A lot of frustrating things have been happening at work lately. A couple of months ago, my position as the Coordinator of the bimonthly magazine "I Love Remembering..." at D.O.T.S. was discontinued. Those of us working on the magazine were assured that we would all still have our positions within the company. That is not to be. I have been demoted now with a great reduction in pay and the loss of benefits. I am now the receptionist. To say the least, it has been very humbling for me as well as depressing. Chris tries so hard to help me stay positive, but some days are harder than others.
Wednesday, September 01, 1999
Speaking of our new house, things are moving along nicely. We have paid about $3000 toward our down payment. Most of that is work that Chris has traded with our real estate agent. We are meeting with the bank today to check on pre-approval for a loan. The forms for the foundation have been poured in the last couple of days. They tell us that it should be ready around the middle of February. It would be lovely if it was before you arrived, but that is very unlikely.
Chris and Erik, our next-door neighbor, have put things in motion for their business. They sent a proposal to John Dester, the owner of Georgetown Development (the company that builds the townhomes that we live in), and are waiting for a response. They hope to do wiring for high-speed internet connections and access in the Georgetown properties as well as head office. We are praying that John accepts the proposal because it would then pay for our closing costs on our townhome.
Chris started back to school on Monday. He has been dreading this semester for awhile simply because he has 16.5 credits and 90% of those are classes for the Masters of Business Administration core. He will be working around 24 hours a week as well. But now that he is a couple of days into his classes, he is much more confident that everything will go smoothly. He still has hopes, or maybe I should say, recognizes the need for a full-time job in the new year when I am no longer working, but isn’t pushing too hard right now. Probably in November or the first of December he will concentrate more intently on finding a full-time position.
Kevin and Candace are still getting married on December 18th. Both Kevin and Grandma Ball, Chris’ Mom, have asked if Chris will be flying out to Portland for the wedding. We know for sure that I won’t be attending, but I know that they would like him to be there if possible. Since we don’t know exactly when you will arrive, it is difficult to make those kind of plans this far in advance and last-minute plane tickets would be so high priced. So unfortunately, Chris probably won’t be going.
Grandma Ball is coming to visit in November from the 19th to the 22nd. Actually, for her birthday last April, Chris said that he would take her to a BYU football game if she wanted to fly out. So that is what she is coming for. The game that weekend is the last of the season with BYU playing its rival the University of Utah.
Chris and Erik, our next-door neighbor, have put things in motion for their business. They sent a proposal to John Dester, the owner of Georgetown Development (the company that builds the townhomes that we live in), and are waiting for a response. They hope to do wiring for high-speed internet connections and access in the Georgetown properties as well as head office. We are praying that John accepts the proposal because it would then pay for our closing costs on our townhome.
Chris started back to school on Monday. He has been dreading this semester for awhile simply because he has 16.5 credits and 90% of those are classes for the Masters of Business Administration core. He will be working around 24 hours a week as well. But now that he is a couple of days into his classes, he is much more confident that everything will go smoothly. He still has hopes, or maybe I should say, recognizes the need for a full-time job in the new year when I am no longer working, but isn’t pushing too hard right now. Probably in November or the first of December he will concentrate more intently on finding a full-time position.
Kevin and Candace are still getting married on December 18th. Both Kevin and Grandma Ball, Chris’ Mom, have asked if Chris will be flying out to Portland for the wedding. We know for sure that I won’t be attending, but I know that they would like him to be there if possible. Since we don’t know exactly when you will arrive, it is difficult to make those kind of plans this far in advance and last-minute plane tickets would be so high priced. So unfortunately, Chris probably won’t be going.
Grandma Ball is coming to visit in November from the 19th to the 22nd. Actually, for her birthday last April, Chris said that he would take her to a BYU football game if she wanted to fly out. So that is what she is coming for. The game that weekend is the last of the season with BYU playing its rival the University of Utah.
Tuesday, August 24, 1999
We are back from our holiday, sad to say. It was so nice to be away. Chris and I left on Thursday, August 12, around 3:30 pm. He had dropped me off at work in the morning so that he could just pick me up from work and be on our way. We had originally thought that we would drive to Idaho Falls and stop for the night. We stopped for at least an hour to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant—Eduardo’s—in downtown Pocatello and even then it was still plenty light by the time we got to Idaho Falls. So we kept going figuring we could get at least to Dillon, Montana by 9:30 or 10:00 pm. Unfortunately, all of the hotels and motels in Dillon were completely booked. Next stop, Butte, Montana. All of the hotels there were booked as well except for a dumpy little place called “Skookums” with a lovely bar called “Snookums”. Since it was so late already, we had little choice but to stay. Neither of us were thrilled by the room we had and even chose not to shower in the morning because everything felt so unclean. Needless to say, we quickly ate some breakfast I had packed and then left rather early. We drove around Butte for awhile and then headed for Missoula.
Missoula was only a couple of hours away and we arrived in time to spend a little time walking around the downtown and then enjoyed a picnic lunch next to a river and the Holiday Inn. The weather was perfect and we lay on the grass for awhile since we were in no hurry to go. We had reservations at a Bed and Breakfast in Polson, Montana that night and were not able to check in until after 4 pm. Since it was only a couple of hours further, we were leisurely taking our time. Neither Chris nor I had been in this part of Montana and it proved to be a rather beautiful trip through the mountains.
A slight rain was coming down when we arrived in Polson around 3:00. We stopped first at Wal-Mart to find some sweat pants for Chris, but believe it or not, they didn’t have any. In an attempt to pass the time before our 4 pm check-in, we decided to check out Polson. It is a rather small community on the Southern end of Flat Head Lake with very little to see. We decided to try and check-in early at the Swan Hill Bed and Breakfast. No problem. The homeowners, Larry and Sharon, were very hospitable. We found their site on the internet and loved it because of its beauty, but mostly for the indoor swimming pool and sauna. We checked in to the Mackinac room, wandered around the house a bit and then headed off for dinner—Pizza Hut. Not my favorite, but the selections were few and it is something I know Chris really likes. We thought we would look at a few of the shops around town but everything was closed by 5:30 or 6 pm. The swimming pool back at Swan Hill was our most intriguing option at that point so we headed back. The water was kind of chilly even at 80 degrees, but after Chris pulled me in and I began to move around, I warmed up. Chris also turned on the sauna and soon headed toward it to steam himself for awhile. I stepped in for a bit after spending about 45 minutes in the pool, but it was way too hot for you and me.
We took advantage of the opportunity of sleeping in, since breakfast wasn’t served until 8:30 am. Everybody else staying at the B&B was already up, showered and dressed. Chris and I just climbed out of bed, threw on some clothes and went for breakfast. One of the other couples staying at Swan Hill, Jack and Mary Atkinson, knew Chris’ dad. In fact, Jack is a Southwest pilot and was hired at the same time as Grandpa Kline. Mary is a flight attendant. Small world huh? We talked with them for most of the breakfast and truly wished that we could have stayed longer.
We broke the cardinal swimming rule of waiting for one hour before swimming after a meal and jumped in the pool again. We had to check out by 11:00 am so we wanted to take advantage of the pool as much as possible. We had just enough time to shower and get dressed and were on our way again by 11:00. Our road on this day, Saturday, August 14, would take us through Kalispell, where we stopped for lunch at Wendy’s, and then into Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. I hadn’t been to the park since I was really little, but I did remember the narrow road of Logan’s Pass. It is a skinny two-lane road on the side of the mountain with a sheer drop off on one side. Kind of unnerving. We stopped at the visitor’s center at the top of the pass and hiked up a trail toward the glacier, but I am afraid it was almost too much for my pregnant body and I was soon out of breath. I knew that Chris wanted to hike as far as possible so I went as far as I could. It was less than 50 degrees at the glacier—much colder than the hot weather we have been used to.
On our way out of the park, which was downhill all the way, we spotted a black bear. Chris was hoping to see a grizzly, but no such luck. We were almost into Alberta and my excitement at being home was beginning to build. We went through the border at Peigen/Carway without any difficulty at all, (Yeah!) and pulled into my parent’s circular driveway in Stirling around 6:30 pm. Mom and Dad rushed out to hug us. Chris and I were stiff and sore from sitting for so long and it felt good to finally reach our destination, though we truly enjoyed the leisurely amount of time we were able to spend traveling. I hugged Mom and Dad and immediately went for the bathroom—I do that a lot. Mitch was in the kitchen making a taco dinner for us. What a sweetie.
Our week at home was filled with shopping, excursions, and lazy time. Sunday was truly a day of rest. We went to church from 1 to 4 pm and then relaxed for the rest of the day. Mid-morning Monday Mom, Dad, Chris and I headed off in the direction of Lethbridge with a picnic lunch. We stopped again at Wal-Mart to find some sweat pants for Chris, and lo and behold, this store had some. We stopped at a few more stores but Dad was anxious to do some sightseeing. We knew that we would be back for shopping later in the week so off we drove toward Fort McLeod. They have a fort/museum there as well as the musical Royal Canadian Mounted Police horse ride. The ride was at three so we headed off to have lunch in a picnic area. As usual for Southern Alberta, the wind blew and blew but we enjoyed ourselves regardless. We arrived back at the fort in time for the presentation and were even able to stay in our car and watch. It was mostly choreographed movements of seven horses and riders. The riders wore the uniforms of the RCMP but were actually young kids. I have driven past the fort many times with my family on the way to Grandma Great’s house but we had never stopped to watch the horses before.
