Coming Home from the Hospital

 Seems so small in the big carseat.

 

Good Buddies

Papa Duff and Shaun are good buddies.

They sat for hours putting this puzzle over and over again in Nats and Robs living room.

He came and got in bed with us in the morning and we talked and talked.

He wanted Papa Duff for e v e r ything!
They are making the 'peace' sign.  Hahaha!

 



Drum Roll Please--Meet Hannah!

Here is our sweet Hannah Christine

 

 Just a few hours old!

So content.

 

 Robert was starving and asked us to pick up some Wendy's for him.  He was very specific.  Later we learned that he had Wendy's right after John was born too and wanted to keep the 'tradition' going.

 

 New family picture.

 

 Four generations in this picture.  We don't look too bad do we?  given that Christine and I had driven all day and Natalie had just given birth and it was 110* outside----

 

 With her Auntie Christine (middle namesake).

 

 With great Auntie Lisa.

 

 With Uncle Shaun.

 

 With her Papa Duff.

Isn't that just so sweet?

 

 Cute foot and tiny toes.

 

 With Opa.

 

 Sunday with Auntie Chris.

 

Robert and John.

Notice how the window is oval.  All the windows in this hospital are oval.  Auntie Lisa brought a little gift for John since Hannah was getting presents.  It was a matchbox Chevy car.  Papa Duff had him come over to him and he showed John how to race it down one side of the oval to the other.  Oh My!  That was the best entertainment.

 

Born: 8-4-12

Weight:  7pounds 11 ounces

Length:  21 1/2 inches long

Big Brother:  John Owen

Parents:  Natalie and Robert

The Road To Hannah

I cleaned and cleaned and got the cabin ready to close up till we come again.

I packed the car on Friday night.

Saturday morning, I picked up Christine at 7am from EFY in Provo.

We drove to the Wilk to see if anyone had turned in her phone.

No one had.  She lost it at the dance the night before.

 

We went to pick up a blanket I had hemstitched and then to Kneaders for some french toast breakfast to go.  It is our tradition.

 

We were on the highway by 8am.

Natalie and Robert had already gone to the hospital for her induction at 6.

I was a little nervous doing this drive.

I've only gone from Utah to Arizona once and that was when the kids graduated and moved to Phoenix and we helped them.  Now I was doing it on my own and Christine was sound asleep for hours.  You don't sleep much at EFY.

 

We got to the 20 and I turned off.

Deep breath.  Here we go.

This is such a beautiful drive.  It doesn't seem as long as the straight 15, even though it is.  It is windy and green with lots of farms and ranches and lakes and streams and groves of trees.

We stopped to take some pictures along the way when we saw some gorgeous vistas.  Who knows if we will ever drive this route again? 

 

 Can't remember where this is, but it's a turn off somewhere after you climb a lot of elevation.

All of a sudden we looked back, and went WOW.

 

We also stopped in Jacob Lake and got some cookies from their bakery. Our first favorite was the Cookie in a Cloud.  I hope to replicate it.  Next favorite was the Chocolate Truffle.  Yum.  Then the Chocolate Chip and Lemon Sugar Cookies.  Our least favorite was the Lemon Poppyseed Zuchinni. It is such a small quaint little town up high in the mountains.

 

I only had one zingy moment.  When we came across a bridge suddenly over the Colorado River.  It was so breathtaking everyone slowed down to idle over it and that kind of freaked me out.  I realized I was holding my breath and had to tell myself to breathe.  Christine laughed.

 

I will admit to driving way too fast but we were trying to make it there for the baby.  She had her own time table in mind and was born at 3:03 pm right when we were getting some lunch in Flagstaff.  The phone rang at 3:20 and it was Natalie telling us she was here!  Nats sounded great and everything went fast and well.

 

Chris and I got to my parents, picked up John and went to the hospital to meet the newest member of our family!



Carter's--DID YOU KNOW?

I went to the Carter's outlet store while I was in Utah.

I didn't realize we have a store here.  It's at the Spectrum right across from the water splash pad for the kiddos.  Appropriate.

 

I picked up some baby shower gifts, and this darling dress for all three of the baby girls.

Oh, this Gramma is having a lot of fun!

 

DID YOU KNOW-- that Tuesday's are double stamp days on your stamp card????

