The Wallace Post

Dance, Dance, Yea!

2012-01-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here's Brook rockin' to the Dixie Chicks as I cleaned and watched "Runaway Bride". The girl dances to anything with a beat. She head bangs to Mo Tab on Sundays, she groves to the washing machine, and has recently begun singing with commercials. Sigh...I wonder where she gets it from?

Agradecida

2011-11-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

It has been quite some time since I have written here, so let me catch up.

For me, school is going really well. I only have 3 weeks left of actually in class classes before I get a respite in preparation for my student teaching coming up in January. I am so grateful for this semester. It has brought me many new friends, new experiences to learn from and more opportunities to rely on the Lord. I directed my first play (cutting of a play) and it was beautiful. I know that it was by grace (strength and ability beyond my own) that I was able to do so. I am so grateful for my professors and for all they have taught me. I have strengthened so many friendships; I know that my life, my choices and the Spirit as led me to this moment, right now. The wonderful people I have been blessed to work with now would not have been a part of my life had we not decided to have Brook when we did. I know that. They will forever be a part of my life and I am so humbled that they are now and always be a part of my life and my professional network. Furthermore, I completed a goal I set one year ago: run in a Half Marathon. I ran the Provo Halloween Half--it was beautiful and fun. My sister Kellie, kindred spirit, was my angel; she ran with me, step by step, kept me hydrated and moving. It was my first, her third in 1 1/2 months, and I am grateful for her willingness to support me on the trail.

Josh is also doing well. These past two weeks marked the start of the busiest time of the school year for him. He started basketball tryouts and practices the same week he started Mock Trial. Thankfully we have the new habit of going to bed at 9 o'clock every night so that we are both getting the rest we need to do so much. He is such an amazing man; he does so much for me and for our little family. Let's face it, anyone who can put up with me and my amazingness must be a saint already, already canonized.

Brook is growing so much! She brings such joy into my life. She starts every day with smiles and giggles, talking from the moment she get

s up. So much of life to enjoy. She is very in tune as well to my feelings and what I am going through, even at her young 14 1/2 month age. She knows when I need a hug around my leg, a pat on the arm, or just a jabber that means so much to her that I wish I could speak her language.

Brook has three teeth coming in on top to accompany her two bottom teeth; this apple is proof of her gnawing desire to eat adult food.

Chatting with Grandma and Grandpa Wallace. She had to lie on the floor right in front of the screen. Her narcissism showed as she talked more to the image of herself in the bottom righthand corner than to Grandma (she does say Grandma--"maama"--and Grandpa--"grapa").

She played in this box for over 30 minutes. Like on my favorite show, Modern Family, "give a kid a toy and they'll play with the box. So the next year we gave Luke a box...and he played with the bag we wrapped it in."

Here's Brook helping Josh empty the dishwasher. It has become one of her favorite things to do. So domestic:)

God is good; He is love, peace, joy, strength and ever aware of me.

Strength Beyond My Own

2011-10-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

These few weeks have been full of change, peace and balancing. At the beginning of this semester I set the goal to read from my scriptures daily and to find the beauty in every moment. Can the Lord make me an instrument in His hands? Yes, when I am willing and seek his guidance. Can he give me strength beyond my own? Yes, every day and in an abundant ways. I know He has always been there, guiding me and making me stronger; I am more aware of it now and I am so grateful.

I see the beauty all around me. The beauty in the mountains, in the leaves, in my daughter, in art, in acting, in my life and in so many people that surround me. As Pres. Uchtdorf recently said I am finding "...wonder and delight in even the tiniest steps in [my] journey." I love life! I love and appreciate everyone around me. He knows what speaks to my soul and guides me to it. I love the Lord for opening my eyes, my heart, my mind and my spirit to His love and the "...beauty of the glorious earthly and spiritual landscapes that surround [me] " (Pres. Uchtdorf again). I share it with you, whoever will read this or cross my path. God knows and loves you.

Peace

Nebo Half Marathon: Kellie

2011-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here's the video of Kellie running the Nebo Half Marathon last weekend. She did awesome and beat he goal by almost 20 minutes. Wahoo!

Live Your Goals with a Sense of Direction

2011-07-18T21:34:00.001-07:00

First, check out this new song by Taylor Swift. I love the message and feel that she expresses it better than some of her contemporaries:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De6Oj5vIe9Q

"Live Your Goals" was the theme to this years Women's World Cup competition for soccer. Now, I'm not much of a soccer fan myself, too much running and not enough scoring; but, from the beginning of the tournament I found myself home and glued to the TV watching the USA Women's Soccer team play. It was thrilling, down to the last penalty kick. So awesome to see such beautiful, STRONG women. I was impressed with their poise and agility accompanied with their physical grace as they ran up and down the field and I repeatedly thought, "I can do that." Not play soccer, per say, but run with such ease and grace. I'm on the path. I'm "Living My Goals."

Also:

I have been rereading a book about directing aptly named "A Sense of Direction" (which I always need). The author, an experienced and well respected director himself, shares his insight in ways that speak to my soul ("true self") more now than the first time I read it. Here are some of my thoughts (in italics) that derive from his thoughts:

"[a work of art] reveals Universe (God, Heavenly Father)."

"Art...awaken(s) the Spirit (light of Christ, Holy Spirit/Ghost/our own spirit)...A light (light!!) goes on within [the spectator] (because it's always been there) and the self is illuminated, awakened, enlightened, elevated, and changed." (Amen)

Art shows the "Beauty of Humankind".

"Consciousness"=I AM=THE BEGINNING... He writes about how our consciousness is tapped in a performance as we watch it and as the actor performs.

"The actor's power is limitless" OUR power is limitless.

I am still pondering these principles and seeing how they apply to my directing, school and life. I'll keep you posted as I study them further.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts or ideas and impressions you had, if any, as you read the above quotes.

Peace

Alaska Dancing Remix

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Kellie decided we were going to dance everywhere we went on our trip. Here is a short montage, a remix if you will, of the moves we rocked to.

Refocused and Cartography

2011-06-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

I returned recently from a week and a half trip to Alaska. It was amazing. The entire trip served as a refocusing adventure that was unexpected and surrounded by endless, indescribable beauty. Now I am home in Utah it feels hot, like the sun is beating down on me from directly above and the air is dry. Though the Rocky Mountains are gorgeous in their own way, I have seen little that compares to the majestic nature of the Chugac Mountain range. I am grateful for the beauty, the experiences and the people I met for the first time and those I reconnected with.

