The Belly Just Keeps on Growing

Well, I obviously didn't get around to writing a new post at the beginning of this month....but better late than never.

Life hasn't been too incredibly interesting for the past month and a half. Since February 3rd we've pretty much been busy, busy, busy with work and school. This last semester is only bearable because we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We only have five weeks of classes left!!!! And once my recital is over on April 7th, all I have left are my Oral Exams on April 11, one big paper for my Music Theory class, and a final project in my String Literature Class. It will end! I consider it a miracle that I am making it to the end of this degree. I have had my moments where I didn't see the point in continuing, but I am sure I will be grateful for the rest of my life to have a master's degree...even if it is in music.

Early in February I did have the opportunity to participate, with the Orchestra at Temple Square, in recording the music for the new movie coming out about Emma Smith. I haven't seen it yet, but I hear it is supposed to be really good, so everybody should go see it. I think the opening date for it is April 11 or something like that.

We were also able to make it up to Sam's cabin one more time this winter (Feb. 22-23), but with snowmobiles this time! Although it was originally supposed to be a trip with friends, we ended up having most of Sam's family come up instead. We rented 2 snowmobiles, and Sam's uncle let his dad borrow 2 more, so we had a blast! The weather was PERFECT for us and we had a great time. Riding a snow-mobile when you are 6 months pregnant is interesting....it sure made me have to go pee a lot! But Sam was very careful and took all the bumps very slowly for me. Two funny stories from that trip:

Story #1: Sam's brother Joe came up a little later than the rest of us, so Sam and Mark (Sam's dad) drove a couple snow-mobiles out in the dark to help him because he had a sprained ankle. On their way in, Sam and Mark went to play around on a hill for a little bit, and in the mean-time, Joe passed the turn-off to the cabin because he couldn't see it in the dark. No big deal right.....he'll just realize it eventually and turn around and come back. BUT- Joe has a sprained ankle! So he goes quite a ways past the turn-off before he realizes it, and then when he tries to turn around he gets stuck and with a sprained ankle has quite a job of digging himself out. Sam and Mark were out looking for him for about an hour before they found him....kind of scary...we thought Joe was lost and gone at 11:00 at night in the freezing-cold, dark night! In the end we all had a good laugh when everybody was back.

Story #2: while they were out looking for Joe - Andy, Amy, Hannah, I, and their dog, Benson, are back at the cabin just waiting for them. Andy lets Benson inside for a little while....no big deal except that he stinks! And as Benson is just wandering around the living room he stops and sniffs Amy's back-pack which was on the floor and then lifts up his leg and starts to pee on it! DISGUSTING, but totally hilarious too. Needless to say, Benson was escorted back outside pretty quickly after that.

In front of Sam's cabin - a gorgeous day!

Benson is CRAZY!!! He loved it up there.

We took a nice, long, bumpy ride to the
top of this mountain -
slightly uncomfortable on my pregnant belly...

That sign says "no vehicles"....

A good day up at Alta...nar-nar-sicky-sicky-pow-pow!

We started our LaMaze classes on March 1st. Sam is LOVING having to spend 6 Saturday mornings learning about how to help me get through labor naturally (hoping there are no major complications). He is actually being very good and supportive about it, but he has been missing out on some good skiing and other fun activities.

Spring Break started for us on March 14th! I went down to St. George with the Orchestra at Temple Square to do 2 concerts, and so Sam came down and joined me for an extra couple days. Although it was warmer than the snow-storms that were going on in Salt Lake at the time, it wasn't as warm as we would have hoped it would be. But we insisted on sitting by the pool and soaking up a few sun-rays anyway. My cousins, Saren and Jared Loosli, who live down there, were kind enough to let us crash at their place for a couple of nights. We also hit a bucket of balls at one the golf-courses, and Sam now really likes the idea of spending some time in St. George - golfing....future trips!! We headed back to Salt Lake on Monday night because we both had work and other commitments to keep on Tuesday and Wednesday. But as soon as those were taken care of we promptly packed up the car again and headed into colder weather. We're just keeping up the tradition of spending the weekend nearest March 23rd with Ashleigh Wood (it's her birthday), skiing at Grand Targhee. The Wood family is generous and kind enough to let us crash at their house in Rexburg for a few nights while we spend the days on the slopes. Of course, I did not get to do any skiing this trip.....I quit skiing mid-February....but everyone else has been having a blast on the slopes. On Thursday they did some back-country skiing in the Teton Pass by Jackson Hole, and I got to be the drop-off/pick-up lady....not so bad. Then we hung out in Jackson for a little bit before gorging ourselves on the feast at Bubba's! We were all looking forward to the good bar-b-que cooking there. Sam downed a whole rack of baby-back ribs by himself! Friday and Saturday were spent skiing at Targhee in GREAT conditions: snow falling on Friday, and nothing but blue skies on Saturday!

Hiking in Snow Canyon near my cousins house

It is SO beautiful down there...
especially Sam's morning hair!

The St. George temple is so beautiful

What a figure eh?!

Not as warm as we had hoped it would be...

A perfect view of the Grand Teton from Grand Targhee!
Chels was so happy to be sitting in the lodge
on such a beautiful day....

Hike skiing in Teton Pass... it was a little windy

Again, Chels was sooo happy to be the photographer/driver...

Can you see Sam? Nothing like fresh tracks...

That's MY man!

We had to get some pictures in the antler arch in Jackson Hole!

Sam is definitely NOT a vegetarian!
He and Rennie each ate a FULL rack of ribs.

Bubba's is the BEST restaurant in town.
It's tradition to eat there when in Jackson Hole.

Who ever said that Idaho isn't beautiful?