Next stop. Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump about a half an hour away. This area is now a museum built into the side of a hill where Indians used to drive buffalo over the side of the cliff—thus the name. We probably spent an hour and a half going through the museum and then headed back home.
Chris and I had originally planned to go out to dinner for our two-year anniversary today (August 16) but I was so pooped by the time we got home, we opted to stay put.
Dallin and Donna and Angela were on their way home today (Monday) as well. They had wanted to surprise Mom, but as usual, she figured out that they were coming. They planned to take the trip in two days since they were bringing two cars. Dallin was driving their old Honda, a Canadian car, home to sell it and Donna drove their newer Honda. Incidentally, we are now very much a Honda family. Mom and Dad have a white one, plus Brad’s old gray one. We brought our dark blue Accord and we have a white Prelude, and Dallin and Donna have a newer maroon-colored Accord plus the older gold one. Mom started getting nervous around 9 and 10 pm when Dallin hadn’t called. He said that they would when they stopped for the night. Dallin’s older car hasn’t been so reliable and Mom was worried about them. So much so that she fasted on Sunday that they would make it home without any problems. We all went to bed with no phone call from them and when I woke up in the morning, I heard the distinctive noises of Angela. They had arrived around 2 am and without waking anyone, they got the extra key from under the deck and let themselves in. Mom didn’t even know they were home till she checked their room in the morning. Angela took some time in warming up to everybody, but by the end of the week she wasn’t giving us too many crusty looks anymore. She will be two in December.
Mitch was working all week long, but we convinced him to take Tuesday afternoon off and come to Writing-On-Stone with us. Another picnic lunch into the cooler—hotdogs this time—and we were off. Writing-On-Stone is a Provincial Park surrounded by amazing rock formations called hoodoos. When we were kids, Mom and Dad took us for picnics to Writing-On-Stone at least once a summer and often we had ward campouts there. I remember spending hours climbing on the rocks. We were always warned about rattle snakes, but never saw one. The Milk River also winds through the park making for great swimming and sunbathing with its sandy beach.
We had lunch and then spent time at the beach watching Chris and Angela play in the water. Angela loves the water even when it is quite chilly. She played along the shore in the sand and water for hours while we sat on the beach, some of us under a large umbrella watching her and all the other kids. After awhile, Dad, Mitch and Chris went exploring in the hoodoos. We slowly dispersed back to the car, especially after Donna took Angela out of the water, and headed back home.
Wednesday was another big day for us. We went to Waterton Park, about two hours away. And yes, another picnic lunch. Waterton is a small tourist town with overnight campsites nestled within the Rocky Mountains and surrounded by Waterton Lake. It is beautiful. As we drove into the park, another black bear (not a grizzly as Chris was still hoping for) ran across the road in front of us. Lots of people must have been watching the bear’s progress for awhile because the skinny two-lane road was lined with cars and two park rangers stood at the side of the road, more to protect the bear from any intervention from tourists than anything. We planned our trips well as we again arrived in time for lunch. Our first stop, however, was at Cameron Falls to show Chris how breathtaking it was. He snapped a couple of pictures, but unfortunately there were people fishing at the bottom of the falls and they got in the way of a nice clean shot. We drove around for about five minutes looking for a lunch spot and found a camp kitchen next to the lake. The water from the lake is from a glacier, and I thought it was really cold, but that didn’t stop Chris and Angela from wading in it. We rested in the shade of a big tree, enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery surrounding us.
Angela wasn’t anxious to leave the water, but Dallin buckled her into her car seat and we headed up to Cameron Lake, approximately 15 minutes from the Waterton town site. Fortunately Angela fell asleep along the way. Mom stayed in the car to be with Angela and work on her crafts while the rest of walked along the paths surrounding the lake. We got split up from Dad and waited for him for about a half an hour, but that just gave Angela more time to sleep. When she did wake up she wasn’t all that happy so we decided to make only one more stop and then head home.
The Prince of Wales Hotel is an internationally recognized landmark in the park that I had been telling Chris about prior to our arrival. It is mega expensive to stay at but fun to tour. The views from the area are spectacular. More pictures and then we left. As we made our way out of the park, more cars were again lined up along the sides of the road. This time we see a momma bear with three cubs meandering across a hill. We may not have seen a grizzly, but how often do you go on vacation and get to see six bears?
Thursday we stayed home and rested for part of the day. Yeah! These excursions were beginning to take a toll on all of us and everyone was happier not to be cooped up in a car. Chris and I watched videos and played video games. If I remember correctly, Dallin, Donna, Mitch, Chris and I went to Lethbridge for a couple of hours in the afternoon to shop while Mom and Dad stayed home with Angela. That evening, Mitch, was being ordained as an Elder and so Mom was busy earlier in the day making desserts and tidying the house. She had invited Eldon (Mom’s brother) and Pat, Marilyn (Mom’s sister) and Calvin, and Granny (Mom’s mom) to come, plus the bishopric attended and a member of the high council. It is amazing that Mitch has grown up so fast. I remember when we brought him home from the hospital as a baby. Time flies. We picked up pizzas on the way home and hurried to eat before everyone arrived for the ordination.
Mitch had his wisdom teeth removed on Friday. Everybody went in to Lethbridge, but in three different cars. Dad took the suburban and a small trailer to pick up some sand for work. Chris and I drove in later in order to pick Mitch up from the dentists and drop him off with Dad who would then take him home. Mom went with Dallin and Donna and Angela. After dropping a very drowsy Mitch off with Dad and sending them on their way home, the rest of us went to the mall to shop and then to my favorite Chinese restaurant for lunch—Hong Kong Gardens. It was just as good as I remember. We stopped at Zellers for one more shopping stop and then Chris and I went to a matinee—Notting Hill.
That night, Chris and I were playing video games down in the basement when I suddenly saw Angela tumble down the deck stairs outside. I immediately yelled, “She just fell down the stairs!” and raced up the stairs, through the kitchen and living room, and out on to the deck to make sure she was okay. I figured by the time I got there surely someone would have found her, but she was still there hanging on to the stairs, face down, and crying for all she was worth. I ran down the stairs and reached for her, thinking that my pregnant tummy wouldn’t let me bend over far enough to reach her. I grabbed her arm and waist, hoping nothing was broken, and pulled her to me. By the time I carried her back into the living room, everybody had gathered around. I handed Angela to Dallin and tried to catch my breath and keep from crying. Angela was fine physically though scared to death. I, however, had to sit in the chair because my heart was just racing and the adrenalin running through my body was not subsiding. I should have recognized the signs of shock setting in, but didn’t. I got out of the chair to go lay downstairs on the couch. My body was shaking and still my heart was racing. As I lay down on the couch, my body went into complete shock. I was hyperventilating, crying, shaking and basically scaring everyone around me. Mom and Chris took over trying to help me calm down but I just couldn’t. I am not sure how much time had passed, but I felt Dad and Chris consecrate my head with oil and then lay their hands on my head. In the middle of Chris’ prayer my body suddenly relaxed and my breathing returned to normal. Throughout the entire ordeal, I continually thought, “Please don’t let this harm my baby,” and was relieved when you began to move around afterward.
Mom kind of took over the situation in helping me to relax, but all I cared about was having Chris by my side. I think beyond the physical and emotional shock of seeing Angela fall down the stairs and then racing to help her, it was also a shock to me to realize that bad things were going to happen to my own children and there was nothing I could do to stop them from happening. My heart aches when bad things happen to people who don’t deserve them.
Mom told me after I calmed down that Mitch stood behind us in the family room watching me go through the shock with tears running down his face. I always have known that I have thoughtful and sensitive brothers, but I guess it takes moments such as these for it to touch my heart more deeply.
I was able to relax for the rest of the evening and fell asleep as Chris and I watched a movie. I was still pretty exhausted on Saturday but mostly recovered. We didn’t go anywhere on Saturday (yeah) and I was able to get things packed and ready to go. Mom and I worked on a lot of baby things and hemmed Chris’ temple pants.
As far as baby clothes for you, you are set for at least the first couple of months of your life. Mom sent me home with so many outfits and sleepers. Lots of them are from garage sales, but they looked great. As we packed everything in the car Sunday morning, we could not have taken any more. We had a baby cradle, suitcases, food storage, some frozen vegetables and fruit, pillows and so much more. When we take our first road trip with you, I imagine that our car will be equally packed just with your things.
The drive home took us all day Sunday. We left around 9:30 am from Stirling and arrived in Provo about 10:15 pm. We stopped for lunch and dinner along the way plus the necessary bathroom stops. Both Chris and I were pooped by the time we fell into bed. We both had Monday off and just spent the day unpacking, cleaning house a bit, getting groceries and relaxing. We also looked at light fixtures at the Lighting Design store for our new house. I am so glad that I didn't go right back to work on Monday.
Missoula was only a couple of hours away and we arrived in time to spend a little time walking around the downtown and then enjoyed a picnic lunch next to a river and the Holiday Inn. The weather was perfect and we lay on the grass for awhile since we were in no hurry to go. We had reservations at a Bed and Breakfast in Polson, Montana that night and were not able to check in until after 4 pm. Since it was only a couple of hours further, we were leisurely taking our time. Neither Chris nor I had been in this part of Montana and it proved to be a rather beautiful trip through the mountains.
