A New Roommate

I never knew how much my life would change because of our little bundle. 2 weeks have passed and most of that has been spent getting to know each other.

It's been amazing!!!


She's cute, entertaining, a good listener, and really only fusses when she's hungry (just like her mommy). Just to prove she's a good eater, she tipped the scales at her 2-week appointment yesterday at 9 POUNDS! At this rate, she'll be in 6-month clothes by Christmas! Where is my tiny baby going?!

We had some pictures taken last week by my brother Tom. What an great photographer!!! We showed up not having really any ideas for poses, and Tom showed us some samples and Kim pulled out the red hair bows and "Santa Baby" dress. It was a success! Anna behaved herself by ONLY peeing on 3 blankets and 1 couch cushion. Here are my favorites. The rest are on facebook.

Look what the blizzard blew in!

We're so excited to introduce Anna Christine Hawkins!

She was born at 7:25 AM yesterday morning (Wednesday)!

7 lbs. 13 oz. 21 inches long

She has my nose and Bevan's DARK hair!!! Dark I say!!!

It was like something out of a movie. I was stranded, in the valley, an hour away from my hospital AND my husband, in a snow storm, IN LABOR! Here's the story:

Tuesday morning I made my normal trip to Salt Lake to run errands and tie up some business. I felt kind of pukey the whole morning, but I just kept plugging along. It might have been that I snowblowed the day before or the extremely low barometric pressure. Something got me triggered. I had planned to stay in Salt Lake for the night because of a "blizzard warning" and then hit up my doctor appointment on my way home the next morning in Park City. Around 5 pm I started having contractions. I was sure I could just "will" them away and make it until the next morning. The biggest storm of the year so far was just hitting the valley and I couldn't go anywhere! Well, baby had other ideas. I waited out the bad part of the storm at my parents house and we finally drove over to the Murray hospital around midnight, instead of chancing Parley's Canyon. Thank heavens for the network of hospitals! Bevan was summoned around 4 AM when it was finally safe to travel down the canyon. After a long, sleepless, delirious night, Anna was born first thing in the morning, after 2 hours of painful labor (I had to "prove" myself), 5 more hours of not-so-painful labor, and 10 minutes of pushing. Whoopee!

I'm so glad everything worked out and she wasn't born on the side of a road somewhere. That's the true spirit of thanksgiving. I'm greatful for local hospitals. I'm greatful for supportive family. I'm greatful for adorable baby girls who couldn't wait another minute to play in the snow. We love our Anna!

Birthday Love!

I can't believe my man is 32 years old!!! Where does the time go?!

The day didn't start out with much potential. Due to a scheduling error (not my fault) we got signed up to go to the dentist. What a way to spend your birthday. I could only imagine how it would go for him:

It actually went really well! Our new dentist is super cool, we didn't have any cavities, and Bevan was able to do some ward missionary work.

Bevan had to spend the rest of the day at work, but we did drive down to Salt Lake afterwards for dinner and a Jazz game (thanks, Tim, for the sweet tickets!). The Jazz won and made it all the better!

We drove home and finished the day with Bevan's very own BTS cake. I goofed and didn't poke enough holes for the sweetened condensed milk so it ended up being a little dry, but still very tasty. Happy birthday Bevan!!!

In baby news... I'm now at that point where it could be tomorrow or 2 more weeks! The snow tires have been mounted, the oil has been changed, the wood has been stacked, the bag is packed and waiting in the trunk... which means I will go 2 weeks over, just because I tried to be prepared. That's just how it goes, I guess!

Luckyyyyyy!

My awesome sister Nora came home yesterday with her sweet new baby, Isaac. She's amazing in the way she knows "mothering" like Bevan knows BYU football. She just knows everything! I decided to be helpful and put my unemployment time to good use by watching her kids. I'm glad we only have babies one at a time (usually). Four all at once can be overwhelming. It's all worth it when you see something like this...

I just have to comment on the themed sleeper suit with coordinating receiving blanket. Now if I can only find a matching blanket for this (nesting item of the week)...

If she takes her time, this MAY end up being her going-home outfit after all. What newborn doesn't need her own down-filled, fleece-lined powder suit?! The legs can either zip together (like a sleeping bag) or stay apart (for car seats and backpacks). It was a steal on Sierra Trading Post. I don't care much for the horse pattern, but when something retails for $85 and you snag it for $25, pattern takes a back seat.

