Any guesses on what we're having?

We took a little trip to the doctor today to find out what we are having. Long story short, I noticed a little something about 30 seconds into the ultrasound that piqued my interest, but the technician didn't say anything. A few minutes later, my suspicions were confirmed...it's a boy. Now comes the hard part, picking a name. Just kidding, well not really, but the hard part and discomforts are still ahead (Betsy can attest to that).

I'm going to see if I can be technically savvy enough to get the ultrasound video on the blog. Don't hold your breath though...so far the DVD (yeah they have finally advanced from VHS) they gave us won't let me copy the files.

If you have any suggestions, let me know.
Hopefully I can figure it out.

Happy Birthday Alexandria

Well, she's five. It's hard to believe that that we have a five-year-old. We had a great day on Saturday. Alexandria chose what we would have for dinner. She decided that she wanted chicken and spaetzle. I won't say that I have any complaints about that. She was so excited that we had her open her presents in the morning. On Sunday we had some friends and family over for cake and ice cream, so that topped off the festivities. Here are some highlights:

Opening some presents

Five candles

Rainbow ice cream by request

We woke up Sunday morning to about an inch of snow on the ground. Betsy wasn't too happy, but the snow didn't last. It all melted and then froze overnight making for a wonderful commute Monday morning. We are excited about Jessica coming home. We don't get to see her for another month, but it will be great to see her when she comes out here to visit. Grandma Brenda is coming to Utah this week. We are excited and Alexandria wants to know if Grandma is staying the night. If you ever come over to visit be prepared for her to ask you if you are staying the night. It's a real treat.

It's Been a While

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything. Most of my evenings have been spent studying for the DAT. It will be nice to have that out of the way in a couple of months. Since January we have had some exciting things happen. Betsy is expecting and is due on September 15. We're excited for the upcoming addition to the family. I think right now Betsy is looking forward to not feeling sick all of the time.

A couple of weeks ago Gordon came out to visit. I thought it would be fun to go up to the cabin for the day. We had a great time riding the snowmobiles in, firing up the BBQ, and playing foosball. Betsy gave me an antique Russian rifle for Christmas and we took that up and shot a little bit too.

There's quite a bit of snow, but it has
compacted a lot since I was up here last time

Clearing the snow off the deck.
We have cleared over 10' throughout
the season, so there has been no shortage
of snow.

Last week I took Alexandria to a friend's birthday party. They had it at a place called Jungle Jim's Playland. Essentially it is an amusement park for little kids. She had an absolute ball.

When do I get to drive Daddy?

Riding the merry-go-round

Two little friends flying their space ship

The weather over the last week or so has warmed up quite a bit. In fact, we can see grass now. It's been several months since we were able to do that. The other day it was so nice outside that we decided to pull the bike out and go for a ride. Betsy and the girls are glad for the snow to be melting. I have mixed feelings because the winter is, in my opinion, the best time to go up to the cabin.

Spring is in the air

I need to be more diligent in posting, so hopefully I can get at least a few posts in per month to keep everyone up to date.

A Quick Trip to Arizona

We found out there is a new dental school in Arizona. In fact, it is so new that the actual building isn't done being built. The first class starts in the Fall. We felt like I should go down there and visit with them and get a feel for the campus. I had big plans to meet with the director of admissions, and the dean of the dental school but my attempts were unsuccessful (I tried). Overall I do think the trip was a success because I did meet an admissions counselor, took a tour of the campus, and got a good idea of what I need to do. That was on Friday.

Let's rewind to Thursday. I left early in the morning and drove through the day only stopping twice for gas and a pit stop (we all didn't go because it probably would have taken two days to get there with the little ones). I arrived in Glendale, AZ around 4pm and thought since I had a little time, I would stop by the Mesa Temple visitor's center (hereafter VC) and see if I could catch Sister Millburn at work. Traffic was a mess (I think I'll hold off complaining too much about Salt Lake's traffic problems) and I arrived at the temple grounds around 6pm. Unfortunately for me, the visitor's center was closed for a special event. I was able to talk with one of the senior sisters who informed me that Sister Millburn was no longer at the VC but was now a "full field" missionary as of Wednesday. She did tell me that if I came back around 7pm that I might catch see her because the sisters were all coming to the VC to help with the event.

After a trip to Denny's I went back to the VC and waited. It was a little uncomfortable because I was standing in lobby and was the only person with out a suit on. I was about to leave and Sister Millburn walked through the door with her companion. After the initial shock, I got a VIP tour of the VC and the new Reflections of Christ exhibit. A local LDS photographer recruited some help and took pictures of various scenes from Christ's life. They also had a 30 minute making of video that gave some further insight to the project. The exhibit was great and very moving. It was fun to see Hootie and where she has spent her time proclaiming the gospel. She is doing great and asked about everyone. Several of the other sisters commented about what a good missionary she is. She has the spirit with her and I'm sure has touched many lives. I did get a few pictures so enjoy.

They had some members of the shooting cast
in costume (note how tall that Roman soldier is)

Jessica and I in the front lobby of the VC

One more.