A slight rain was coming down when we arrived in Polson around 3:00. We stopped first at Wal-Mart to find some sweat pants for Chris, but believe it or not, they didn’t have any. In an attempt to pass the time before our 4 pm check-in, we decided to check out Polson. It is a rather small community on the Southern end of Flat Head Lake with very little to see. We decided to try and check-in early at the Swan Hill Bed and Breakfast. No problem. The homeowners, Larry and Sharon, were very hospitable. We found their site on the internet and loved it because of its beauty, but mostly for the indoor swimming pool and sauna. We checked in to the Mackinac room, wandered around the house a bit and then headed off for dinner—Pizza Hut. Not my favorite, but the selections were few and it is something I know Chris really likes. We thought we would look at a few of the shops around town but everything was closed by 5:30 or 6 pm. The swimming pool back at Swan Hill was our most intriguing option at that point so we headed back. The water was kind of chilly even at 80 degrees, but after Chris pulled me in and I began to move around, I warmed up. Chris also turned on the sauna and soon headed toward it to steam himself for awhile. I stepped in for a bit after spending about 45 minutes in the pool, but it was way too hot for you and me.
We took advantage of the opportunity of sleeping in, since breakfast wasn’t served until 8:30 am. Everybody else staying at the B&B was already up, showered and dressed. Chris and I just climbed out of bed, threw on some clothes and went for breakfast. One of the other couples staying at Swan Hill, Jack and Mary Atkinson, knew Chris’ dad. In fact, Jack is a Southwest pilot and was hired at the same time as Grandpa Kline. Mary is a flight attendant. Small world huh? We talked with them for most of the breakfast and truly wished that we could have stayed longer.
We broke the cardinal swimming rule of waiting for one hour before swimming after a meal and jumped in the pool again. We had to check out by 11:00 am so we wanted to take advantage of the pool as much as possible. We had just enough time to shower and get dressed and were on our way again by 11:00. Our road on this day, Saturday, August 14, would take us through Kalispell, where we stopped for lunch at Wendy’s, and then into Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. I hadn’t been to the park since I was really little, but I did remember the narrow road of Logan’s Pass. It is a skinny two-lane road on the side of the mountain with a sheer drop off on one side. Kind of unnerving. We stopped at the visitor’s center at the top of the pass and hiked up a trail toward the glacier, but I am afraid it was almost too much for my pregnant body and I was soon out of breath. I knew that Chris wanted to hike as far as possible so I went as far as I could. It was less than 50 degrees at the glacier—much colder than the hot weather we have been used to.
On our way out of the park, which was downhill all the way, we spotted a black bear. Chris was hoping to see a grizzly, but no such luck. We were almost into Alberta and my excitement at being home was beginning to build. We went through the border at Peigen/Carway without any difficulty at all, (Yeah!) and pulled into my parent’s circular driveway in Stirling around 6:30 pm. Mom and Dad rushed out to hug us. Chris and I were stiff and sore from sitting for so long and it felt good to finally reach our destination, though we truly enjoyed the leisurely amount of time we were able to spend traveling. I hugged Mom and Dad and immediately went for the bathroom—I do that a lot. Mitch was in the kitchen making a taco dinner for us. What a sweetie.
Our week at home was filled with shopping, excursions, and lazy time. Sunday was truly a day of rest. We went to church from 1 to 4 pm and then relaxed for the rest of the day. Mid-morning Monday Mom, Dad, Chris and I headed off in the direction of Lethbridge with a picnic lunch. We stopped again at Wal-Mart to find some sweat pants for Chris, and lo and behold, this store had some. We stopped at a few more stores but Dad was anxious to do some sightseeing. We knew that we would be back for shopping later in the week so off we drove toward Fort McLeod. They have a fort/museum there as well as the musical Royal Canadian Mounted Police horse ride. The ride was at three so we headed off to have lunch in a picnic area. As usual for Southern Alberta, the wind blew and blew but we enjoyed ourselves regardless. We arrived back at the fort in time for the presentation and were even able to stay in our car and watch. It was mostly choreographed movements of seven horses and riders. The riders wore the uniforms of the RCMP but were actually young kids. I have driven past the fort many times with my family on the way to Grandma Great’s house but we had never stopped to watch the horses before.
Next stop. Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump about a half an hour away. This area is now a museum built into the side of a hill where Indians used to drive buffalo over the side of the cliff—thus the name. We probably spent an hour and a half going through the museum and then headed back home.
Chris and I had originally planned to go out to dinner for our two-year anniversary today (August 16) but I was so pooped by the time we got home, we opted to stay put.
Dallin and Donna and Angela were on their way home today (Monday) as well. They had wanted to surprise Mom, but as usual, she figured out that they were coming. They planned to take the trip in two days since they were bringing two cars. Dallin was driving their old Honda, a Canadian car, home to sell it and Donna drove their newer Honda. Incidentally, we are now very much a Honda family. Mom and Dad have a white one, plus Brad’s old gray one. We brought our dark blue Accord and we have a white Prelude, and Dallin and Donna have a newer maroon-colored Accord plus the older gold one. Mom started getting nervous around 9 and 10 pm when Dallin hadn’t called. He said that they would when they stopped for the night. Dallin’s older car hasn’t been so reliable and Mom was worried about them. So much so that she fasted on Sunday that they would make it home without any problems. We all went to bed with no phone call from them and when I woke up in the morning, I heard the distinctive noises of Angela. They had arrived around 2 am and without waking anyone, they got the extra key from under the deck and let themselves in. Mom didn’t even know they were home till she checked their room in the morning. Angela took some time in warming up to everybody, but by the end of the week she wasn’t giving us too many crusty looks anymore. She will be two in December.
Mitch was working all week long, but we convinced him to take Tuesday afternoon off and come to Writing-On-Stone with us. Another picnic lunch into the cooler—hotdogs this time—and we were off. Writing-On-Stone is a Provincial Park surrounded by amazing rock formations called hoodoos. When we were kids, Mom and Dad took us for picnics to Writing-On-Stone at least once a summer and often we had ward campouts there. I remember spending hours climbing on the rocks. We were always warned about rattle snakes, but never saw one. The Milk River also winds through the park making for great swimming and sunbathing with its sandy beach.
We had lunch and then spent time at the beach watching Chris and Angela play in the water. Angela loves the water even when it is quite chilly. She played along the shore in the sand and water for hours while we sat on the beach, some of us under a large umbrella watching her and all the other kids. After awhile, Dad, Mitch and Chris went exploring in the hoodoos. We slowly dispersed back to the car, especially after Donna took Angela out of the water, and headed back home.
Wednesday was another big day for us. We went to Waterton Park, about two hours away. And yes, another picnic lunch. Waterton is a small tourist town with overnight campsites nestled within the Rocky Mountains and surrounded by Waterton Lake. It is beautiful. As we drove into the park, another black bear (not a grizzly as Chris was still hoping for) ran across the road in front of us. Lots of people must have been watching the bear’s progress for awhile because the skinny two-lane road was lined with cars and two park rangers stood at the side of the road, more to protect the bear from any intervention from tourists than anything. We planned our trips well as we again arrived in time for lunch. Our first stop, however, was at Cameron Falls to show Chris how breathtaking it was. He snapped a couple of pictures, but unfortunately there were people fishing at the bottom of the falls and they got in the way of a nice clean shot. We drove around for about five minutes looking for a lunch spot and found a camp kitchen next to the lake. The water from the lake is from a glacier, and I thought it was really cold, but that didn’t stop Chris and Angela from wading in it. We rested in the shade of a big tree, enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery surrounding us.
Angela wasn’t anxious to leave the water, but Dallin buckled her into her car seat and we headed up to Cameron Lake, approximately 15 minutes from the Waterton town site. Fortunately Angela fell asleep along the way. Mom stayed in the car to be with Angela and work on her crafts while the rest of walked along the paths surrounding the lake. We got split up from Dad and waited for him for about a half an hour, but that just gave Angela more time to sleep. When she did wake up she wasn’t all that happy so we decided to make only one more stop and then head home.
The Prince of Wales Hotel is an internationally recognized landmark in the park that I had been telling Chris about prior to our arrival. It is mega expensive to stay at but fun to tour. The views from the area are spectacular. More pictures and then we left. As we made our way out of the park, more cars were again lined up along the sides of the road. This time we see a momma bear with three cubs meandering across a hill. We may not have seen a grizzly, but how often do you go on vacation and get to see six bears?
Thursday we stayed home and rested for part of the day. Yeah! These excursions were beginning to take a toll on all of us and everyone was happier not to be cooped up in a car. Chris and I watched videos and played video games. If I remember correctly, Dallin, Donna, Mitch, Chris and I went to Lethbridge for a couple of hours in the afternoon to shop while Mom and Dad stayed home with Angela. That evening, Mitch, was being ordained as an Elder and so Mom was busy earlier in the day making desserts and tidying the house. She had invited Eldon (Mom’s brother) and Pat, Marilyn (Mom’s sister) and Calvin, and Granny (Mom’s mom) to come, plus the bishopric attended and a member of the high council. It is amazing that Mitch has grown up so fast. I remember when we brought him home from the hospital as a baby. Time flies. We picked up pizzas on the way home and hurried to eat before everyone arrived for the ordination.