I will be making a few entries that relate to experiences I had there soon, but for now I will share with you some of the amazing pictures we saw. I took far more mental pictures than actual pictures that are more amazing than these.

This was the last picture I took on our boat tour around Prince William Sound with a fishing boat heading out to sea. Around these peaks is one of the glaciers we saw on our tour.
This is a humpback whale fluke. So amazing to see these animals in their habitat.

The harbor of the Port of Valdez.
This is a pod of Dall's Porpoise hunting. They surrounded the fish at incredible speeds and swam in a circle. They came over to the boat and swam off the bough where we were and it was amazing! They are often mistaken for Orcas because they have the same black and white coloring. It was thrilling to share their ocean with them.
Me with my windblown hair and the amazing mountains of Prince William Sound. The green does not show up as well and I could hardly take my eyes off the landscape.
My cousin Ray caught an Arctic grayling. Just wanted to prove I did fish (or rather watch someone fish) while I was in Alaska.
On our drive to Valdez (which is now one of my favorite place on earth...next to being with Josh and Brook) we turned a corner and this was our view. Between the towering peaks Worthington Glacier makes its home.
Eklutna Lake and Kellie. This gorgeous glacial lake is amazingly long and encompassed by mountains.
Kellie had me stand in the glacial river entering the lake. It was very, very cold.
The view opposite the lake....and Kellie.
The Hafen's (Kary, Ray, McKinley and Stephen) at mile 9 of the marathon Kary and Ray ran. It was so cool to be there to cheer them on.
This was the sunrise at 1:30 a.m. only a short time after the sunset.
Flowers growing on a rock in Hatcher Pass outside of Wasilla. This reminded me of Grandma Mabel, or rather I sensed her there.

The sun came out in the middle of our hike on the tundra of Hatcher Pass. I look surprised and Kel looks a little scared. It was so gorgeous!!
Kel on a rock (Hatcher Pass).
This is Ray's truck he let us borrow to do some exploring; we lovingly named it "Truck" because we are that creative:). I am grateful Josh taught me to drive a clutch so I could navigate the roads. It didn't have a radio but Kel and I took turns choosing songs we sang at the top of our lungs. Sweet!
Talkeetna, the Hippie Town.
Sunset. 'Nuff said.
Kary in her peace-full yoga pose.
Portage glacier. I'm such a brat!
Strong at Portage.
Kel ordered a salad and a side of these amazing corn fritters at a restaurant we went to. They gave us an extra order of fritter by accident so we got more for free!
Seriously...the best corn fritters ever.
We met this family (The Westenbroek's) on our tour of Denali National Park. A few hours after the tour we saw them at a Mt. McKinley viewpoint and they invited us to a hot breakfast the next morning. So great to meet such a family.
You can see Denali's (Mt. McKinley...one and the same) peak between the clouds in the middle of the photo.
At the Imaginarium in the Anchorage Museum. It was us and a bunch of kids trying this lift out.

Caribou (Raindeer) antlers. Much heavier than you would think.

At peace with Denali.

Begin Brooklyn Summer Fun!!

2011-06-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

We spent the night last night at my parents house for our monthly F.H.E. While there, we had a lot of fun playing in the back yard and Brook was experiencing some new outdoor activities I wanted to share.

Brook swinging next to Nick (13 y/o cousin).

Head banging on a rockin' dog.

Karma, Blessings and My Relationship to My Food

2011-05-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your comments! I learned from your thoughts and I hope that we can continue to uplift and help one another in our similar yet individualized experiences.

The Lotus Temple of Spanish Fork, Utah

I have been thinking about a presentation I went to a couple of years ago by the Utah Krishnas (see http://www.utahkrishnas.org/ for more information about these amazing members of my community). They have a gorgeous temple in Spanish Fork and the lecture I attended was an explanation of vegetarianism and how karma applies to all we do and, in this case, to the food we eat. One concept in particular struck truth in me and has been entering my mind lately as I continue my journey: they do not taste or eat any food, even while they are preparing it, until it is ready to eat and they have taken part of the food and offered it to Krishna, their lord. How does this apply to Mormon me? Oh in so many ways. Most basically, how do I prepare my food? Am I ravenously preparing my food anticipating not so much the flavor and purpose of the food but rather feeding my hunger and belly? Do I eat 1/3 of the dish before we are even ready to sit down to eat?

What do I take from this? Prepare food "with and eye single to the glory of God" which sounds a little strange applying this scriptural phrase to food, but I will explain. God's "work and glory is to bring about [our] immortality and eternal life... (Moses 1:39" Immortality, immortal, mortal. Our bodies are key in our mortal life. Here and now. They will be an integral part of our eternal life as well as perfected and resurrected bodies. So, we are eternal beings made up of Heavenly Father's DNA (spirits) and our earthly parents DNA (bodies), going all the way back to Eve and Adam. What I eat and how I eat it affects my body. My physical health affects my intellect (mind). My mental health, included my thoughts about everything including my own self image, affects my spirit. My spirit affects my body. And so on, and so forth and not necessarily in that order all the time. I cycle through my starting points to find my balance, my karma.

What to I learn from the Krishnas? Love myself. Love others. Love, understand and show gratitude for all sustenance I receive. So, though I may do a little taste test, first I recognize the blessing the food is to me; I recognize what the food will do for my body; I humbly thank the Lord for the food and ask him that the particles will fill my body's need for energy as well as my spiritual need to see those particles and how they react with my body as a blessing. As long as I choose what is best for me, my body reacts in positive ways to the food I eat. That doesn't mean that I don't ever eat chocolate, which I firmly believe is manna from heaven, especially during a few short days every month (women, you know what days I mean). I limit my indulgences, which is not easy, but I feel so much better about myself when I do.

I am grateful for food. I love the foods that are best for my body. I am constantly discovering new ways to enjoy foods and keep my body in perfect health.

Namaste

Self-Forgiveness

2011-05-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I want to share some things on our blog that I am going through. It may just be my own way of getting things out, maybe it might open a dialogue between the few readers/followers of the blog, or it just might be interesting to read about what I go through and how I try to work it out. However this may go, it is helpful, to me at least.

