Grandpa Bud

Kev's Grandpa Bud was diagnosed in April 2009 with pancreatic cancer.  By the end of August he was losing the battle quickly.  We tried all sorts of natural ways to induce the baby in hopes the baby would arrive in time for Bud to meet the little one, including hiking 10-12% grades for more than three miles every other day.  Unfortunately, Bud went to serve the Lord on Sept. 4th (the day before the baby's due date).  Wendy went to the OB that day and got the okay (and medical records just in case) before traveling down to be with family.  Gratefully, Grandma Linda and the family agreed to have the funeral two weeks to give us time for the baby to be born.

Moose Creek Wilderness Trip

At 24 weeks pregnant, we flew into the Wilderness and landed at the grass strip at Moose Creek Ranger District.  The only way to get there is by flying in or hiking in due to wilderness rules.  Kev has hiked the 24+ miles from the end of the road to Moose Creek Ranger District many times while working for the Forest Service in the summer (most times making the trip in one day).  He loves the area and has always wanted to share its beauty with his family.  Kev's parents, Aunt Lorraine, and Uncle Mark joined us.  We camped along the landing strip under the pine trees for three nights.  On the second morning, we were waken by an elk bugling on the airstrip.  During our stay we hiked more than 27 miles, 14 of which were on one day!  We went during Wendy's ideal time...snow had melted yet too cold for rattlesnakes to be out.  We all enjoyed the trip and plan to return someday...hopefully when Wendy is not pregnant so the hiking speed is a little quicker and we don't have to take so many breaks at creek crossings to cool swelling feet (which doesn't take long in spring run off water temperatures).

Announcing Our Pregnancy

We convinced Wendy's brother Kevin to come over from Oregon.  That evening Wendy had Kevin play two-handed pinochle with her.  Little did he know that Wendy had taped a cut a picture of the ultrasound to the ace of hearts and staged it to be a card he would draw.  He first stared at it and then asked, "You?"

The next day we drove to Wendy's parents and had Brother Kevin say that he wanted and updated picture of the family with Cinder in it.  We all went outside and he said "Say Wendy's Pregnant" instead of "Say Cheese" so we could capture our parent's reaction which was disbelief until we walked all the way back inside to the kitchen.  Finally, they realized we were not kidding and he snapped another picture.

The next day we drove to Kev's parent's house and told his brother news so then he could help us capture the reaction of his parents.  We had them sit together on the couch and look at a photo album of Cinder.  When they turned the tenth page they saw a picture of the ultrasound.

We told extended family members at one family gathering by bringing pink and blue frosted cupcakes and announced that they were strategically frosted.  Other family members received a diaper in the mail with "coming soon" on the outside and a note inside the diaper.  Family could then use a permanent marker to write on the outside of the diaper and mail it back to us.  We received some funny ones!

Cinder Puppy

Cinder, a black female lab, joined our family on June 20, 2008 as Kevin's birthday present.  Wendy picked her out from a papered litter born on a million dollar estate in Oregon.  Cinder grew up with a gorgeous view of Mt. Hood and lush green grass under her paws.  Her mom's name is Nell, and she has one sister and seven brothers (only one of which was a yellow lab like her father Luke). Grandma Julie and Wendy brought Cinder back to Idaho.  She waited until a park with green grass in Tri-Cities to relieve herself and refused to go in the dry "grass" found at all the other pit stops on the five hour drive back to Idaho.  When she got to the cabin to meet her new daddy, she did a sit down protest to avoid walking in the gravel.  By 12 weeks of life, she knew seven commands. She is a quick learner when treats are involved! Now she knows 25+ commands (8 of which she also knows sign language for) and many words.  Her favorite words are Grandma Julie, bird, chicken, and go.