Mitch had his wisdom teeth removed on Friday. Everybody went in to Lethbridge, but in three different cars. Dad took the suburban and a small trailer to pick up some sand for work. Chris and I drove in later in order to pick Mitch up from the dentists and drop him off with Dad who would then take him home. Mom went with Dallin and Donna and Angela. After dropping a very drowsy Mitch off with Dad and sending them on their way home, the rest of us went to the mall to shop and then to my favorite Chinese restaurant for lunch—Hong Kong Gardens. It was just as good as I remember. We stopped at Zellers for one more shopping stop and then Chris and I went to a matinee—Notting Hill.
That night, Chris and I were playing video games down in the basement when I suddenly saw Angela tumble down the deck stairs outside. I immediately yelled, “She just fell down the stairs!” and raced up the stairs, through the kitchen and living room, and out on to the deck to make sure she was okay. I figured by the time I got there surely someone would have found her, but she was still there hanging on to the stairs, face down, and crying for all she was worth. I ran down the stairs and reached for her, thinking that my pregnant tummy wouldn’t let me bend over far enough to reach her. I grabbed her arm and waist, hoping nothing was broken, and pulled her to me. By the time I carried her back into the living room, everybody had gathered around. I handed Angela to Dallin and tried to catch my breath and keep from crying. Angela was fine physically though scared to death. I, however, had to sit in the chair because my heart was just racing and the adrenalin running through my body was not subsiding. I should have recognized the signs of shock setting in, but didn’t. I got out of the chair to go lay downstairs on the couch. My body was shaking and still my heart was racing. As I lay down on the couch, my body went into complete shock. I was hyperventilating, crying, shaking and basically scaring everyone around me. Mom and Chris took over trying to help me calm down but I just couldn’t. I am not sure how much time had passed, but I felt Dad and Chris consecrate my head with oil and then lay their hands on my head. In the middle of Chris’ prayer my body suddenly relaxed and my breathing returned to normal. Throughout the entire ordeal, I continually thought, “Please don’t let this harm my baby,” and was relieved when you began to move around afterward.
Mom kind of took over the situation in helping me to relax, but all I cared about was having Chris by my side. I think beyond the physical and emotional shock of seeing Angela fall down the stairs and then racing to help her, it was also a shock to me to realize that bad things were going to happen to my own children and there was nothing I could do to stop them from happening. My heart aches when bad things happen to people who don’t deserve them.
Mom told me after I calmed down that Mitch stood behind us in the family room watching me go through the shock with tears running down his face. I always have known that I have thoughtful and sensitive brothers, but I guess it takes moments such as these for it to touch my heart more deeply.
I was able to relax for the rest of the evening and fell asleep as Chris and I watched a movie. I was still pretty exhausted on Saturday but mostly recovered. We didn’t go anywhere on Saturday (yeah) and I was able to get things packed and ready to go. Mom and I worked on a lot of baby things and hemmed Chris’ temple pants.
As far as baby clothes for you, you are set for at least the first couple of months of your life. Mom sent me home with so many outfits and sleepers. Lots of them are from garage sales, but they looked great. As we packed everything in the car Sunday morning, we could not have taken any more. We had a baby cradle, suitcases, food storage, some frozen vegetables and fruit, pillows and so much more. When we take our first road trip with you, I imagine that our car will be equally packed just with your things.
The drive home took us all day Sunday. We left around 9:30 am from Stirling and arrived in Provo about 10:15 pm. We stopped for lunch and dinner along the way plus the necessary bathroom stops. Both Chris and I were pooped by the time we fell into bed. We both had Monday off and just spent the day unpacking, cleaning house a bit, getting groceries and relaxing. We also looked at light fixtures at the Lighting Design store for our new house. I am so glad that I didn't go right back to work on Monday.
Thursday, August 12, 1999
Vacation Day! Yeah! Your dad is coming to pick me up at three so we can be on our way. He dropped me off early this morning because he had a final at eight to be to. He is so happy to be finished another semester.
We went to our doctor’s appointment yesterday and you are growing nicely. And the great thing is that I had gained only 5 pounds in the last six weeks. Another Yeah! I was relieved to find out that Dr. Woodmansee is not planning to be away during Christmas. That’s a relief. He also said that he only lets his patients go one week overdue. That means that you should be here no later than December 20th.
The ultrasound determined that the placenta is close to my cervix so that is something we will have to be careful of. Normally, though, it shouldn’t cause any problems.
We are moving forward on our plans to purchase a new home. Chris is working with the real estate agent and trading services with him. Chris sets him up with a computer, software, and training, and the in-kind money from that goes toward our closing costs and possible down payment. Chris also plans to work with the builder and install internet lines, with the money from that also going toward our home. We feel that we are so blessed. A lot will be happening in our lives in the next couple of months—wonderful things—and we are so looking forward to all of them.
Our family and parents are also helping out a lot with some of the “big purchase” items. Grandpa Kline is giving you a crib and changing table/dresser, Grandma and Grandpa Rice will be sending a cradle back with us this next week, and Grandma and Grandpa Ball, Aunt Lori, and Great Grandma Greve will all chip in for a stroller and car seat. Plus none of them can resist buying baby clothes and other fun stuff. My sister and I just went through her baby girl clothes and those too will give you a great start. Again, we are so blessed.
Larry Kline’s mother, Grandma Andrews, called us about a week and a half ago to see if she could come visit in October. We were surprised, but will be more than happy to have her. Dad Kline will probably also come at the same time—around October 30th—and go to a football game with Chris. I was thinking that this might be a good time to have a baby shower since my sister, Susan, has been wanting me to suggest a time to have one.
We went to our doctor’s appointment yesterday and you are growing nicely. And the great thing is that I had gained only 5 pounds in the last six weeks. Another Yeah! I was relieved to find out that Dr. Woodmansee is not planning to be away during Christmas. That’s a relief. He also said that he only lets his patients go one week overdue. That means that you should be here no later than December 20th.
The ultrasound determined that the placenta is close to my cervix so that is something we will have to be careful of. Normally, though, it shouldn’t cause any problems.
We are moving forward on our plans to purchase a new home. Chris is working with the real estate agent and trading services with him. Chris sets him up with a computer, software, and training, and the in-kind money from that goes toward our closing costs and possible down payment. Chris also plans to work with the builder and install internet lines, with the money from that also going toward our home. We feel that we are so blessed. A lot will be happening in our lives in the next couple of months—wonderful things—and we are so looking forward to all of them.
Our family and parents are also helping out a lot with some of the “big purchase” items. Grandpa Kline is giving you a crib and changing table/dresser, Grandma and Grandpa Rice will be sending a cradle back with us this next week, and Grandma and Grandpa Ball, Aunt Lori, and Great Grandma Greve will all chip in for a stroller and car seat. Plus none of them can resist buying baby clothes and other fun stuff. My sister and I just went through her baby girl clothes and those too will give you a great start. Again, we are so blessed.
Larry Kline’s mother, Grandma Andrews, called us about a week and a half ago to see if she could come visit in October. We were surprised, but will be more than happy to have her. Dad Kline will probably also come at the same time—around October 30th—and go to a football game with Chris. I was thinking that this might be a good time to have a baby shower since my sister, Susan, has been wanting me to suggest a time to have one.
Friday, August 06, 1999
Hi Sweetie! It is a beautiful day outside, and I am stuck in my office for three more hours. I have very little to do and am rather bored.
We are excited for our vacation next week. Dallin and Donna and Angela will be there for most of the time as well. Dallin has major exams on Monday and Tuesday (Aug. 9 and 10) this next week and they are looking for some relaxing time away as well. Brad also called and said that he might fly home for a couple of days. Mom and Dad only know that Chris and I are coming so it will be a big surprise for them to have such a full house.
We have a doctor’s appointment next Wednesday the 11th. It will have been about six weeks since our last checkup and in that time you have grown a lot. Normally we go for checkups every four weeks, but Dr. Woodmansee has been on vacation again.
There shouldn’t be any concern over your activity level. I feel you kicking and moving around many times throughout the day. Your dad is able to feel your tiny kicks much more now. When I wake him up in the morning or when he comes in to pray with me at night he usually asks how his little girl is doing and is she moving. Those are some of the wonderful times that we spend together. We love to lay together and feel your kicking. We look forward to your arrival and know that it will change our lives dramatically, but you have already become so much of our lives, thoughts, and prayers.
We are excited for our vacation next week. Dallin and Donna and Angela will be there for most of the time as well. Dallin has major exams on Monday and Tuesday (Aug. 9 and 10) this next week and they are looking for some relaxing time away as well. Brad also called and said that he might fly home for a couple of days. Mom and Dad only know that Chris and I are coming so it will be a big surprise for them to have such a full house.
We have a doctor’s appointment next Wednesday the 11th. It will have been about six weeks since our last checkup and in that time you have grown a lot. Normally we go for checkups every four weeks, but Dr. Woodmansee has been on vacation again.
There shouldn’t be any concern over your activity level. I feel you kicking and moving around many times throughout the day. Your dad is able to feel your tiny kicks much more now. When I wake him up in the morning or when he comes in to pray with me at night he usually asks how his little girl is doing and is she moving. Those are some of the wonderful times that we spend together. We love to lay together and feel your kicking. We look forward to your arrival and know that it will change our lives dramatically, but you have already become so much of our lives, thoughts, and prayers.
Tuesday, August 3, 1999
You are becoming more active every day. Your awake times are more predictable. You are especially active when I get home from work in the afternoon. Probably because you have been cramped as I sit all day long, and when I lay down on the couch, you’re more free to move about. I love being able to lay down and watch you kicking my stomach. I first noticed your movements last Thursday and have been telling your dad ever since that I can see you moving. He doesn’t seem quite convinced because you just won’t move when he is watching. Perhaps you are showing a bit of stubbornness already. I guess you come by it honestly since both of us have a tendency to be stubborn at times.