DID YOU KNOW-- that Wednesday's are 'gramma' days and you get 10% off the total of your purchase????

 



EFY 2012 And My Retreat

We were home for 2 days and headed back to Utah so Christine could go to EFY.

Her BFF in Midway is Lindsey and Chris met up with her in the grocery store in town.

Low and behold, when they drove over to the Dairy Keen for a shake, who was there in Heber, but her good friends from HOME!

Shelby's family moved to the east coast last year.  Her grandma lives in Heber, and her family was out visiting.  The Tate twins and Leslie G. were there too.  Everyone headed up to the cabin for treats and some super speed Nertz.

 

EFY theme this year.

 While I had lots of quiet time to myself I worked on my Personal Progress every morning.

 

 I cross-stitched this pillow cover for Hannah's crib.

 

 I crocheted burps and blankets.

 

Look how cute these are!

These are from Jan and Ann.  They got the fabric--which I would love to get more of--and Ann's friend did the stitching.  I like the edges a lot and am trying to figure out the pattern.

 

I did my tree whispering thing.

Lots of good water and some fertilizer.

I watched the summer Olympics.  Go USA!

And worked on Primary things from 'afar'.

I sat out on the deck at sunset and just relaxed and took it all in.

Went in to Park City to the outlet stores.  Natalie figured out she didn't have any newborn clothes for the baby.  Just a couple of nightgowns.  I got a few outfits for those first weeks until the 3 monthers fit.

 

Got some good sleep because then we were off for Arizona and Hannah to be born!

Linda and David's Haboob

After Natalie's baby shower, we regrouped and drove out to Linda and David's in Surprise for a bbq.

They live in a section that is very much out in the desert country.

It is very pretty and unique.

They have guns/rifles and atv's to ride.

 

Natalie was not feeling so well.

She had been having contractions off and on all day, and we knew a storm of some kind was coming from the weather reports.



While we were finishing our dinner and dishing up our homemade ice cream, I looked out the window and couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Really and truly.  There.  Are.  No.  Words.

 

These are pictures I got from the internet that people took in the area on July 21st when this storm hit.

This is exactly what it looks like.

First comes the wind and all the dust.  It looks like the end of the world and feels eerily suffocating, except that you are indoors.

Then the rain comes.

 

With Natalie so close to the baby coming, we decided to leave for home (it's about a 50-60 minutes drive), and not get stuck in the storm.  Linda and David's home is located by some washes that in a haboob can turn into flash flood areas. You know the old wives tale of babies coming in storms.

Maybe we should've waited it out.

Because we found ourselves suddenly driving right into it.

I was driving.  Natalie was in the front passenger seat.  Robert and Christine were in the back seat with John in his carseat in-between them.  You know when Robert suggests we have a prayer that it's pretty serious.

 I have never seen rain like that in my life.  There were points that I literally could not see in front of us and had to almost completely stop.  Not just rain either.  Thunder and lightening so loud and bright that it blinded you for a few seconds.

 

We did get home safely and called and told the rest to stay at Linda's until it was over.

Holy Moly Haboob!

Natalie's Baby Shower

Christine and I drove out to Phoenix on July 19th for Natalie's baby shower that coming Saturday.

Auntie Lisa and Gramma hosted it.

 

 Pretty in Pink.

 

 Fresh fruit, chicken salad croissants, seafood pasta salad, and finger dessets.

 

 

My Mom's pink dishes were perfect for the occasion.

 



 Lots of people from the family, friends, and church came.

Everyone was so kind and generous.

Baby Girl will be all set!

 

John was very happy when it was over.

He cuddled on the couch with his blankie and Auntie Lisa.



Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked...

Our Stake Primary was asked to have the Primary children participate in an old-fashioned trek through the park on July 21st.  Decorate those bikes and wagons and wear their pioneer best duds.

We didn't want any child to be left out, so we sewed bonnets and kerchiefs for all the boys and girls.

 Here are some of the ones I made.

   

 Nice thing was I got out my fabric scraps and used them up!
I had so much fun putting things together.
I used this as a project for the value of Good Works for my Personal Progress that I am working on.
It took about 30 hours for ironing, cutting, sewing, etc.

My trusty old Sears Kenmore sewing machine.

Duff gave it to me the first Christmas we were married. Nothing fancy,

but it's still going strong.