I did have another appointment yesterday. The baby is definitely taking it's time. My body hasn't even begun to show signs of deliverance (ya know, ripening, effacing, cutting the cord, etc.). My doc said that "that's what labor is for". Rats. I thought I could just skip that part. Not everything is as easy as buying equestrian-themed baby outfits.

Nesting Update

I remember that day when Bevan came to move me out of my apartment at USU, right before we got married. Everything I owned was able to fit in the back of the subaru.

How times have changed!

A few weeks ago, we were driving home after a baby shower that my sweet MIL threw for me. Everything the baby now owned BARELY fit in the back of the subaru. Good grief! Combine that with the loot she got from a previous shower and the little person growing inside of me has more stuff than I do! I guess it's all part of the process of becoming responsible parents. We then carted in the epic cradle that has been passed on throughout the family. When I was little, we used to keep our stuffed animals in it. It never occurred to me that a real baby could ever sleep in it. It turns out that many babies have slept in it... and now it's our turn! It's so fancy-looking, it looks out of place in our bedroom. It definitely wins the award for "nesting item of the week".

In other news, Bevan has started his "winter employment". It's still 60 degrees and sunny outside, but they keep him busy for a couple weeks with indoor training anyway. My own employment has slowed to the point where I get to start collecting unemployment compensation, but I am not complaining! The pregnant belly was cute at first, but now it's grown massive and rounded. The delightful, excited looks I used to get from clients have now turned sympathetic: "When are you due again?"

Four Lakes Basin

Farewell summer...
welcome winter!!!
Did I miss something?!

Bevan has been wanting to do this short backpacking trip for months, so we finally set aside a weekend to get out there. Did I mention before how I love living 10 minutes from the Mirror Lake Highway? Well, I do, for these reasons: gorgeous mountains, alpine lakes, and a national parks pass that's also valid on this particular highway. I admit I got a little "weather worry". I was watching the radar all Thursday morning and when I finally got ahold of Bevan at work, this is how it went:

"It's snowing at the base of Mt. Agassiz"
"You're not wimping out on me, are you?"

He had a point. The 2 of us have been living and thriving here in snowland for the last 3 1/2 years. We actually like the snow! Why was I so reluctant to have it here again? I had no good reason... so we went.

SO GLAD WE DID! It was so beautiful! and a lot easier hike than I thought. By that time, it was sunny and dry. We took our time and made it out to Four Lakes Basin before it got dark. It wasn't even that cold! Little did I know that the front had NOT come through yet. We had a fun surprise the next morning: a whole INCH of fresh snow! Of course it was mostly melted by 11 AM. It was still a little chilly, but we packed our winter gear and stayed toasty the whole time, even while sleeping.

Friday was spent wandering around to the 4 lakes: Dayne, Dale, Dean, and Jean
Bevan's objective: hook the next big one!
Donna's objective: find that next big, flat rock and soak up the sun like a giant, white lizard.

We both had success! Alpine lakes don't produce gigantic fish, but he caught some nice ones (threw them all back of course). I took it easy and gave encouragement when needed.

We hiked out first thing Saturday morning. After all, it was game day and that will always trump fishing in paradise. Right before we got to the car, the temperature had warmed up dramatically and we passed several groups hiking in wearing shorts and t-shirts. I didn't mind. It was beautiful, peaceful, and a great way to spend a weekend.

Jean and Dean Lakes
We can do this!!! Good morning sunshine!

A winter wonderland

Bevan's heaven!

The big white lizard!

Observations of a first-time preggy...

It just hit me the other day that I only have about 11 weeks left until "Buttercup" is fully cooked!

I started to panic.

At my last appointment, my doctor said that it's almost time for me to come in every 2 weeks.

I panicked a little more.

We've signed up for birthing classes where you get to get to learn about birthing, I guess. I told Bevan they show a lot of grisly pictures and...

HE started to panic.

Of all the looking around I've done on the line to research strollers, joggers, maternity clothes, diapers, baby stuff, etc. Guess what I've purchased so far...

Nothing, nada, zilch!

I always figured I had plenty of time. I know I need to get some items sooner or later, but because kiddo isn't here yet, it hasn't been a reality.

I do feel good about some accomplishments:

1. We've been pre-approved to buy a real nest (whether it happens or not is still TBD)

2. My friend Kim gave me 3 little girl shirts (baby is now clothed!)

3. I've learned a lot of new medical terminology such as "glucose tolerance", "Chinese Gender Calendar", and "40-B".

4. Clients have been so much more nice to me this season! Instead of them complaining how a plant should've been moved 2 feet to the right, they tell me not to worry about it; it's fine where it is. Then they offer me water! WOW!