We spent Saturday in Salt Lake with Grandpa Kline. Chris told him the happy news about you being a girl. He is so excited. He, too, said that it is just as fun to spoil a little girl as a boy. And you will be spoiled. We went shopping for baby things for a couple of hours. I think we have picked out a crib for you. I can’t imagine that you will care much about what it looks like, but it is pretty as well as sturdy. It should last through a couple of children.
On our way home from Salt Lake, we stopped at a Carter’s outlet, a baby clothes store, and bought a few things for you. Your dad tries to pretend that he doesn’t enjoy all the shopping stuff, but he slipped once and said that he was having fun.
We spent Saturday in Salt Lake with Grandpa Kline. Chris told him the happy news about you being a girl. He is so excited. He, too, said that it is just as fun to spoil a little girl as a boy. And you will be spoiled. We went shopping for baby things for a couple of hours. I think we have picked out a crib for you. I can’t imagine that you will care much about what it looks like, but it is pretty as well as sturdy. It should last through a couple of children.
On our way home from Salt Lake, we stopped at a Carter’s outlet, a baby clothes store, and bought a few things for you. Your dad tries to pretend that he doesn’t enjoy all the shopping stuff, but he slipped once and said that he was having fun.
Friday, July 30, 1999
You’re a GIRL! I was certainly surprised. I thought for sure that you would be a boy. Dad and I went for the ultrasound yesterday morning at 8:30. The technician, Kaylene, who did the ultrasound, was great and answered all of our questions. She asked us whether or not we wanted to know your gender if she was able to determine it and we both said, “Yes.” I was completely prepared for her to say that you looked like a boy, but instead she said you were looking like a girl. I didn’t believe her at first, but she said that she was 99% certain. The transition was amazing. We immediately started referring to you as “she” and “her”.
As I laid on the bed watching the ultrasound, seeing your heart, hearing it beat, seeing all of the parts of you working so wonderfully, little tears kept spilling out the corner of my eye. We are so thrilled about you.
You were lying face down with your head on my left side and made it very difficult to get a good view of your face. Kaylene finally captured your face and then your profile on the screen. You were so cute and it looked as though you were blowing bubbles. We spent at least a half an hour watching you on the screen and were able to video tape the whole thing. We also have printouts of your face, profile and back. The ultrasound predicted your birth date to be December 7th. Kaylene said that you were probably about 10 inches in length now.
As we left the doctor’s office, I got in my car to go to work, and your dad got in his. He kissed me goodbye before we left and I kept saying, “I can’t believe it’s a girl.” When we talked later, he thought I was upset because you were a girl, but I told him that I couldn’t be more thrilled. I had just thought he might be disappointed. He’s not. He says he can spoil a little girl just as easily as a boy. We are both so excited about you.
I am excited to begin shopping and preparing for you. I haven’t let myself buy anything before now because I wanted to know what “flavor” you were first, and to be honest, it still took time for the idea of you to become real. We haven’t told any of our families yet about you being a girl, but I know they too will be happy. We did send them some of the pictures of your ultrasound though. We scanned and then emailed the pictures, but we didn’t tell the gender. We told them to guess and then we would let them know.
Your Uncle Kevin is getting married. Right now the tentative date is December 18, 1999 but it is still subject to change. I hope that he and Candace will be as happy as Chris and I. Grandpa Kline wishes that Kevin would wait, but that is also the way he felt about Chris and I getting married. I am sure that he will be supportive regardless.
Your Uncle Shane, one of my younger brothers, has now been on his mission in Tucson, Arizona for one year. We took him to the MTC a year ago yesterday. We don’t hear from him much since he doesn’t seem to be much of a letter writer, but I try to send a letter to him once a week. I am usually pretty good about it, but miss a week every once in a while. I set a goal for myself when he left to write to him often, mostly because I would then incorporate the letters into my journal. I haven’t been so diligent at journal writing since I was married.
My youngest brother, Mitch, just graduated from high school this Spring and will be off to Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho this fall. He will probably leave on his mission next May. Unfortunately he and Shane won’t be able to see each other for a very long time. My parents will be at home this Fall by themselves—a first for them in 30 years probably. They depend on Mitch a lot right now, so I am sure that it will be a lonely transition for them. Their house is just emptying and mine is beginning to be filled.
As I laid on the bed watching the ultrasound, seeing your heart, hearing it beat, seeing all of the parts of you working so wonderfully, little tears kept spilling out the corner of my eye. We are so thrilled about you.
You were lying face down with your head on my left side and made it very difficult to get a good view of your face. Kaylene finally captured your face and then your profile on the screen. You were so cute and it looked as though you were blowing bubbles. We spent at least a half an hour watching you on the screen and were able to video tape the whole thing. We also have printouts of your face, profile and back. The ultrasound predicted your birth date to be December 7th. Kaylene said that you were probably about 10 inches in length now.
As we left the doctor’s office, I got in my car to go to work, and your dad got in his. He kissed me goodbye before we left and I kept saying, “I can’t believe it’s a girl.” When we talked later, he thought I was upset because you were a girl, but I told him that I couldn’t be more thrilled. I had just thought he might be disappointed. He’s not. He says he can spoil a little girl just as easily as a boy. We are both so excited about you.
I am excited to begin shopping and preparing for you. I haven’t let myself buy anything before now because I wanted to know what “flavor” you were first, and to be honest, it still took time for the idea of you to become real. We haven’t told any of our families yet about you being a girl, but I know they too will be happy. We did send them some of the pictures of your ultrasound though. We scanned and then emailed the pictures, but we didn’t tell the gender. We told them to guess and then we would let them know.
Your Uncle Kevin is getting married. Right now the tentative date is December 18, 1999 but it is still subject to change. I hope that he and Candace will be as happy as Chris and I. Grandpa Kline wishes that Kevin would wait, but that is also the way he felt about Chris and I getting married. I am sure that he will be supportive regardless.
Your Uncle Shane, one of my younger brothers, has now been on his mission in Tucson, Arizona for one year. We took him to the MTC a year ago yesterday. We don’t hear from him much since he doesn’t seem to be much of a letter writer, but I try to send a letter to him once a week. I am usually pretty good about it, but miss a week every once in a while. I set a goal for myself when he left to write to him often, mostly because I would then incorporate the letters into my journal. I haven’t been so diligent at journal writing since I was married.
My youngest brother, Mitch, just graduated from high school this Spring and will be off to Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho this fall. He will probably leave on his mission next May. Unfortunately he and Shane won’t be able to see each other for a very long time. My parents will be at home this Fall by themselves—a first for them in 30 years probably. They depend on Mitch a lot right now, so I am sure that it will be a lonely transition for them. Their house is just emptying and mine is beginning to be filled.
Monday, July 26, 1999
Wow! We are half way. That is if you plan for a timely arrival. Our parents are excited to know more about you—well, mostly whether or not you are a boy or girl. Your dad and I call you “he” all of the time. I suppose that’s because I have always felt you were a boy.
We talked to Grandpa Kline the other day and he compared all of this waiting to having a big present under the Christmas tree and having to wait until Christmas morning before he could open it up. Hopefully we will know in a couple of days from the ultrasound.
We suspect that Chris’ brother, your Uncle Kevin, will be getting married during the Christmas holiday. He hasn’t made any big announcement to that effect, but we expect it soon. He has been home from his mission since the end of May and has been dating a girl he knew before he left. Her name is Candace. I really don’t mind if they choose Christmas because it will take some of the pressure and attention off of me. The one drawback would be that Christopher might possibly have to miss all of the wedding festivities. He would prefer to be a part of your grand arrival, and I would prefer to have him there as well.
We talked to Grandpa Kline the other day and he compared all of this waiting to having a big present under the Christmas tree and having to wait until Christmas morning before he could open it up. Hopefully we will know in a couple of days from the ultrasound.
We suspect that Chris’ brother, your Uncle Kevin, will be getting married during the Christmas holiday. He hasn’t made any big announcement to that effect, but we expect it soon. He has been home from his mission since the end of May and has been dating a girl he knew before he left. Her name is Candace. I really don’t mind if they choose Christmas because it will take some of the pressure and attention off of me. The one drawback would be that Christopher might possibly have to miss all of the wedding festivities. He would prefer to be a part of your grand arrival, and I would prefer to have him there as well.
Tuesday, 20 July, 1999
I had my first major leg cramp last night. Ouch! Most nights I can catch them before they get started and stretch my foot in the opposite direction to counteract the effect, but last night I wasn’t too successful. It feels like someone kicked me in the leg even now.
I have begun to notice a routine in your awake, active times and the times when you are quiet and sleeping. I was reading in a book that the schedule you are on now will most likely continue once you are born. You are normally quite active in the morning around 7:30 and again at night after 9:30 pm. It is harder to tell during the day when I am at work, but I can feel you moving around right now and it is about 3 pm. I am not much of a night person and told your dad that after I feed you at night, he gets to stay up and play with you and then put you to bed. Although I imagine my schedule will completely change with your arrival.
The other night as we were lying in bed, your dad was talking to you and every time he made a comment, you would move. I am not sure if you can hear yet, though I have read that you will recognize our voices when you are born, but your dad feels more excitement and involvement when he gets such fun responses. He hasn’t been able to feel many of your kicks again, but that is sure to come.