I am working on many personal things right now. Without going into exact detail and without putting them all down like a "pity me" list, I will put them all under an umbrella statement: "My Journey to Self-Forgiveness ." I have thought in the past that it is easiest to forgive others such as friends and acquaintances and even family (though forgiving family has been complicated for me at times). Now, I recently discovered, that all others are easiest to forgive and that the most difficult forgiveness is of myself. Many wonderful experiences and people fill my past and memories; yet, with the amazing and joyful moments come hurtful ones, most unintentional, but equally damaging to my sense of who I am in the present moment.

Many may read this and think "how can this be!?! She's amazing and blah, blah, blah." Not to undermine the compliments or the perception others have of me, but, in case it wasn't known, I am human. I carry emotions in my own way; most physically as a result of my non-confrontational, afraid-to-feel-or-cry-in-front-of-anyone persona I have acquired through certain experiences. The truth I have discovered: this is not healthy. At all. I am working on releasing many negative things and I have seen a great improvement mentally, physically and spiritually--greater BALANCE, greater peace and I can turn off my mind and JUST BE. It's in those moments Spirit to spirit conversations occur; I come to know more about my true self, which I plan to discover my whole life.

I have made many positive and very effective changes in my life. I am constantly discovering new ways to take care of my body, my mind and my spirit. These three things, that I believe make up my true self, need a healthy balance just as my time needs a healthy balance. To create a healthier body I started a vegetarian diet several months ago. I physically feel stronger and have learned to control my eating habits in a more effective and positive way. I have also started an exercise regimen; nothing too extensive, mainly I focus on being active at least once a day. I haven't really set many goals for myself other than to GET MOVING. My physical progress has been at my own speed and in my own time (which I know is the Lord's timing for me at this time in my life).

Having a healthier body has opened my mind to new understanding and knowledge (see D&C 89) and I am more aware of inspiration as it enters into my soul. These have become a catalyst for greater growth and confidence.

One hard thing for me to do is to not compare: not to compare myself to anyone around me, anyone at the gym, family members, and especially not to what I once was like. I love my body now and am grateful for what it has accomplished, especially in the past year and I have a beautiful daughter to show for it!

I am being the change I want to see in my world. It starts with me. So, yes I may be selfish about a few things for a while until I find my balance (don't worry I do not neglect the wife and mother aspects of my life).

I am beautiful. I am at peace with myself. I learn more about my true self everyday. I forgive myself everyday. I love myself. I find balance in every moment.

Kristie

Spring/Summer Plans

2011-05-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

Since Brook dominates our blog, I thought I would post some things about Josh and I before putting more videos and pictures of our amazing daughter.

Josh is doing well with school as the year is winding down. He has enjoyed doing many things this year, including some new thing such as running the stage crew, teaching debate classes and helping with debate and mock trial, coaching basketball and finishing off his fifth year teaching!! Amazing! He is such an amazing man; of course he is, he puts up with me!!

He has enjoyed his calling and has finally settled into the rigors and time commitment to being the executive secretary in the ward. He loves the Bishop and the bishopric members and has grown so much through his service. I myself am also learning much from his calling such as patience (which runs short sometimes) and love and support of my husband has he fulfills his duties.

I finished the winter semester last month and I have loved being able to spend so much time at home and with Brook! We are finally getting some good weather so Brook and I spend a couple of hours each day outside. It is amazing how amazing I feel when I can spend time out in the beautiful creations of our Lord. I am so grateful for everything that gives me so much joy in my life!

I am working a little more right now at ARUP: 3 hours Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, all day Fridays and 4 hours or so on Saturday mornings. I am grateful that I have been able to pick up more work since we stopped our cleaning job a month ago. We use to clean office buildings and a a plastic surgery business (we found some interesting things there, let me tell you!). We are grateful for that job and the help it was to us while I was unable to work much at ARUP.

I will return to BYU in the fall to finish off my degree! I have one semester left of classes then I will student teach. I have decided to student teach in both theatre and Spanish and I have already let my supervisors know so they can start planning for that. I will teach mostly theatre classes and have one or two classes of Spanish to teach at the same school. I also am preparing to take the PRAXIS tests for both disciplines. I have a lot of work to do over the summer to best prepare for those and also for my student teaching. I have the set the goal to write several unit and lesson plans so that I can be ahead for when I get my Teacher Work Samples ready (they are like extensive resumes that show my work, amazingness and great talent in order to help me get jobs).

I am going to Alaska 5 weeks from today with my sister Kellie and I am really excited. We will be staying with my cousin, camping and living it up! We have a few more trips lined up for the summer and we are looking forward to spending time together with family and friends.

Now on to the gorgeous Brook. She is such a joy in our life and we are grateful to have her as our daughter. She is starting to show off her attitude and personality through her jabbering and by getting into everything!! She stood up by herself for the first time yesterday using the couch as a help, she tries to crawl on her knees but gets board with it after two crawls so she drops to her quicker army crawl, she waves, she whistles (not on purpose but when she is concentrating she purses her lips and some whistles escape) and she makes us laugh. Her are some photos and videos of our girl!!

Brook playing at the Post's. Such an amazing girl!

She fell asleep on our walk last Saturday. She's starting to fill in her carseat well!

So happy!

The girls!

Beiber Fever

2011-04-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

It was the only song I could get her to dance to...

Such a happy baby! She seriously laughs at everything...seriously.

Daddy and Brook

2011-02-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

We got home last night from our stake Valentine's Party (and dance) and Josh was playing with Brook. She is a giggle machine now! Always finding things in life to enjoy. She's starting to scoot a little and gets her bum in the air but can't quite figure out crawling yet. She turns circles and rolls over to get to a toy. She's too cute.

Josh's team is doing well. They've lost only one game and when they win this afternoon they'll be sitting pretty for the playoffs. I'm starting my stage manager gig for one of my classes. It's a good deal for me because the play only rehearses 3 times a week and the tech rehearsal, dress rehearsal and run all happen in the same week. This means it will last only 1 month where other people in my class have to be to rehearsals 4 times a week for 2 1/2 months then have a 3 week run. I'm loving school and loving the balance I have to spend time with Brooklyn.

Poetry and beauty

2011-01-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hello again.

This week I was in a Poetry Slam competition in one of my classes and out of 25 people I was the 1st runner up! (I should have won but the winning poem was about being a single, 23 and "not too old" girl; so with all young, single girl judges that poem won me out by 2 points.) I have never poetry slammed before but I decided to go all out. I wrote all three of my poems and had a blast performing them.