5. Pregnancy in general has been pretty easy so far. I've really been blessed. I've tested good on everything and she's growing at a normal rate. Her motor skills have evolved from little kicks to full-out dance moves like "the worm" and "the can-can".

I can't wait to see what the next 11 weeks bring. Our lives could be changing more than we expect. Everything will sort out like it should, I have total faith it will. Until then I'll keep enjoying getting surprised looks at church from ladies asking, "I didn't know you were pregnant?!"

You’ve had a birthday, honk hurray!

I can’t believe my little car has turned 150G! There should be more important things in my life to blog about right now, but this grabbed my attention this week. I was actually able to catch the odometer clicking over (luckily I had the camera with me)! It made me reminisce over the past 3 ½ years or 57,000 miles. What changes my life has been through! Here are some highlights involving little green civic:

- Driving through countless summit county snowstorms wearing her chunky snow tires
- Living out of her during my last semester at USU
- Learning how to drive a clutch, talk on the phone and peel an orange all at the same time
- Listening to dozens and dozens of books-on-tape ranging from British lit to quantum theory to spanish lessons
- Filling her trunk with all manner of work supplies: garden hoses, plants, paver bricks, tree branches, drip tubing, shovels, rakes, lobbers, lumber, and bags of sand
- Standing up against mild chuckling when parking at a job site next to all the other contractors and their big, shiny, white work trucks (how much does it cost to fill THEIR tanks?!)

For all of her weird noises, weak engine, 2 different types of skin cancer (paint and rust), low clearance, un-tinted windows, balding summer tires, and sliding floormats, she's been the best little car for my life so far. I don't know what will happen for her future 150,000 miles. I know the back can fit a car seat and the trunk can fit a stroller (barely)... who needs a mini van?!

Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, and FAMILY!

This road trip got off to a good note by only being 2 1/2 hours behind schedule! Not bad! 1 hour was me getting home late from work and the other 1 1/2 was also me forgetting the camera and having to turn around in Coalville. We did make it to Pocatello before the AM and had a fun time visiting with Vanessa and her night-owl children. All day Saturday was dedicated to the drive to Columbia Falls (our first camp spot). It felt so good to not have a schedule or any real plans. Bevan and I had to keep reminding each other to relax, we're on vacation!

Sunday was cloudy, which I heard is normal for that West Glacier area. We hit up some church in the local 9 AM ward and then headed to the park! I had planned some "strolls" along Going to the Sun Road up to Avalanche Lake and Trail of the Ceders. Even when it started raining, we still had a good time and soaked up all the beauty that was around us. We continued up the famous cliff-hugging CCC-era road, thankful that it was Sunday and no construction stoppage. We stopped at designated spots of beauty, took some pics, and headed to Many Glacier for another night of camping.

Monday was an exceptional day for a hike! The Garden Wall was covered in wildflowers, the Highline trail was dry, and the views from the Swiftcurrent Pass were clear for 100 miles! I cherished the weird looks my rounding body got from other hikers... feeling just a little bit of pride that I can still do stuff like this... for now.

Tuesday was another great day to see everything I've missed over the last 10 years. Many Glacier hasn't changed much: the slopping hallways, the deck overlooking the lake, and the 50 cars pulled over to see a speck-of-a-grizzly over 100 yards away. Some things never change. We went by Two-Medicine on our way to East Glacier, just because I never really saw it when I worked there. We drove back across Montana, towards Wyoming, out-running a thunderstorm the whole way to Mammoth.

Wednesday was our Yellowstone day, but we got sick of it by 2PM. We tried to see only those things we hadn't seen on previous trips, which didn't take long. Most of the day we spend sitting in construction traffic, waiting for parking spots to open up, and just dealing with ALL THE PEOPLE! By the time we made it to Old Faithful, we were done with Yellowstone and we decided to head to the Tetons a day early.

Thursday: Ah, the cleansing Tetons! No geysers, no traffic and no people! We found Nora and her family the day earlier and bummed a camp site. We hung out and waited for the rest of the fam to show up for our annual Ackerson Reunion! It was fun to have so much family there.