We are planning a much-needed vacation in August. Actually we are going to Canada to my home. Because of all the hoops we have had to jump through in getting a visa with Immigration and Naturalization Services, I have not been home in 2 ½ years. Chris has never even been to my home. We plan to leave on Thursday the 12th (I’ll be 5 months pregnant then) and drive to Idaho Falls. We won’t be returning until the 23rd. Chris has been working so hard with school and jobs and desperately needs a break to be ready for the fall semester at BYU.
We will celebrate our 2nd anniversary while visiting my family and plan to spend a couple of days away by ourselves. One of the places that I want to show your dad is Waterton Park, about 2 hours from my hometown of Stirling. It is a Provincial Park and is beautiful. Every year of my childhood, my family spent at least a week camping, hiking and fishing there. I have such great memories of it. It is a small resort town surrounded by mountains and lakes. I am sure that he will love it.
If the Cardston temple is not closed for its summer break, we will hopefully be able to attend a session there as well. Its style is so different from any other temple that I am sure Chris would appreciate the opportunity to see it. Most of all we just hope for a relaxing, peaceful vacation away from the normality of our lives.
Classes at BYU begin again on August 31st. It will be one of Chris’ busiest semesters to this point since he gets heavily into the core classes of the Masters program. Your due date unfortunately is the Sunday before finals week—December 13-17. By that point I am sure that I won’t want to wait any more than I have to for your arrival, but it would be nice if you would wait until Chris’ finals are over to make your appearance. Then again, maybe you will come early and surprise us all! My hope is that we have a couple of weeks of uninterrupted holidays to enjoy you before your dad has to go back to school.
My parents have come to Utah for the past two years for the Christmas holiday, so they won’t be coming down this year. Plus, before we ever knew about you, Dallin and Donna (my brother and sister-in-law) had already planned to spend Christmas in Canada this year. As far as Chris’ family, we are not sure. We had originally planned to spend Christmas in Washington, but we won’t be going anywhere this year. Whether they come to visit us, we have yet to see. I know Chris’ mom would like to be here and is trying to make plans now. We’ll see.
I have begun to notice a routine in your awake, active times and the times when you are quiet and sleeping. I was reading in a book that the schedule you are on now will most likely continue once you are born. You are normally quite active in the morning around 7:30 and again at night after 9:30 pm. It is harder to tell during the day when I am at work, but I can feel you moving around right now and it is about 3 pm. I am not much of a night person and told your dad that after I feed you at night, he gets to stay up and play with you and then put you to bed. Although I imagine my schedule will completely change with your arrival.
The other night as we were lying in bed, your dad was talking to you and every time he made a comment, you would move. I am not sure if you can hear yet, though I have read that you will recognize our voices when you are born, but your dad feels more excitement and involvement when he gets such fun responses. He hasn’t been able to feel many of your kicks again, but that is sure to come.
We are planning a much-needed vacation in August. Actually we are going to Canada to my home. Because of all the hoops we have had to jump through in getting a visa with Immigration and Naturalization Services, I have not been home in 2 ½ years. Chris has never even been to my home. We plan to leave on Thursday the 12th (I’ll be 5 months pregnant then) and drive to Idaho Falls. We won’t be returning until the 23rd. Chris has been working so hard with school and jobs and desperately needs a break to be ready for the fall semester at BYU.
We will celebrate our 2nd anniversary while visiting my family and plan to spend a couple of days away by ourselves. One of the places that I want to show your dad is Waterton Park, about 2 hours from my hometown of Stirling. It is a Provincial Park and is beautiful. Every year of my childhood, my family spent at least a week camping, hiking and fishing there. I have such great memories of it. It is a small resort town surrounded by mountains and lakes. I am sure that he will love it.
If the Cardston temple is not closed for its summer break, we will hopefully be able to attend a session there as well. Its style is so different from any other temple that I am sure Chris would appreciate the opportunity to see it. Most of all we just hope for a relaxing, peaceful vacation away from the normality of our lives.
Classes at BYU begin again on August 31st. It will be one of Chris’ busiest semesters to this point since he gets heavily into the core classes of the Masters program. Your due date unfortunately is the Sunday before finals week—December 13-17. By that point I am sure that I won’t want to wait any more than I have to for your arrival, but it would be nice if you would wait until Chris’ finals are over to make your appearance. Then again, maybe you will come early and surprise us all! My hope is that we have a couple of weeks of uninterrupted holidays to enjoy you before your dad has to go back to school.
My parents have come to Utah for the past two years for the Christmas holiday, so they won’t be coming down this year. Plus, before we ever knew about you, Dallin and Donna (my brother and sister-in-law) had already planned to spend Christmas in Canada this year. As far as Chris’ family, we are not sure. We had originally planned to spend Christmas in Washington, but we won’t be going anywhere this year. Whether they come to visit us, we have yet to see. I know Chris’ mom would like to be here and is trying to make plans now. We’ll see.
Wednesday, 14 July, 1999
It is pouring rain as I watch out my office window. It is nice though to have a day that is cooler than the 90 plus degree weather that we have been having. Plus it is great for our small garden.
Chris arrived home from work this morning just before 6:00 am. He had worked throughout the night trying to install a new server for one of his work’s clients. I must admit, I didn’t sleep all that well with him gone. He wasn’t certain when he would be home, and I woke quite regularly throughout the night to check if he was lying beside me. I finally heard him come in a couple of minutes before I was planning to get up. Instead of going on my usual walk, I stayed in bed with him and massaged his tired back. One of the many positive qualities about your dad is that he works hard, and he finishes what he starts. His co-worker, Brad, called it quits about 11 pm last night.
I feel you moving and stretching within me more often now. Usually I don’t notice you too much while I am at work; when I lay quietly I feel you the most. I am looking forward to the ultrasound in two weeks. It will be exciting to see even a small glimpse of what you look like.
Chris arrived home from work this morning just before 6:00 am. He had worked throughout the night trying to install a new server for one of his work’s clients. I must admit, I didn’t sleep all that well with him gone. He wasn’t certain when he would be home, and I woke quite regularly throughout the night to check if he was lying beside me. I finally heard him come in a couple of minutes before I was planning to get up. Instead of going on my usual walk, I stayed in bed with him and massaged his tired back. One of the many positive qualities about your dad is that he works hard, and he finishes what he starts. His co-worker, Brad, called it quits about 11 pm last night.
I feel you moving and stretching within me more often now. Usually I don’t notice you too much while I am at work; when I lay quietly I feel you the most. I am looking forward to the ultrasound in two weeks. It will be exciting to see even a small glimpse of what you look like.
Wednesday, July 7, 1999
Today, the sky is rather overcast and the weather balmy. I imagine that we will have thunderstorms this afternoon. Yesterday it was soooo hot. Chris’ car started to overheat even.
The long 4th of July weekend was okay, but not particularly wonderful. We tried to watch the fireworks on Saturday the 3rd, but they didn’t even get started until almost 11 pm. We stayed for about a half an hour, but they kept starting and stopping.
Sunday was Jenna’s birthday. Susan invited us for a family dinner. Jenna was excited by all of her gifts. We gave her a mood ring which most everyone tried out. Uncle Brad came down and stayed over at our house on Sunday so that he could spend the next day with us. Monday dawned way to early for a holiday. We got up around 6 am to go to the balloon launch and to save spots for the parade. The parade was not fun at all. We kept having people stand in front of us giving no thought to the fact that we were sitting behind them. We asked a lot to move and most did, but there were a few stubborn ones. We left early with Brad and Aunt Maureen. We slept for a little bit while Brad took Maureen home. We didn’t have any great plans for the rest of the day, so Brad went home around 2 pm.
We finally decided to go see the 4:45 showing of Tarzan at the Spanish 8 theatre in Spanish Fork. It was great. One of Disney’s better ones in the last years. Afterwards, we decided to drive up the canyon and ended up in Price about an hour and a half away. Neither of us had been there before. We stayed for dinner—Mexican food at Ricardo’s—and then left for home around 9 pm. The unfortunate thing is that we hit part of a deer. We were in the middle of a long line of cars and never saw the deer in the road until too late. It put a hole in the resonator of my car. I just had it fixed today but it sounded much like a hot rod turbo-charged car. Fortunately the repairs weren’t as much as I expected. That doesn’t happen too often.
Over the weekend, Saturday I think, both your dad and I felt your first strong kick. I have felt little fluttering feelings from you before but nothing like a kick. Chris’ hand was lying across my lower stomach, right on top of you probably, and you must have had a great stretch. I think it helps your dad to feel more a part of things.
The long 4th of July weekend was okay, but not particularly wonderful. We tried to watch the fireworks on Saturday the 3rd, but they didn’t even get started until almost 11 pm. We stayed for about a half an hour, but they kept starting and stopping.
Sunday was Jenna’s birthday. Susan invited us for a family dinner. Jenna was excited by all of her gifts. We gave her a mood ring which most everyone tried out. Uncle Brad came down and stayed over at our house on Sunday so that he could spend the next day with us. Monday dawned way to early for a holiday. We got up around 6 am to go to the balloon launch and to save spots for the parade. The parade was not fun at all. We kept having people stand in front of us giving no thought to the fact that we were sitting behind them. We asked a lot to move and most did, but there were a few stubborn ones. We left early with Brad and Aunt Maureen. We slept for a little bit while Brad took Maureen home. We didn’t have any great plans for the rest of the day, so Brad went home around 2 pm.