My Friday morning class has been moved to Thursday mornings which is nice; this way I don't go down to school on Fridays and I get to spend three entire days with Brook! She is growing so much: almost crawling and sitting up on her own, gabbering more and smiling so much it's blinding (like, her smile lights up the room...corny but very true:P...no SAD for us with her around).

Josh's middle school team is undefeated so far and will face their rival tomorrow. It is exciting! Also, he had a great birthday week, if I do say so myself. On Monday we went ice skating in the middle of downtown Salt Lake and had a lot of fun. Wednesday we got pizza and watched the BYU vs San Diego game and BYU won just for Josh's b-day. Tonight, we are relaxing at home as a family. Love it!!

Enjoy a couple more videos and pics. The videos are sideways (Josh didn't know that if you hold our camera with the longest side up it films sideways...I love him...)

Josh with his b-day cake...

In honor of Josh's 30th birthday we had a 90s themed party. Josh and I went grunge (I did dark eyeliner even...), my sister Katie (front in t-shirt) wore her shirt that said "Everybody knows hover-boards don't work on water" (Back to the Future 2), Anne and Kellie sported the over-sized golf shirts, Nick wore flannel, and Melissa wore her Super Mario Bros 3 t-shirt. It was so much fun!
More of us!
Brook got into the party too--hippie shirt, hat and all her cuteness!

Brook in her swing. She figured out that she could lift up the lap-thingy with her feet and entertained herself, and Josh, for over 20 minute. She's so smart!

Me sledding with my nephews off my parents front porch, over the stairs, through the covered grass, down the ramp and onto the basketball court. I was out there with them for 45 mins. It was a blast!

Brook in Bath. We took this earlier this month--you'll like our attempt at modesty:). She continues to love bath time and I'm sure it will continue.

January 2011 - School, Discovery, Fun

2011-01-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

This new year brought new wonderful things for us. Josh started to teach school again, I started back at school (3 classes--I go to campus every day), and Brook started to roll; to talk more; to play with toys more; she's close to sitting up on her own more; she now grabs at your face when you hold her; she smiles and giggles all the time; she got her first flu but got better quickly; she grabs her feet while she's on her back and puts them in her mouth...in other words, Brook is growing and it's wonderful! While I'm at school Brook spends the day with her aunt Anne and her cousin Luke. She made the transition from being with me all the time to being with Anne part of the time beautifully; me, not so beautifully (the first day of school I dropped her off, got back in my car and cried for about 20 seconds, took a deep breath and said "I can do this, she is safe and happy"...sigh....then off to school!).

Hello gorgeous!

Josh and I decided to give each other gifts for Christmas that did not cost any money; my gift was a morning of snowshoeing. We borrowed the snowshoes from my sister, Katie, and went up Milcreek Canyon to hike. It was so much fun! It was a gorgeous day with fog and beautiful scenery.

It was requested that we put up more pictures and videos of Brooklyn (never mind new pics and vids of us:P she's the cute one).
Brook fell asleep while eating one night holding her bottle.

Brook in her "workout gym". She loves this thing (thanks again to Tracy).

Napping on Josh's pillow before I wake her up
"Heeey!" This cute towel was given to us from a lady that works with Josh.

Love this cute pink dress! I had to take a pic of Brook in it.
Brook decided to do her Marilyn Monroe in "The Seven Year Itch" impersonation. Really she's getting a head start on holding up her dress like all little girls love to do...

This was a few weeks ago...Brook couldn't quite get use to sitting up in this chair.

She did, however, figure out that the chair is soft and nice to chew on (sorry it's blurry).

When Brook had the flu she snored for the first time...poor girl, but so cute!

This was last night (01/21/11) when we were changing her. She talks and tries to eat her foot at the same time!

Rolling Over A New Year

2010-12-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

Brook's Christmas present to everyone was rolling over Christmas morning as we opened our presents! She got close on Christmas Eve, but surprised us all the next day.

Today we were all in the living room coaxing her on when she decided to put on a show. Once she figured how to roll over (thanks to some help from her aunt Tracy) she couldn't get enough of it! Or maybe she loved the applause she received each time she did it! Love it!

Not only does this video show Brooklyn, but it also stars Matthew as the "shakin' baby". Enjoy!

Oh the Dancing Joy! (12/26/10)

2010-12-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of Elisabeth, Rick, Russ and Josh movin' to the groovin' (or what their interpretation of "dancing" is). This is a fantastic game!

The Amazing Talents of Sissy

2010-12-06T20:08:00.001-08:00

I thought I would share some amazing images with you of the talent my little sister possess. The two resulting artworks came from conversations I had with her. Artifact #1: "Tree of Life"...I asked if she would draw me a tree of life using her ability to create Celtic knots (she's amazing, by the way, at drawing Celtic knots). Artifact #2: my Grandpa shared a story with us one family reunion about knowing and remembering who you are and the theme was "I was born to be a King." I asked Sissy (Melissa) to draw a crown with the phrase "I was born to be a Queen" on it for Brooklyn. She took it one step further and taught herself how to burn into wood. Needless to say she never ceases to amaze me. I love, LOVE, the details on the crown. Enjoy

Giggles

2010-11-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes. It's true. Not even 3 months old and Brooklyn is giggling. She just loves life too much to not enjoy every second of it. Here is a video of her laughter. Enjoy!!!

Gratitude, Beauty, Family and Icy Roads

2010-11-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

We are so grateful for our families and for the blessing they are to us! We have been given so much and we are grateful to share it with so many amazing people.

This past week was an amazing time for us! We were able to spend a little time with almost everybody! Last Sunday (Nov 21) we braved the snow and made our way up to Boise. Even with the road conditions, the snow and the scenery was gorgeous and it made for pretty drives. The 5 hour drive to Boise turned into a 6 1/2 hour drive because of the icy roads--note: we did not hit snow until Josh was driving (tee-hee). We had one very close call where two cars were stopped on either side of the freeway with a small space between them. Josh said that he was on ice and expertly "slid" the car between the two other ones. Our angels were working overtime for us.

Monday morning we woke up and drove yet again in the snow to see Sandy in La Grand (that is Spanish for "The Grand:P), Oregon. It was fun spending time with the Nelson bunch. I loved their cute house they are living in and I am totally jealous of Bella and Ashes' bedroom. On Tuesday we went back to Boise and spent time with the Grandparents and Tracy's family. (Isn't it funny once you have a child they expect to spend time with their grandchild...oh, and some time with you?) We had so much fun being with them.

