Kherrington's first swim- Mar 2010

So while we were home, we were able to take Kherrington for her firsst swim.  I have no idea, but even when I was pregnant with her, I really wanted to go swimming, but thought that I would spare everyone from a pregnant woman in a bathing suit.  So I didn't and we never got the chance to.  So Kherrington got to wear the same swim suit that I did when I was a baby.  She also loved the water.  Not a real big surprise since she loves the bathtub already.
Thanks to Aunt Melanie and Uncle Larry for letting us swim at their pool. We had a blast!
We got to play with all my brother's and their families, except for Ryan who's serving a mission in Georgia and Brek who is in Salt Lake.  Missed you guys.

Valentine's Day Ski Trip-Sat. Feb. 13th

For Valentine's Day, we went night skiing on the 13th!!  Since we are at my parent's for several internships/SIPEs, we went to Kelley's Canyon.  My dad works at the INL and they had an employee discount night so skiing was only $15.00. Now Chad and I haven't ever been skiing together.  The last time I was skiing was in 2003, and the last time I had snowboarded was in 2005 when I was still learning how.  So it had been a while, we were both a little nervous
My brother Derek, his wife Brittney, and their 3 oldest kids(all girls), my dad, Chad's nephew Derik, Chad and I all went.  We had such a good time overall.
The first half of the night we all skied and we were going all over the hill.  Kaia, Halle, and Ellisi all did really well and I sure had fun watching them go down the hill.  They are all pretty new to the skiing, but they did great.  Chad and I each got to take turns going up the ski lift with them.  It was way fun, just to be with each of them and see what they'd choose to talk about on they way up the hill.
Once we were trying to pick which run to go down and Halle decided that she wanted to go down the one we had chosen not to go down, so I ended up going down the run with her to keep an eye on her and we met the others half way down the hill.  She did really well for how steep it was and did end up going a little fast and then ran into the unused snow on the sides and she wiped out.  But up she went, on her way!  There was no stopping them.
We then went in and had dinner and Dad had already bought us a meal ticket through work. THANKS DAD!!  So we enjoyed an hamburger and fries.  After dinner Derek and I decided to trade in our skis for snowboards, Derek using Brek's board, and I strapped on my board that hadn't been used in years.  So Derek and I decided to stay on skiers lane and didn't go anywhere above that.  Ellisi got hit in the head by another snowboarder the first run after dinner and was done, so Halle and Kaia paired up with Chad and Derik and skied all over the hill.  While Derek and I stayed where we didn't have any cat tracks.
I was amazed at how much harder I had to work at the snowboarding.  Man I was sweating like crazy.  Then on the second time up the ski lift, Derek got caught by the lift chair and we went crashing.  Wow did I bang up my knee.  So then every time I biffed it on the way down the slope, I would always hit that spot.  So then I would try to land differently and then I would hit my butt so hard!!  I couldn't believe the beating I was taking.  It was crazy that as I was working on my carving, that the turn from my heel side to my toe side came easier to me, when it used to be the most difficult side for me to do years before.  But I did get much better.  Once when we were heading down to the lodge, I was situated with my goofy foot first and on the bunny hill (which is flat, I hate flat on a board!) I ended up catching an edge and ate it hard.  I actually even hit my  helmet on the snow just a little.
I also got to see Anna and Lisa Meyer, my good old buddies that were helping me learn how to board before I met Chad and moved away.  I talked with them for a while waiting for Derek, Chad, and the girls to come down the hill.  I finally found them on my way into the Lodge.  But they wanted to stay right by me and I made them ski ahead because I didn't want to wipe them out, or let them see me eat it again and I knew I would.  But wouldn't you know as soon as they went ahead then I was able to get to the lodge without any problems.
Now after we got home and the next day was another story.  I was so sore all over, but really my neck was stiff.  I ended up visiting my uncle Larry for a few chiropractor adjustments for my WHIPLASH!!
Can you believe it.  I got whiplash on the bunny hill!!  I was stiff and sore through my neck for about 1.5 weeks.  It was crazy, but well worth it.  I realize I'm way out of shape and need to do that type of thing more often, Skiing and boarding, not the whiplash.

Johnny Jumper

Since we came back from being in Idaho, we borrowed Grandma Joos' Johnny jumper.  Oh man does this little girl love thing.  Below is a video of her showing off for Grandpa Joos, when he and Grandma Joos were up for a visit last week..  Sorry for the sound effects, but every time I see it I have to make that sound.  I swear she's going to be a dancer just from this video.

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We sure enjoyed having my parent's here with us, and big thanks to Grandma Joos that saves our bacon (and money) and comes to watch Kherrington while I worked several day over a week stretch!!!

Joos visit-July 6th

We spent time with my family on Sunday.  My brother Ryan was leaving for his mission and having his farewell the next Sunday.  It was nice to be able to spend some more time with him before he left.  When we were home last, I said goodbye thinking it would be the last time that I'd see him before he left. (that was like 7 weeks before he was to leave).  Labor day weekend my family was originally going to be up at Mel and Larry's cabin in Island park, but since we ended up coming in town that weekend, they just camped out my parent's house and did fun things all weekend long.  We were able to get in a great dinner of 7-Up Chicken and corn on the cob. MMMM!

Monday Chad and I went to the Eastern Idaho State Fair, look in the future for that post... But then Chad left Monday evening to get back in time for his rotation the next day.

Kherrington and I stayed til Wednesday so we could have some more time with Ry.  It was great to have that time to spend with him.  It was great to see him so excited to just get out in the field.