We finally decided to go see the 4:45 showing of Tarzan at the Spanish 8 theatre in Spanish Fork. It was great. One of Disney’s better ones in the last years. Afterwards, we decided to drive up the canyon and ended up in Price about an hour and a half away. Neither of us had been there before. We stayed for dinner—Mexican food at Ricardo’s—and then left for home around 9 pm. The unfortunate thing is that we hit part of a deer. We were in the middle of a long line of cars and never saw the deer in the road until too late. It put a hole in the resonator of my car. I just had it fixed today but it sounded much like a hot rod turbo-charged car. Fortunately the repairs weren’t as much as I expected. That doesn’t happen too often.
Over the weekend, Saturday I think, both your dad and I felt your first strong kick. I have felt little fluttering feelings from you before but nothing like a kick. Chris’ hand was lying across my lower stomach, right on top of you probably, and you must have had a great stretch. I think it helps your dad to feel more a part of things.
Friday, 2 July, 1999
What a beautiful day. It gets even better since this is a long weekend. Dad and I both have Monday off from work. We still haven’t made any concrete plans as to what we will do for the 4th of July celebration, but I am sure that we’ll come up with something. Maybe even go see the new Disney movie “Tarzan” (animated version) at the drive in. This is the first time, except for his mission, that Chris has not been in Washington for the 4th. Even I was there with him for the last two years. Two years ago, we were planning our wedding and spending a lot of money to get ready for it. It was no where near as relaxing as last year when we just went to have fun.
You appear to be growing at a normal rate according to the doctor. He usually measures my stomach to check your progress and to make sure that you aren’t growing faster or slower than you should. If you were growing too fast, that might indicate that there were two of you in there. As novel an idea as that is, I think one of you will be wonderful and more than enough.
My blood pressure is a little high, but I think it is probably due to some stresses with work. I hope so because I wouldn’t want to go on any kind of restricted diet. Right now I love to eat fruit. Watermelon is in season, and it is wonderful. I have been trying bananas again and I can usually handle half of one. I leave the rest for Chris to eat for his breakfast. I asked your dad to pick up some milk last night on his way home from the store and he came home with milk, grapefruit, grapes, a whole flat of strawberries, nectarines and bananas. It is so thoughtful of him to think of me. He is a very good husband, and I know that he will make a wonderful daddy.
He did get to hear the sound of your heart beat and thought it was neat. He can even imitate the sound pretty accurately. I hope every once in a while he will take time to add some of his thoughts to this journal so that you will be able to know and understand both of our feelings and experiences with pregnancy.
We have an ultrasound scheduled for Thursday, July 29th. We can take a video tape and have the ultrasound recorded so some day you could even watch it! It should be able to tell us, and the doctor, a lot about your growth, health, and hopefully gender. I figure knowing whether you are a boy or a girl will be just as exciting then than if we were to wait until you were born. The technology today is so remarkable.
I was talking to Grandma Rice a couple of days ago and asked her about her childbirth experiences. She said that each one was a little different and improved than the previous. She had her last three children—Dallin, Shane and Mitch—by cesarean and said that with the advancements in technology and knowledge, she probably would have been able to have them normally today. I imagine that when you begin to have these experiences in your own life things will have changed even more dramatically.
We toured the new Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo last Saturday. They just finished building a new wing, and it is wonderful. When they were in the process of building it, and even before I was pregnant with you, I always had the feeling when I drove past it that I would have a baby there.
We loved the new building. My sister, Susan, had her two boys at UVRMC in the old wing and it always seemed so old and crowded when we went to visit. The rooms are more spacious, allowing for many people to be in the delivery room if that was wanted. For me, it will be just me and your dad, and all the nurses and doctors. They have jacuzzi tubs, a tv, vcr, and lots to make our experience and stay more comfortable.
You appear to be growing at a normal rate according to the doctor. He usually measures my stomach to check your progress and to make sure that you aren’t growing faster or slower than you should. If you were growing too fast, that might indicate that there were two of you in there. As novel an idea as that is, I think one of you will be wonderful and more than enough.
My blood pressure is a little high, but I think it is probably due to some stresses with work. I hope so because I wouldn’t want to go on any kind of restricted diet. Right now I love to eat fruit. Watermelon is in season, and it is wonderful. I have been trying bananas again and I can usually handle half of one. I leave the rest for Chris to eat for his breakfast. I asked your dad to pick up some milk last night on his way home from the store and he came home with milk, grapefruit, grapes, a whole flat of strawberries, nectarines and bananas. It is so thoughtful of him to think of me. He is a very good husband, and I know that he will make a wonderful daddy.
He did get to hear the sound of your heart beat and thought it was neat. He can even imitate the sound pretty accurately. I hope every once in a while he will take time to add some of his thoughts to this journal so that you will be able to know and understand both of our feelings and experiences with pregnancy.
We have an ultrasound scheduled for Thursday, July 29th. We can take a video tape and have the ultrasound recorded so some day you could even watch it! It should be able to tell us, and the doctor, a lot about your growth, health, and hopefully gender. I figure knowing whether you are a boy or a girl will be just as exciting then than if we were to wait until you were born. The technology today is so remarkable.
I was talking to Grandma Rice a couple of days ago and asked her about her childbirth experiences. She said that each one was a little different and improved than the previous. She had her last three children—Dallin, Shane and Mitch—by cesarean and said that with the advancements in technology and knowledge, she probably would have been able to have them normally today. I imagine that when you begin to have these experiences in your own life things will have changed even more dramatically.
We toured the new Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo last Saturday. They just finished building a new wing, and it is wonderful. When they were in the process of building it, and even before I was pregnant with you, I always had the feeling when I drove past it that I would have a baby there.
We loved the new building. My sister, Susan, had her two boys at UVRMC in the old wing and it always seemed so old and crowded when we went to visit. The rooms are more spacious, allowing for many people to be in the delivery room if that was wanted. For me, it will be just me and your dad, and all the nurses and doctors. They have jacuzzi tubs, a tv, vcr, and lots to make our experience and stay more comfortable.
Tuesday, 29 June, 1999
I have my (our) second doctor’s appointment at 4:30 today. The first time I went I ended up waiting for at least an hour in the waiting room. This time I will call in advance to see how backed up Dr. Woodmansee’s schedule is. Your dad is going to try and take time off work to be at the appointment as well. This way he won’t miss out on hearing the wonderful sound of your heart beat.
I have been doing a lot of reading about pregnancy, labor and delivery. I love to know your progress in growing and routinely tell your dad that you are “this” big now. Right now you are about the size of my hand. (From wrist to middle finger, my hand measures approximately 6 ¾”). It will be a couple of more weeks before you catch up to the size of your dad’s hand. It is probably half again as big as mine.
I try to learn as much as possible about you from magazines, books and the internet. I want to be as well prepared as possible. I just ordered a book from the internet that is like an Encyclopedia on pregnancy, childbirth and the first year of life. I would like to find more books about parenting since I know that both your dad and I aren’t completely prepared for this to happen. We have so much to learn and sadly some of this knowledge will only come from hands-on experiences with you. Just be patient with us k?
I have been doing a lot of reading about pregnancy, labor and delivery. I love to know your progress in growing and routinely tell your dad that you are “this” big now. Right now you are about the size of my hand. (From wrist to middle finger, my hand measures approximately 6 ¾”). It will be a couple of more weeks before you catch up to the size of your dad’s hand. It is probably half again as big as mine.
I try to learn as much as possible about you from magazines, books and the internet. I want to be as well prepared as possible. I just ordered a book from the internet that is like an Encyclopedia on pregnancy, childbirth and the first year of life. I would like to find more books about parenting since I know that both your dad and I aren’t completely prepared for this to happen. We have so much to learn and sadly some of this knowledge will only come from hands-on experiences with you. Just be patient with us k?
Friday, 18 June, 1999
Hi sweetie. It has been about two months now that we have known you would be coming into our lives. Even in that short time, you have begun to make a difference to our family. I did an at-home pregnancy test on April 9, 1999 and the result was positive. To be honest, your dad and I were rather surprised. I had another test done at the Doctor’s office on Monday the 12th of April and the nurse confirmed what we already knew to be true. You were five weeks old (gestational age) then. She said that you should make your arrival around the 12th of December, but I am banking on the fact that you are going to be late and will come closer to Christmas. That’s what usually happens with most pregnancies, and I don’t want to get my hopes up and have them dashed when you are two weeks overdue.
Almost immediately after finding out about you, the morning sickness began. Except that it did not confine itself to the morning. (Your father seemed to think that it was all in my head, but that was definitely not true.) I was usually nauseated most of the day at work and tried to eat as often as possible. Not much seemed to help, although ginger ale usually calmed my stomach for awhile. I thought people would begin to suspect, since I was eating and going to the bathroom quite frequently. One blessing is that I have not yet thrown up. One co-worker said she got four cavities just from that alone!
We had quite a scare around eight weeks. I began to bleed. It wasn’t all that much but being new to this whole experience, both your dad and I were concerned. We tried to call Ask-a-Nurse and Baby Your Baby, but it was about 9:00 pm and no one answered. We finally went to bed and hoped that things would subside by the morning. It did, but I was still upset. I remember being close to tears as I drove to work the next morning. Once there, I finally called my doctor’s nurse, Joy. She said I really should be home lying down. I left work immediately and spent the rest of the day and most of the weekend on the couch. It was then that I really knew that I wanted you to be a part of our lives.