Wednesday on our way home we were able to stop in Burley and see a small portion of the Lindsay clan. We loved seeing everyone and it was especially nice to meet Kevin and Debbie who were in town to visit for the holiday.

Thanksgiving day was at the Post house and we had a blast eating, playing games, coloring turkey pictures, eating, laughing and eating.

Here are some pictures of the week's adventures and of the views we saw during our travels.

Gorgeous sunset on the drive home to Utah.

Brooklyn with Tracy
i
Road between La Grand and Boise. I love the perspective the picture gives and it looks pretty, though Josh was white-knuckled as he drove.
This is a wonderful red brick church in front of where Sandy and Rick live. I loved the red brick and the white trimming. Couldn't resit the photo op.
k

Brooklyn and Bella...two gorgeous girls!
Brooklyn with Ashes...and red eyes.
Sunset pic taken from the car. While I was driving I made Josh take pictures of the prettiness around us; this is one such picture.
Kellie and me at Michael Dowdle concert. He's an amazing guitarist and it was a fun concert.
Brooklyn with Josh as he plays a video game. We have recently rediscovered our X-Box.

Tricks and Treats

2010-11-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

This week has been of changes and check-ups. Brooklyn had her 2 month check-up on Tuesday. She is a good weight (9 lbs 1 oz), head circumference is great and she is still really tall (23 3/4 inches long). And, of course, she is still gorgeous!!! She also had her immunizations which made for a fussy afternoon but with the shock of the shots, the pain and the infant Tylenol we gave her she slept 10 hours Tuesday night...not straight, but total. It was glorious! I have not slept that much in months; Josh, on the other hand, had a normal sleeping night.

We also decided to move Brooklyn over to her bedroom and crib this week. The first two nights were a little more difficult, but she is used to the new space and both she and I seem to be sleeping much better (again, Josh sleeps normally...you know how he is, but we still love and adore him!). So, our transition is complete and was a lot more smooth than I was expecting, which is fantastic!!

We had a blast this Halloween. The Thursday before we went over to the Post house and carved pumpkins. Josh helped Parker clean this beast of a pumpkin out (well, Josh cleaned it out and Parker watched repeating the phrase "I'm so proud of my big boy" referring to the pumpkin not Josh). Melissa, my little sis, then carved the smallest pumpkin and wanted to put it in the teeth of the large one, but ended up putting it on the inside which was equally cool!

My mom helped 4-year-old Lucas put Mr. Potato Head faces on these pumpkins. Trust my mom to come up with things like that.
This was my pumpkin I carved. I decided to do Jack Skellington, which I think turned out well.
Since I only get a couple of short years before Brooklyn tells me what she wants to be I decided she should be Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender (the T.V. show not the horrible movie). This is also my first attempt at making a costume, which was fun to figure out and make and I know how I might make it differently next time.

Josh's school is going very well. It's been fun for him to teach debate this year. He is also fully adjusted to his calling. I have signed up for my two classes next semester. I'm taking a Stage Management class and a Contemporary performance class which I am very excited for. My sister Anne will watch Brooklyn in the mornings while I go down to school, which we are grateful for.

Blessing and Fun

2010-10-16T15:26:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn Marie Wallace was blessed last Sunday by her daddy. It was so special! We only wish that everyone could have been there. We are grateful for the love and support we have received from so many awesome people we are blessed to know! She wore the same blessing dress and booties I wore over 28 years ago when I was blessed. How cool is that? I'm going to scan a picture of me in the dress when I can borrow it from my mother so everyone can compare her to me:)
Taking her blessing dress off it got caught on her head.
Her cousin Luke wanted to read some books to her while Grandma post helped. Luke would go through the book and when he finished it he would close it and say "Amen!" Too cute. He dotes on Brook.
Here she is with her Great-Grandma "Nan" Post.

This week has been so much fun. Brook is started to react socially and it makes her awake time all the more entertaining (though I have to admit sometimes just watching her sleep can be pretty entertaining).

I also found out this week that I lost one of my friends. It is a testament to me that the Lord sends people into our lives to help us along our paths; I met her during Spring Term and had two classes with her and she acted in one of my scenes I directed. I know she is one of the kindred spirits sent to touch my life. She was an amazing woman, and inspiration to me and I will miss her dearly. Life is beautiful. We need to embrace it.

Here is an icky picture of a recent neighbor to move into our complex. It's body is at least 1 inch from bum to head. Eeewwww! I get the creepies every time I look at it.

Here are a couple of pictures from a recent outing with my sister Melissa and our nephews: Nick, Parker and Lucas. We went to the Temple Quarry in Little Cottonwood Canyon where the granite was taken to build the Salt Lake Temple. In the first picture they are standing in the river bed that floods with winter run-off every spring but, obviously, dries up at the end of summer. The big stones are granite.

More Brooklyn...the full proprietor of my time

2010-10-05T12:05:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pics of Little One.

Her first ride in her swing. (Thanks Tracy!)
She has Josh eating from her hands!
This is the only dress that kind of fits her. This was taken her first day going to church a couple of weeks ago. Cute face, huh?
Her first outing to nature. Silver Lake, Brighton.

Sticking her tongue out at Grandma Wallace.

With Grandpa Wallace
This morning, waving at the camera.
Which one looks more tired?

Here's a video: Gabbers and Hiccups

Cross-eyes

2010-09-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

My sister Kellie was visiting last night and just had to record Brooklyn going cross-eyed. Kellie is the one filming and giggling for the duration of this video. Too cute!!

Official Tour: Brooklyn's Room

2010-09-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the long awaited tour of the nursery. If i look a little sleepy that would be due to the two hours of sleep I got last night--oh the joys of being a new mom (I wouldn't trade it for anything!).

Brooklyn Marie Wallace

2010-09-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I labored on Labor Day and we now have a gorgeous daughter!!

Brooklyn Marie Wallace
September 6, 2010
5:05 a.m.
7 lbs 5 oz
21 inches
Wide awake and ready to dazzle!
First bath at home. This is the only time she cried. Is it bad to think that little pout is too cute?!?
Chilaxin in the bath.
Wide asleep.
We all had to wear these wristbands with the same ID number on it so that we could be recognized as a family:). Brooklyn also had a "HUG" on her left leg that would set off an alarm if it got too close windows, elevators, or exits from the nursery area.

