

We met up with Erin and Brendan for a serendipitous breakfast date at Nora's in Wilson!

EARLY Monday morning photo shoot.
Jacob likes pointing out that the camera selects the belly as the focal point in the photo!

25th week

Home on the Range

This week we had Erica Wheeler, a visiting singer/songwriting/storyteller, in our classes and her song "Elk Song" brought me to tears (of course, that isn't a huge challenge these days). Head to ericawheeler.com and click on "10. Elk Song" to see what I'm talking about. Here are some of the lyrics are just really resonating with me right now:

there's so much sky out here my darlin'
leaves are falling from the Aspen
as elk walk the valley below
and even way out here, I'm not far from you
I find feathers and stories just to bring back to you
so see that moon out your window
I'm under that same light
hear me whisper your name
I'm prayin'
may our love be never-ending
as long as somewhere the wind still blows

Back in the homeland . . .

Thanks to bro-in-law Tommy for featuring my dad's 60th birthday party on his blog. Check it out @ http://www.dailyfstop.com/. The blueberry is already so blessed!

Week 24



Jacob taking his gun for a walk



Supportive wife

Sunday afternoon walk

Check out that belly!

View from above

Even the drive home was stunning!

The baby is a pound and a half (or more!) and the size of a large ear of corn.

24th week

I (still) DO!

One year into marriage and Jacob deserves some sort of award. On our anniversary weekend, he endured lots of wedding planning talk with our friends Sara and Kevin, many many pit stops on the drive to Moab, holding my hand as I realized that I packed up my camera for the trip and left it in our living room, sharing a love letter and beautiful watch with me on our anniversary morning, spontaneous tears in the IKEA children's department, three hours of baby name books from Park City, UT to Thayne, WY and loving me the whole time. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with this thoughtful, supportive, caring man.

Moab-love-trip!

Week 23

Packin' on a few more lbs.!

23rd week

Lots of yummy food for the blueberry, including blueberries and a splurge on decaf coffee!

Piper and Mark at Corona Arch

1st Anniversary!

M.I.T.

The school journey to Kelly, WY this past week has felt like an intensive M.I.T. (Mother in Training) session. I was up several times a night changing urine drenched sheets, wiping up wet bathroom floors, convincing kids to try new foods, checking lunch boxes for appropriate nutritional consumption, giving basic medical care (TLC and sympathy), tracking down the owner of a lost sock, calming bedtime tears, reading out loud long past "lights out", and celebrating small successes (like rolling up a sleeping bag or packing a field pack). All of this adventure left me so tired that last night, I answered the "Oh! How far along on your pregnancy are you?" question with "5 weeks! . . . Uh, months." Then I ended the day with a giant gigglefest with Bear (frightened by lightening), Rio, and Jacob all trying to snuggle/smother me in the bed.
Now, hopefully I'll never have 30 children approximately the same age, but something about my pregnancy and this journey gave me a new perspective into the multifaceted duties of motherhood and an even deeper understanding that I have NO idea about the true journey ahead of me.

Fort building in the Aspen community

Week 22

I've been pondering the significance of the Henrie apple tree producing fruit for the first time in Joe's lifetime.

Soaking up the beautiful fall weather, I biked to church this morning.
The closing hymn was "Be Thou My Vision" which I walked down the aisle to about a year ago!

Today's mocktail: organic pear nectar and lime sparkling water

Rio helping with the laundry,

Yikes! What hiking clothes can I pack for the journey?

22nd week (Tesha & Tommy, this one's for you!)

On the move!

Whew! It's been quite a week for the blueberry. Most significantly, I think I can now honestly say that I've felt some baby movement! It's most obvious when I'm lying still or resting, which hasn't been very often! Although there was one big "Hey mom!" during the Laff Staff's Friday night performance of "The Oracle". Needless to say, that lil' blueberry is in for a lot of activity in his/her life outside the womb if Mom and Dad are any indication. Jacob spent most of the week "in the woods" patrolling fires, running chainsaws, flying in helicopters, evacuating campgrounds and generally being a hero. Kjera taught some school, spoke at an education conference, enjoyed a Harvest Festival, performed in two improv shows and is busy prepping to go on a three day journey will her third, fourth, and fifth grade students this week. Yet, this somehow seems tame compared to what we were doing last year at this time . . .