Friday: More family activities which included a hike to Swan Lake, lunch, rafting, and swimming in String Lake. It was fun to see all the cousins playing with each other. It started raining that evening, after dinner, and didn't stop until midnight. That wasn't bad considering the good weather we'd had most of the time. That rainstorm made us really evaluate... our tent. It leaks. But I'll save that for another sentimental blog post.

Saturday: Time to pack up and head back to civilization. We stopped by one more time at Jackson Lake Lodge to soak up the serene views. It's amazing how fast a week can go by. I hope it won't be another 10 years before we make it to Montana again. A family friend, Eve, once took a picture of a distant me on a grassy slope on Apikuni flats with Mt. Wilbur and Grinnel Point in the background (all features of the Many Glacier area). I kept this picture in my scriptures for years. I guess it's what I always imagined heaven would look like. Not so much a misty, cloudy area, but rolling lush hills, glacier-covered peaks, turquoise lakes, and thousands of wildflowers. How many places in the world can make you feel that much peace.

Now the pictures!!!

These were some of my favorites. Most of them I'll post of facebook. Enjoy!

Countdown to Glacier: 4 days!

I've been anticipating this road trip for months and now that it's almost here... I wish I had just one extra week ! Details about the trip itself were settled long ago, thanks to my list-making abilities during church. I always just seem to think better when it's quiet and I'm looking for some temporary entertainment.

Meals... done.

Subaru tuneup... done.

Necessary campground reservations... done.

Projects at my work... NOT DONE!

It seems that all of our clients KNOW that I'm going out of town for a week and they all want their designs and estimates right now. It's been a busy summer and I've struggled to stay on top of all our projects out there. Many of them we never even get awarded the contract, but that doesn't make any less work for me. I probably should be working instead of blogging right now. Oh well, it's my "lunch break".

In other news, I finally reached the official 5-month mark! I struggle putting on socks while standing up. I'm tossing clothes DAILY into a non-maternity box for storage. I have a hard time sucking in the belly around clients. To top it off, I found out that Buttercup doesn't even weigh one pound yet!!! Ugh, this getting more ugly every day. It doesn't help that mission and highschool reunions are coming up soon. I think I need a vacation.

"Still" Days 5K

During World War II, a steel mill was opened on Utah Lake which drew thousands of workers to settle in the nearby town of American Fork. The population exploded and made American Fork the city it is today. When Geneva Steel wavered in and out of bankruptcy and finally closed in 2001, many people lost their pensions and retirement benefits. Now most of the plant is torn down and the land sits vacant, not even appealing to groups who could have the land for free.

Anyway, American Fork still honors this heritage with their annual celebration "Steel Days". When Bevan and I first started dating, few people would enunciate the ee sound in steel and for months I thought the celebration was called "still days" highlighting peace or tranquility. Instead they have a carnival, parade, and fireworks. They used to put on a "burn out" with the muscle cars in the town. If you've never been to a burnout, you're missing out on a valuable piece of redneck heritage! People brings their cars, put blocks on the front wheels and spin their rear wheels until it produces all sorts of smoke and burned rubber. Why did I get such a kick out of it?! I don't know.

To make up for the emptiness from lack of burnouts, I talked Bevan into running the local 5K instead. I've reached that point where it's too uncomfortable for me to run, so I had to be content watching on the sidelines with his parents, eating a donut. No complaints here! I've never watched the end of a race before. I've always wondered about the people who come in first. Once again, it was mostly members of the high school track team. Bevan came in around 21 minutes again, which got him 3rd place in his division! Good job Bevan! Some friends of ours were there too, of which the women were pushing an assortment of baby joggers. I told Bevan that could be him next year. He said, "No, that's all you."

Pink... it's like red, but not quite!

Wow, it's really happening! I don't know why I've been holding this valuable information back from the blogging world. Maybe because the only signs I've had was a monstrous appetite and severe preggo acne... but that's it. Nothing much. It hasn't been real to me, until today, when I actually saw the little squirt with it's bony, girly arms. The first ultrasound at 8 weeks made it look like a Cheeto. Now she has legs and feet! It's amazing when your body just knows what to do... like this morning when I woke up with Aerosmith's "Pink" song stuck in my head. It was a sign that was later confirmed. My whole family predicted it would be a girl, but Bevan was still in denial. He's happy now, just as I am. It's such a huge change for us, but I know she won't bring anything but joy!

I've included the ultrasound pics, even though I hated it when people did this because I could never tell what I was looking at! I love the 3-D image. She looks like she was moulded from margarine and then left out in the sun. None of the pictures were very good but the tech said that after 30 weeks we could go to the mall and have another 3-D ultrasound taken. She said it's so detailed you could even see the hair! I thought, not in this family!