Having 3 Nonstress Test in one week...really not that stressfull

2010-08-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, Josh is about to finish is first week back at school with students and he is definitely ready for a weekend. It is always interesting to find the balance between school, calling and home, but it will work out fine. Josh's new calling (Executive Secretary in the ward) is keeping him occupied during some of his down time and we are able to catch up on watching some of our instant play list on NetFlix. Lately we've been watching "Pushing Daisies" which only lasted for two seasons but is one of my favorites shows.

This week I had three (that's right 3) Nonstress Tests because of the two vessel chord. On Monday afternoon we went in for our normal weekly appointment and everything went well. I received a call from my doctor's office Tuesday afternoon: the "on call" doctor wanted me to go in for another NST. Since we didn't get there until 5 we ended up going to Labor and Delivery for the test. At first, the nurse said that the doctor "wasn't pleased" with the results of the test but after we had the test and the doctor looked at it, the LD nurse told us the doctor did not feel comfortable signing off on a test done the day before (apparently they didn't get the NST results from Monday until Tuesday afternoon). But, everything went well. The doctor then said they want me to come in twice a week until I deliver for NSTs so I set up another appointment for yesterday (Thursday). Everything went well yet again and they even did a different test called a "biophysical profile" where they watch the baby using an ultrasound and monitor/count her movements. She passed with flying colors (they even gave me a picture of one of her ears...good to know she has at least one of those:)).

My doctor said that if I haven't delivered by my appointment on Monday we will set up a day for induction...but I hope my body can do this on its own.

I have to admit that I am a little apprehensive about the whole labor and deliver process, mostly because of the "unknowns." My biggest concern is whether or not my body really knows what to do and will go into labor on its own (which I hope it will). These next few days will be interesting. It will be a new experience unique to me, but I know it will be amazing at the same time. I know those of you who have gone through it know what I'm talking about. The unique "creative" ability of women is such an incredible thing and I feel blessed to be a part of it.

4 weeks left!

2010-08-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

36 weeks and counting...

Josh started work this week--he is doing a training to learn a new program that tests the writing ability of the students. It's been a long week as he has tried to get used to getting up early a few days in a row. I think it's good practice for him.

The 9th month of pregnancy has brought on more excitement, more tiredness, lower backaches and more swelling in my feet. Last night we were laughing about how my calf muscles seem to go straight down my leg, flow through my ankles and move all the way down to my toes. I have been working long days for two days now and have been getting home around 10 at night--my feet show us what a long day I have had. But, it's all good! I was trying to figure out a creative name to call the swelling and it's affect on my legs at night by combining calf-ankle-feet: cankles, feenankles, cankfees...it's a work in progress.

We started Non-Stress Tests three weeks ago and they are going well. It requires me to sit on a comfortable reclined chair, drink juice and relax with two monitors on my belly, one for baby's heart rate/movement and one for contractions. At the beginning of each test they perform an ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid which fluctuates each time we go in--each time it has been within the normal range--and it has been fun to see baby girl every week, or at least see as much as you can on an ultrasound. The first week the technician showed us her little face for a couple of minutes as she was facing out toward the sonogram. So cute! Every time we have gone in baby girl gets sleepy and does not move too much at the beginning of testing (one of the purposes of the test is to monitor her movements--they want at least 2 big movements to measure her heart rate). As a result of her sleepiness the technicians have different ways to "wake her up" and get her moving. Josh's favorite technique is what they call "the buzzer"--it is a little device that vibrates and makes a noise that they baby can hear inside the womb when it is pushed onto my belly. The first week they hit the button and baby girl went "bazerk" and moved for 5 minutes straight. It was funny to watch my belly move around and the monitors on my belly bump up and down. We'll be doing Non-Stress Tests every Monday until I deliver.

We have painted the baby's room and put up bead board to add some texture to the room. I think it looks fantastic! I'll post some pictures of it later so that you can see how it all turned out. We are starting to get things that we need for her little by little and everything is going well.

We are getting very excited for our new arrival. I have been preparing myself as best as I can for the things that I will be required to do (taking classes, reading up on things, talking to some friends) though I feel that nothing can really prepare me for what it will be like for me--but at least I have some idea. Josh is very supportive and just as excited to be a new father.

THE James Taylor and MISS Carole King--A-MAZ-ING!

2010-07-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

For my birthday I got two tickets to see James Taylor (thank you Wallace's!) and the concert was last night. I cannot blame my tearing up 4 times to my pregger hormones because it was absolutely A-MAZ-ING and I would have cried anyway. Carole King sang some of my favorite songs of hers: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, You've Got to Get Up Me Tomorrow, You've Got to Get up Every Morning and Far Away. I had two JT songs in mind that I really, really wanted to hear and he sang both of them! Secret of Life and Close Your Eyes. Close Your Eyes was the last song they sang during their encore and the harmony was A-MAZ-ING. Could I say amazing any more? A-MAZ-ING!

Adventures of Independence Day

2010-07-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy July 4th weekend...but we had a blast. Saturday we went up to Heber where we swam in the pool at my sisters condo complex, went to the Zermat Resort where we listened to a bluegrass band then watched fireworks from my uncle's house. It was fun.

Parker (nephew) is in the back and in the front, Lucas (nephew) is covering his eyes because he's crying. he cried the entire first ride because he didn't want to sit on an animal but a bench (seen below) which he rode on during the second ride.

Nick and Parker on the Carousel at the Zermat Resort in Heber. And, Josh and Lucas chill-laxing listening to the bluegrass band.

Here are some pics of the Annual Post Family Water Fight to the Death (but not literally)!!!!

All's Well...

2010-06-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

I finished Spring Term with flying colors! 4.0! I loved my classes and I am excited to get a break from school for a little while. I have been working these past couple of weeks and I will continue to work off and on during the summer whenever I am needed. Josh is enjoy his summer and is already getting a head start on next school year (I told him that he needed to get the first two weeks so that he can be available for the arrival of our little one). On the days that I don't work, we have been going to the mountains and keeping active. I'll post some pictures below of our adventures.

We had our follow-up ultrasound last Friday to measure baby girl's growth and the amniotic fluid: she is growing fantastically--right on track!--and the fluid is in the normal range (the high end of normal, but not too concerning--they will check the fluid again when I get closer to the due date). It was fun getting to see her again. The doctor showed us her face then moved to measure the fluid and when she went back to her face, baby girl (womb child as Josh said) was covering her face with her arms...no pictures, please! We are getting excited. Only 9 weeks left!

