Family Reunion in Gunnison

Last weekend we headed to Gunnison for the Hulsbos family reunion. 18 of us spent time at my parents house eating, telling stories and taking advantage of all Eagle Ridge Ranch has to offer. Mom even threw us a baby shower for Baby Slease!


On Saturday everyone (except for me (prego), Stella (4), and Grandpa (89)) went for a horseback ride around the lower ranch. Here is Brad on Layla. As much as he really doesn't like horses, he actually enjoyed riding her. :)

Gearing up to go. . . Brad, Jenny, Carol, Ellen and Zana.

This was round 2 of the riders. Only 8 could go at a time. Dad ended up going twice so his horse didn't have to be left behind.

What summer at the ranch would be complete without going for a canoe ride around the pond? Brad and I ended up fighting the wind the whole time but it was fun.

Brad fished the pond as well and while he 'caught' 3, he only landed one of them. Those are feisty fish in that pond! He lost 2 flies in the process.

This is a crummy picture, I know, but on our way home we took Kebler Pass from Crested Butte to get to I-70 and on our way we saw a Momma Bear with 2 cubs! They were off in the forest a ways away from the road. It was so neat. However, we were driving past lots of campgrounds and it was 2 in the afternoon. I was thinking I might not want to camp around there.

We had a great time with the family and it was nice to get out of town. With only about 5 weeks left until Baby Slease gets here, it wasn't the most comfortable car-ride (especially because it took us 7 hours to get home because I-70 was closed and traffic was moving 1 mile an hour for about 15 miles! Luckily we did find a dirt road to take around the accident, but it still took a while!). I think I'm not interested in any more road trips until after this baby comes out!

Baby Slease at 34 Weeks!

The Dr. says the baby has turned head down and will probably stay that way. Regardless, the movement has not slowed a bit! The baby is constantly shifting butt to the right and then butt to the left. I've also felt parts sticking out that feel like the shoulders, the foot or maybe even a little knee! How cool!

We started another series of birthing classes. This time they are actual natural childbirth classes. It is the Bradley Method of birthing, also known as Husband Coached Childbirth. It has been really practical. We are, however, squeezing a 12 week class into a 5 week series. We've enjoyed the private classes to ask whatever questions come to mind and we are feeling a little more confident to do this without drugs.

I also bought a small load of cloth diapers yesterday. If you are picturing big white pieces of fluffy fabric magically wrapped around a baby with a huge safety pin, check out www.modernmommygear.com and click on modern diapering. The new cloth diapers are really amazing! They basically function like disposables but you wash them and use them again. When I was wrapping up choosing the styles I wanted, I realized I was buying diapers for OUR baby and I kind of freaked out. :) Is it possible to be so close to delivery and yet have no real sense that we are actually about to have a baby?! YES!

Neighborhood BBQ

On July 11th, our neighbors, Pat and Kesa, organized a neighborhood BBQ in the greenspace behind our house. We had a really good turnout and TONS of food! The weather also cooperated and we didn't have any rain ruin the party.

Here are some pictures of the event. . .

We really enjoyed getting to meet new neighbors and the food was great! We love our neighborhood!

Crazy Fourth of July

Friday morning at 10am, I noticed I had a phone message from mom. Basically, mom was letting me know that she really thought we should drive down to Albuquerque for the Fourth of July to spend time with my grandpa (Papo). She gave the 'no pressure' plea. :) So, by 11am, we were on the road on our way to Albuquerque.

We considered going a few weeks ago but Brody has been so weird lately, and kennels are so expensive, that we decided it would be better if we stayed home. So much for that. We took Brody's kennel along and planned to banish her to the kennel as soon as all the other dogs, kids and food showed up.

Unfortunately, I-25 was closed at Walsenburg for construction (of which there was no evidence of except for the orange cones blocking the highway!) and all 10,000 cars heading south were routed through town. What normally takes us under 7 hours took us 9!! What a day!

Saturday morning we had breakfast with Papo at the restaurant in his new assisted living place. We got to see his apartment and all the neat activities and people there. After breakfast, we headed back to his house to go through all the stuff he wants to get rid of now that he won't be living at home anymore.

Papo has such amazing historic treasures tucked away here and there in his house. If they were related to cars/trucks, he remembered the stories behind them. But everthing else. . . we're left to guess where they came from. :) After the major sorting, we took naps to gear up for the big event!

This is everyone (minus Brody - who was locked in the bathroom! and Pixie - Papo's pug that seems to be MIA) who came over for dinner and fireworks. As always, there was way too much food and the fireworks put on by Rio Rancho were fantastic. (That's not to mention the firework display grade fireworks being set off by all the neighbors! They are totally illegal but . . . it's New Mexico!) We did have a crazy thunderstorm right before the fireworks started but luckily the downpour stopped in time for the show. We had a great time with the family and really enjoyed seeing and talking to Papo.

Sunday morning we got up early and headed north. We did make it home in 7 hours (having to stop every couple of hours for Brody and me to go to the bathroom makes road trips LONG!). As soon as we got home we flopped on the bed and took a 3 hour nap! So much for our planned relaxing 3-day weekend at home! :)

4th Anniversary Dinner at the Brown Palace

Thursday, July 2nd, we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. Brad was in charge of picking the place for dinner and when he got home from work, we were off. As is Brad's style, I didn't know where we were going, but as he headed for downtown, I began to wonder. . .

As it turned out, Brad made reservations at the Brown Palace Hotel for dinner! The Brown Palace is a really fancy place (as well as historic) in downtown Denver. Neither of us had ever been there before for dinner so we were in for quite a treat!

This is the room we had dinner in. The food was AMAZING! It's always hard to eat at fancy restaurants like this because you are reminded that you are not a very good cook and that really good food really is hard to come by.

The funny thing was that we ordered the Chef's taster menu so we just got samples of an appetizer, soup, main course and desert. When the waiter brought out each course, I was disappointed at how little food was on the plate - even though it was beautiful. I got 1 crab cake (Brad got a sample of an artistic beef wellington), we both got about 1/2 cup of cauliflower soup, Brad got a Caesar salad (actually a full portion!), then I got 2 scallops (Brad got a 3in x 4in Bison steak), and for dessert, I got a 'sundae' that was the craziest looking dessert I've ever had and Brad got banana's foster. Even though the portions were so small, by the end of my first scallop, I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish! I guess because the food was so rich or something, but it was more than enough food! Weird! It was the best food I've tasted in a long time. The 2am heartburn that showed up is another story! Grr . . . pregnancy!

We had plans to spend Friday at the recreation pool down the street to finish off our anniversary celebration but Friday morning, everything changed!