Kherrington fell asleep and as Grandpa and Mom were talking and watching TV. Here she is in on hand

pajamas from Grandma Joos' stash (leftover for all of her kids).  Isn't it gorgeous!!  It sure came in handy 

when she pooped on the others. 

Wrigley Reunion July 16-19

So this year the Wrigley reunion was held at Reunion Flats in the Grand Tetons(Just past Driggs WY). Kherrington and I went with my parent's and brother Ryan and met at Derek's to finish loading some some bikes in the trailer. We got up there on Thursday July 16th late afternoon/evening and we were assigned dinner that night. So we got to getting dinner ready right away. Spaghetti and garlic french bread. Yum!!

So afterward we set up our camp sites. Kherrington and I were camping in my parent's utility trailer. I had brought our double decker twin air mattress and then my parent's pack and play. Mom even set up a lawn chair in the corner so I could use it to breast feed at night. We used a propane lantern to help heat up the place and light up the trailer while I was breastfeeding. It worked pretty great. Kherrington did pretty good, besides wanting to eat every 3-4 hours, she did awesome! She kept warm with the pajama sleeper we had her in and an afghan that I received from a co-worker. She has this nasty habit of struggling until her hands are free from her swaddling, so she had some cold little hands at times when we got up to feed. Kherrington didn't have too hard of a time warming them up by placing them on the bare portions of skin. BURRR it was cold when you're not wrapped up. Grandpa Joos had a great idea of putting warm water in a plastic bottle and we wrapped it and placed it in the bassinet with her. It was AWESOME, it was like having a heater in the bed with her. Thanks Dad!!

Kherrington had lots of offers to hold her. Some of the most persistent ones were, Halle, Kaia, Cassidy, Breanna, and Aunt Mel. Here's a picture of Halle taking her turn.

When someone wasn't holding her and between feedings we'd let her rest in her car seat that was padded with a blanket. It got pretty warm during the day, but as long as we stayed under the shade of the huge pine trees we stayed pretty comfortable. At least I was comfortable, but this is how Kherrington would work her way into laying almost every time she was down.
I have no idea how that is anyway comfortable, but it may explain how she was in my belly...head down in my pelvis with those feet up kicking my ribs on the right side and that little bum on left side of my tummy!! That really was how she was most of the pregnancy.

Aunt Edith had many fun activities planned, most of which Kherrington and I didn't participate in, cause of the proximity of the birth. On Friday, the majority of the camp hiked to Table Rock. One thing is that I'm not hiker, let alone still taking Tylenol and ibuprofen around the clock for pain control, which pretty much did the job. But Dad, Ryan, Derek, and Brittney went from our family. Way to go! Something I'll probably never do, but I admire those that can and do enjoy it.

That afternoon Edith had the beaded watch bands craft that are so popular right now. I didn't have a need of another watch and so I didn't make one, but I wish I had watched more carefully so I could make one later, maybe for gifts. She had very beautiful beads and such an assortment!! That evening we had a program and games about the Independence of the USA. We had a trivia game and Uncle Mark talked about the importance of our freedom and the appreciation we should all have for those who have and do serve our country to keep us free. It was a neat evening and I learned a lot of facts I didn't know about past presidents and our country.

On Saturday it was Luau day. In the afternoon we did our first annual duck race and Kherrington's duck won a prize. So here's a picture of her at my parent's home in her froggie jammies in her froggie chair "that she'll grow into." Isn't she cute! I just love it.

After the duck race, we got into teams and we had to decide who from our team would do a hula hoop contest, limbo contest. These both needed 2 people. Also 3 people to do the balloon toss, 1 to toss balloons and 2 to catch with a towel. They also had one that was for a man to do, but was left a mystery what they would have to do. On my team was Uncle Tom, Uncle Larry, Cousin Natalie and Lacey, Lacey's little girl Amy, and Jack (Tiffany's 3rd child). So I got to do the Limbo and was supposed to be one of the 3 for the balloon toss.

I thought at first that I'd only be doing the balloon toss. Well I got 2nd place in the Limbo, came in right after Aspen. Who knew that a newly post pregnant lady could do so well at Limbo, with a rear ender that is tender, a chest bigger than it's ever been (therefore much more top heavy than I'm used to). It was crazy! But I was glad to contribute a few points for our team. Then Kherrington got a crying shortly there afterwards and needed to be fed, so Natalie stepped in and did the balloon toss for me. They did really great. Here's a picture of the kids sitting in the grass just awaiting the next event.

We concluded with the finale' of the men's competition. So the men had to dress up in a grass skirt and coconut shells and strut their stuff on the picnic tables you see in the picture above. It was the cat walk. It was voted by the cheering by the crowd. It was so funny. All my mom and I could think was, "I'm so glad that Chad wasn't here, wouldn't he just die if he was chosen to do this!!!" Even though I missed Chad terribly, at least I got to talk to him on the phone, cause we had cell phone coverage!! Oh YEAH!! But it also gave me a chance to care for Kherrington almost all by myself. My parent's were busy helping watch the rest of the grand kids, so on occasion they'd come take her, or someone else would hold her, but I did most of it. It was nice way to start transitioning into the days that I knew would be coming later.
After that evenings meal we went home to get ready for the Sabbath and ther responsiblities that they had at church. Some of the rest stayed the night and left the following morning. We just never seem to get enough time. I could have stayed for days more, despite the freezing cold mid night feedings.