We registered for baby stuff a couple of weeks ago and we cannot believe we will have a little girl in our home soon.

Here are some of our pictures from our day-trip to Silver Lake by Brighton ski resort:

Yes, friends, that is snow! Cool...literally.

We babysat our nephews the other day and here are some pictures from that:

Lucas did want to wear his "leash" so Josh put it on and had Lucas hold on to him.

Left to right: Lucas (3), Parker (7) and Nick (12)

Is claustrophobia a side effect of pregnancy?

2010-06-17T21:15:00.001-07:00

So, my family (Post) have been planning on going to Lehman Caves since Katie was a baby...that is a long time my friends. So...here are some images from the long-awaited trip!

This weekend we went to Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park, Nevada. It was cold (32 degrees), it rained and we had a blast! Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Above is the sunset that welcomed us into Nevada.

Above left is a cave shield. They don't know what forms these disc-like stalactite-wearing formations, but there pretty awesome!

Here are Katie and Annie coming through one of the claustrophobic spaces during the tour of the caves. I admit, I got really nervous and dizzy when I was walking through here...mostly because the line of people stopped when I was in the middle of it. Very nervous making!

Josh is making kissy faces. Mmwha!

After the ranger took notice of Parker and listened to one of his comments, Parker followed him around in this cavern for five minutes.

Below, there is a stalactite that had fallen and now looks like a creature...can you find the alligator?

(Below )The girls...minus the top half of Sissy's (Melissa) face.

Not the best picture, but this is called "cave bacon"...any ideas why?

Here's Josh next to a stream that ran along the "kitchen station" of the camp. There were no mosquito (thank goodness) but there were a lot of mice and voles--little fat mice with short tails (Josh's mom would have loved that!). There is one said mouse in this picture...can you find it? The best part of this moment was as Josh watched this mouse another mouse scurried up and between Josh's legs. Good times.

Hashbrowns anyone?!? Here's Katie cookin' up breakfast in the rain Saturday morning.

This is the most famous cave shield in the cave. Amber lighting for dramatic effect...check!!

Who needs more sleep when pregnant?

2010-06-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

I had my 28 week check up today, glucose test and all! The glucose part was not as bad as everyone made it out to be. Who knew?

Everything is going great. I am measuring "big" for the first time (meaning uterus-wise), baby girl is growing well and I did gain some weight this month (4 pounds) so I have gained only 9 pounds total this entire pregnancy. I have a pulled muscle on the bottom of my ribcage that is making some of my movements interesting--in other words a little painful, but other than that baby girl and I are fantastic!

I set up an appointment for a followup ultrasound (June 25) to make sure that the baby is growing well and two weeks after that I will start getting natal stress tests to make sure that all is going well.

I have been looking at various names just for fun. Some I like, some I don't, and some I don't know if Josh will like. We'll see.

Peace!

Ultrasound Update: 21 weeks and counting....

2010-04-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

I did not mention this in my last blog because I had not yet discussed it with my doctor. During the ultrasound it was discovered that the umbilical cord only has one artery and one vein (normally 2 arteries and one vein). This occurs in 5-6% of all pregnancies. The ultrasound doctor did not give me a lot of information regarding the affects of this, but my doctor did call me the day after the ultrasound to talk about it. Unfortunately I was in a class and missed her call. We played phone tag for a week until I was able to talk to her yesterday.

She had nothing but reassuring information for us. She said that most babies with this "condition" are fine, and since the rest of the ultrasound was normal and looking great, she did not have much concern. What will be done is an ultrasound every month from here on out to measure the growth of our precious baby girl, which the doctor anticipates to be fine, as well as weekly fetal monitoring from 34 weeks until the end of the pregnancy. She said that it is unlikely to cause any problems with the baby, but the monitoring will make sure that the blood flow stays normal and that the fluid around her does not change.

I have had some very faith-promoting and wonderful experiences as I have been guided in my personal gospel and scripture study since finding out about this. I know that this baby girl is a blessing and is very special, that Heavenly Father is excited and joyful for Josh and I to be parents, and that my understanding and testimony of the Atonement is and will continue to be a strength to me.

Congrats...it's beginning to look like a baby!

2010-04-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

A week ago today we went to get our first ultrasound! It was incredible. What was I expecting the baby to be, boy or girl? Well, to honestly answer, a girl. However, the week leading up to the ultrasound I was beginning to wonder if it might be a boy. I know that is what Josh wanted, a boy, though when we were first talking about getting pregnant he said he wanted a little girl. So, as I lied on the table, stomach all gooped up, rolling thingy pressed firmly against my already weak bladder, I was not too surprised by what I saw.

The technician when straight for the good stuff to reveal the all to present question: so...what is it? When she found the proper view, looking up at the tiny bottom, I knew exactly what I was looking at. She asked "so any guesses as to what you're having." Josh just looked at the screen, looked at me and smiled, like he had no clue what he was looking it. I said, "well, not really...." when in fact I did. She then said "It's a girl" and the phrase "I'm a girl" was placed on the image. IT'S A GIRL!!

It was an incredible experience to finally "see" the baby. It was a little strange to see her moving so much, and hear the technician comment on how active she is, but not being able to feel the movement. That has changed in the past week. I can feel her moving more and more. Kicks, punches, flips. There have been a few times I have been sure that Josh would be able to feel the bumps on the outside, but he has not felt it yet...soon, though, very soon.

It was fun telling everyone what we were having. It seemed everyone "knew" what we would have, and some "knew" what they wanted us to have. My dad was positive it was a boy. So positive that when I told him over the phone we found out he said "it's a boy" I said, "no, it's a girl," he replied "a boy then." He has said that ultrasounds have been wrong before, I think to make himself feel better. My mom also said it was a boy, though she was holding and looking at the images from the ultrasound. No, Mom, it's a girl. "Oh!" she exclaimed! "Can I go shopping now?"

Needless to say, we are very excited and look forward to meeting this precious angel.

I finished with all my finals yesterday afternoon and I have some time off, until next Tuesday when Spring Term starts. I am only taking 3 classes and I will have a lot more time to rest. The play finishes this week, which is always a bitter-sweet experience. Josh has a state debate competition tomorrow and then his schedule should get a lot better as well.