We announced you to our families on Mother’s Day, May 9th. We sent all of our parents—you have three sets—a small package with a pair of booties and a note that said,
Rose are red
Violets are blue
Please return these by Christmas
‘Cuz that’s when I’m due.
You were a BIG hit. You will be the 6th grandchild for my parents and the umpteenth great grandchild, but for Chris’ family you are the first grandchild and great grandchild.
I decided not to tell anyone your actual due date and just say Christmas. Most people want to know the actual date, but I think I will begin telling them the 24th. I am just trying to be realistic and cut down on the calls on the 12th, 13th, 14th, etc. that wonder, politely of course, just when I am going to have that baby!
Grandpa Kline opened his package and called first. We figured he would be the first to call because the mother’s to whom the other packages were addressed would wait till after church (around 4 pm) and after Sunday dinner to open their gifts. He was so excited for us and is already making great plans for you. My parents called next. They seemed to think they already knew so that kind of ruined the surprise of it all, but they are no less thrilled. Chris’ mom was probably doing cartwheels she was so excited. You will be one loved and spoiled little child.
By this time (about 9 to 10 weeks) I was also beginning to feel so much better during the day. I still became nauseated at times, but nothing like before. I have learned that there are certain foods that I cannot eat. It isn’t because they taste bad, it seems as though their texture triggers a gag response. Bananas and yogurt were the only two for awhile, but I tried to eat a somewhat overripe pear the other day and there was that feeling again.
I went to my first doctor’s appointment on June 1st. Doctor Woodmansee had been away for a two-week holiday and had just returned so he was really backed up. I had to wait about an hour. This was my first time meeting him. I didn’t know whom to choose, since I had never needed an obstetrician before, but Susan, my sister, recommended him. He delivered her last two boys I think. Anyway, I liked him when I finally got to meet him. I am in good health although he wants to keep my weight gain under control. And you do make me hungry! He said “no desserts” but fortunately I haven’t craved many. The most exciting part of the visit that day was being able to hear the steady, rhythmic “swoosh, swoosh, swoosh” of your heartbeat. It was wonderful and you are real.
I don’t have much difficulty with sleeping, that is, except for the first week after we found out about you. I probably had to go to the bathroom five times a night. But now, I usually only get up about once a night. My stomach is beginning to grow which makes sleeping on my stomach uncomfortable—it puts too much pressure on my bladder. Unfortunately that is my favorite way to fall asleep.
I caught a cold last Thursday, June 10th. That was not fun at all. I wasn’t sure what I could take for medication, and I didn’t want to cause you any harm. Joy, Dr. Woodmansee’s nurse, said I could take Tylenol and Sudafed, but they weren’t all that helpful. I stayed home from work both Friday and Monday. I am still kind of stuffy and have a bit of a cough, but I feel so much better than last weekend.
So much of what your father and I do in our life together is based on faith. We have faith that the Lord will help us to be good parents, we have faith that the Lord will provide a way for me to stay home with you after you are born, and we have faith that you are meant to be a part of our lives. We hope to teach you much of faith.
Right now we are contemplating and feeling impressed to buy a new home. We purchased a two-bedroom townhouse in Provo, Utah last May (1998), but when you arrive we will quickly outgrow it. We feel impressed that we are to buy a three-bedroom townhouse in the same development we are presently in—Park Ridge—and that again requires that we rely on faith to find a way. It would mean, since I wouldn’t be working, that your dad would have to work full-time and prolong his schooling. A big sacrifice on his part. He was just accepted into the Masters of Information Systems program at BYU and had hoped to be graduated in December 2000. It looks as though our plans will change. He has applied at a company called Novell and hopes for positive results. He and our next-door neighbor, Erik Blomquist, are planning to start their own computer consulting business that they would do on the side. They are both very sharp when it comes to computers and would do very well if they can get into the right niche.
I so much want to be able to stay home with you. But I also wonder, how will it all work out minus the income I make right now as I am the primary wage earner? We are having faith that being a mom is the Lord’s will for me. It is what I have wanted to do all of my life, and I don’t want to leave your mothering to someone else. That doesn’t mean I won’t miss working, meeting new people in the workplace, and using my skills—but you are infinitely more important. I hope that you will always know that.
Almost immediately after finding out about you, the morning sickness began. Except that it did not confine itself to the morning. (Your father seemed to think that it was all in my head, but that was definitely not true.) I was usually nauseated most of the day at work and tried to eat as often as possible. Not much seemed to help, although ginger ale usually calmed my stomach for awhile. I thought people would begin to suspect, since I was eating and going to the bathroom quite frequently. One blessing is that I have not yet thrown up. One co-worker said she got four cavities just from that alone!
We had quite a scare around eight weeks. I began to bleed. It wasn’t all that much but being new to this whole experience, both your dad and I were concerned. We tried to call Ask-a-Nurse and Baby Your Baby, but it was about 9:00 pm and no one answered. We finally went to bed and hoped that things would subside by the morning. It did, but I was still upset. I remember being close to tears as I drove to work the next morning. Once there, I finally called my doctor’s nurse, Joy. She said I really should be home lying down. I left work immediately and spent the rest of the day and most of the weekend on the couch. It was then that I really knew that I wanted you to be a part of our lives.
We announced you to our families on Mother’s Day, May 9th. We sent all of our parents—you have three sets—a small package with a pair of booties and a note that said,
Rose are red
Violets are blue
Please return these by Christmas
‘Cuz that’s when I’m due.
You were a BIG hit. You will be the 6th grandchild for my parents and the umpteenth great grandchild, but for Chris’ family you are the first grandchild and great grandchild.
I decided not to tell anyone your actual due date and just say Christmas. Most people want to know the actual date, but I think I will begin telling them the 24th. I am just trying to be realistic and cut down on the calls on the 12th, 13th, 14th, etc. that wonder, politely of course, just when I am going to have that baby!
Grandpa Kline opened his package and called first. We figured he would be the first to call because the mother’s to whom the other packages were addressed would wait till after church (around 4 pm) and after Sunday dinner to open their gifts. He was so excited for us and is already making great plans for you. My parents called next. They seemed to think they already knew so that kind of ruined the surprise of it all, but they are no less thrilled. Chris’ mom was probably doing cartwheels she was so excited. You will be one loved and spoiled little child.
By this time (about 9 to 10 weeks) I was also beginning to feel so much better during the day. I still became nauseated at times, but nothing like before. I have learned that there are certain foods that I cannot eat. It isn’t because they taste bad, it seems as though their texture triggers a gag response. Bananas and yogurt were the only two for awhile, but I tried to eat a somewhat overripe pear the other day and there was that feeling again.
I went to my first doctor’s appointment on June 1st. Doctor Woodmansee had been away for a two-week holiday and had just returned so he was really backed up. I had to wait about an hour. This was my first time meeting him. I didn’t know whom to choose, since I had never needed an obstetrician before, but Susan, my sister, recommended him. He delivered her last two boys I think. Anyway, I liked him when I finally got to meet him. I am in good health although he wants to keep my weight gain under control. And you do make me hungry! He said “no desserts” but fortunately I haven’t craved many. The most exciting part of the visit that day was being able to hear the steady, rhythmic “swoosh, swoosh, swoosh” of your heartbeat. It was wonderful and you are real.
I don’t have much difficulty with sleeping, that is, except for the first week after we found out about you. I probably had to go to the bathroom five times a night. But now, I usually only get up about once a night. My stomach is beginning to grow which makes sleeping on my stomach uncomfortable—it puts too much pressure on my bladder. Unfortunately that is my favorite way to fall asleep.
I caught a cold last Thursday, June 10th. That was not fun at all. I wasn’t sure what I could take for medication, and I didn’t want to cause you any harm. Joy, Dr. Woodmansee’s nurse, said I could take Tylenol and Sudafed, but they weren’t all that helpful. I stayed home from work both Friday and Monday. I am still kind of stuffy and have a bit of a cough, but I feel so much better than last weekend.
So much of what your father and I do in our life together is based on faith. We have faith that the Lord will help us to be good parents, we have faith that the Lord will provide a way for me to stay home with you after you are born, and we have faith that you are meant to be a part of our lives. We hope to teach you much of faith.
Right now we are contemplating and feeling impressed to buy a new home. We purchased a two-bedroom townhouse in Provo, Utah last May (1998), but when you arrive we will quickly outgrow it. We feel impressed that we are to buy a three-bedroom townhouse in the same development we are presently in—Park Ridge—and that again requires that we rely on faith to find a way. It would mean, since I wouldn’t be working, that your dad would have to work full-time and prolong his schooling. A big sacrifice on his part. He was just accepted into the Masters of Information Systems program at BYU and had hoped to be graduated in December 2000. It looks as though our plans will change. He has applied at a company called Novell and hopes for positive results. He and our next-door neighbor, Erik Blomquist, are planning to start their own computer consulting business that they would do on the side. They are both very sharp when it comes to computers and would do very well if they can get into the right niche.
I so much want to be able to stay home with you. But I also wonder, how will it all work out minus the income I make right now as I am the primary wage earner? We are having faith that being a mom is the Lord’s will for me. It is what I have wanted to do all of my life, and I don’t want to leave your mothering to someone else. That doesn’t mean I won’t miss working, meeting new people in the workplace, and using my skills—but you are infinitely more important. I hope that you will always know that.
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