We miss all of you and hope all is well in your lives!

The Wallaces

Chuckle...I don't have to go through any of this!

2010-03-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

Incredible moment the other day!!! I was taking a test in my directing class and, no, that is not the cool part, I felt the baby move!! At first I thought it was a muscle twitch since my body does really odd things lately. I shifted in my seat to see if that would remedy the twitch, but it kept going. I then realized what it was!! It was, in a word, amazing. How do I even articulate what it is truly like?

I was looking at "What to Expect When Your Expecting" when I got home later that day, and I read the part that said that women feel the baby at varying times, anywhere from 14 to 20 weeks. Well, put me in the 15th week column.

When Josh got home that night, I was doing homework and trying to relax on the couch. He picked up the "Expecting" that I had left on the coffee table and started to read. Suddenly, he started to chuckle. I thought, okay, I really didn't find anything very funny in the book. I continued to do my homework. Soon, he started to laugh again; my curiosity got a hold of me and I asked him what he was laughing about. He said, "I don't have to go through any of this!" He then started to list things he had found funny. I dryly looked at him, held my tongue and started to do my homework once again.

Later that night, I was thinking about him laughing, feeling like he didn't really care about all that I am going through, that he will never understand and then it hit me: it is actually kind of sad he doesn't get to go through it. #1...it is my role as a woman in the plan of salvation and #2...he will never feel the life and connection as I do. So, maybe I should randomly chuckle and tell him "You don't have to go through any of this!" I think he is ready to "feel", palpably and through my skin, the baby move, but it will not be for a while and it will not be the same sensation or experience for us both. After I told him I had felt the baby move, he said "when will you feel it kick?" He may be laughing on the outside, but I can see the jealousy. Jealousy of my stomach aches, headaches, constipation, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, lack of want to smell certain foods, nausea, of my ever increasing waistline (even though I am maintaining weight now because I cannot eat too much still), and my unpredictable mood swings. Yep. Jealous!!!

Being a woman is A-MAZ-ING!! This has been one of the most wonderful experiences yet in my life.

And so it begins....

2010-03-03T15:23:00.000-08:00

14 weeks. We are now 14 weeks into our first pregnancy!!! We are so happy and are excited for our family to grow.

Two weeks ago I went to see my doctor and get my check-up (happy-pappy and all...yea me:). Everything looks great! We also experienced something amazing. We heard the heartbeat for the first time! Dr. Stevenson found one of my arteries so that we could hear the difference between the two: mine was like a giant meandering around and the baby's was like a squirrel hyped up on caffeine. A-MAZ-ING!

I am now a couple of weeks into the second trimester and feeling a little bit better. I still feel sick in the morning and a little bit at night, but my herbal tea helps me out a lot! I find all the side effects of pregnancy..."interesting." But, I am happy, excited and loving life!

Josh's middle school's basketball team he coaches won their division (if that's what it's called). They played the semifinals Saturday at 2 and then the final was at 4, also on Saturday. The first game was an easy win but the second game was exciting! They won it in the last two minutes after falling behind in the first and then switching the lead the rest of the game. He enjoyed it, but he's glad that it's done.

Play rehearsals are going well for me (Twelfth Night). I am having so much fun and learning a lot, but I do physically check out around 8 p.m. Baby and mama get tired being on our feet all day. We open in less than a month, but it is coming right along.

Trick or Treat 2009

2009-12-05T09:52:00.001-08:00

This is the video we made this year.

Trick or Treat 2008

2009-12-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

This is a video we made last year for Halloween. Enjoy!

Josh and Kristie's Song

2009-12-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Video from August 11, 2007...2 years and four months later...
This is the song that my sister Kellie and our friend Vince wrote for our wedding present. You cannot really hear the song all that well due to the children making noise but it is still awesome! We're going to get them to record it so that we have a good copy.

Boise

2009-10-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

We returned home Sunday night from a trip with Mom and Dad Wallace. We got to spend a couple days with them here and then drove with them to Boise. Conference was great. I missed a few talks, but it was especially nice to attend Priesthood session with Dad. We haven't been able to do that for a couple of years (I actually stayed awake this time, also).

Yesterday we had a break from students here at school. It was one of those relaxing teacher work days. Today it was back to work with kids and all. 7th grade is not much of a challenge now that I have done it a couple rounds. This year the 9th grade is the stress, but only because it is new to me. Once I am organized it is really nice to work with them. They are so much more mature than what I am used to, and our students are very respectful. I never have a problem. I think Kristie is enjoying her stage combat class. She tells me about all the men she gets to beat up. That and other classes keep her busy.

We hope everyone is well. We love you all!
Josh

School

2009-09-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

So we are both back in school and getting used to this lifestyle again. I am teaching 9th and 7th grade this year, and Kristie is taking a full load of classes at BYU. She is working less than before and taking 16 credits. It makes for a boring home life because all she wants to do is study and all I want to do is plan lessons.

We wanted to include a couple of pictures from our recent trip to Zions Park and St. George. We were there for a total of three days. We went to Snow Canyon on the 10th, Zions and a Shakespeare play on the 11th, and Kolob Canyon on the 12th. When in Zions we found a little friend. He was particularly fond of Kristie. She was okay until he wasn't satisfied just being on her shoe. He started up her leg and that was when she knew she had had enough.

Yellowstone July 2009

2009-08-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

Post Family's Yellowstone Trip

Two weeks after spending time in the Yellowstone area with the Wallace Clan, we were back up there again with the Post Family. This photo was taken on the steps of my (Kristie) uncle's cabin that we used in Mack's Inn. We had a blast!

Katie and Kurt took their canoe up and we pulled out one of Uncle Greg's canoes to use. We floated the river one afternoon and stopped for a little dip in the river at a swimming spot we found. The water was freezing until we got used to it and it was so much fun. After getting back into the canoes and heading back down the river, Melissa, who was steering in the back of the canoe I was in, squealed "I've got a leech!" I looked back to see her foot by my head with a leech making its merry, slithery way up her leg. Kurt pulled their canoe up by us and offered to pull it off for her. Melissa turned her head and said "I'm not gonna look," when Kurt pinched the unattached side of the leech and it came right off. Luckily, it had not embedded its suckerish face into her skin. It was fantastic! I giggled about it the rest of the way down, grateful it wasn't me but also paranoid that I had a friend of my own; ends up, I didn't. Phew!