So yeah, there we go! The day after Thanksgiving is the big day, which makes me wonder what will happen. The very next day is the BYU-UofU football game and ever since Bevan found out that they don't have cable in the hospital he's been anxious that he might have to make a choice. Obviously it's no choice, but he'd rather not have that stress in his life. Oh, men! Now it's up to me to "will" myself to have the baby a few days late, but now that's pushing it into "bowl season". Is there ever a convenient time?

The Hawkins Boy House Sitting Service

We house-sat for my boss and his wife last week. Ever since they built this new big fancy house, we've been waiting for them to go out of town. Unfortunately, they had an unexpected death in the family, which brought this on sooner than we thought. Nice to know we could help them out, while soaking up a mini vacation. They have a private guest suite with living room, bathroom and 2 bedrooms, all decorated in the style of a fancy B&B. Bevan enjoyed endless World Cup watching opportunities on their new high-def big screen while I ran around like a crazy woman trying to keep the company going while neglecting my office duties. It all worked out though and life is now back to normal. Whenever we do this, it always reminds me of that SNL sketch with Adam Sandler and Chris Farley doing the Herlihy Boy House Sitting Service. Funny Stuff!

"Let me bring in your mail!"

"Let me water your plants!" They had LOTS of plants

"Let me sleep in your bed!" or the huge guest suite bed

"Let me move in with you!" Soccer is not over yet

Can Bevan outrun an ice cream sandwich?!

I'm sorry to admit that I don't do a whole lot of running anymore. With Bevan working 4 10-hour days, it leaves for little time in the evenings with everything else that needs to be done. I figure with all the running around I do at work (combined with quick walks in the evenings and weekends), I'm getting plenty of exercise. Whenever a chance comes up to support a friend and run/ walk for a cause, we're all for it! This has included SMA , Lupus , and now Hemophilia. The secretary in our Primary has a son with the disease and we got on board with the local chapter's 5k. What a blast! Fat Boy ice cream was a major sponsor and if you could beat the guy dressed in the ice cream sandwich outfit, you won a free box of Fat Boys! This was motivation enough for Bevan who left the guy in the dust! I on the other hand decided to take it easy. Pretty much no training and current conditions found me finishing in about 28:34, which is better than I thought. It still got me a nifty medal and t-shirt. Bevan got all that plus the ice cream sandwiches. He finished somewhere around 21 minutes, but who really keeps track. He did come in 11th place overall, but they only recognized the top 5, 3 of which were on the local highschool track team. Overall it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Thanks Britni for all the fun!

The bridge is safe!!!

I was all sort of worried last week when we left for work and a huge log had jammed our bridge. We worked the whole day in suspense wondering how we'd get home. Well... we rounded the corner on 1000 east and saw half a dozen parked cars (not a good sign). Above the cars I saw a huge dump truck that was actually blocking the view of the bridge. At first I panicked, but then we jumped out and walked around the dump truck. It was still there! All the stream bank vegetation was gone to make room for the improvements, which is why it looked so bare. The neighbors and their parked cars weren't stranded, just gawking. They probably laughed when they saw my concern. A huge track hoe had been there all day laying 3'-4' boulders along the bank, filling in behind with cobble and gravel, not to mention pulling out any debris trapped against the bridge. I wondered, "Wow, was this the county's doing?" No, Victory Ranch! They didn't like all the flooding upstream and the possibility of a bridge washing out on their property, so they brought all their equipment (probably not being used anyway at the moment) and helped us out! They stopped the flooding upstream and secured the banks. What nice neighbors!




Of course the runoff peaked that night and has since tapered off. Everything is back to normal except our river is now 15' wider than it used to be. Bring on fishing season!

Where did all the snow go?!

I've been waiting to blog about our bridge situation because it keeps getting more and more exciting every day! The river started getting high several days ago, but we thought nothing about it. It was really warm. Then the floodplain adjacent to the river started flooding (imagine that), which started spilling over onto the road going in and out of our neighborhood. It got worse. The channel was about 10' wide and 16" deep, probably too deep for my little Civic so we've been taking the Subaru. THEN they brought in some rip rap to form it into a broader/shallower stream. Still pretty rough, but now it's 25' wide and only 5" deep!
We thought we were safe until this morning when we stopped to look at the bridge along with some other early-bird neighbors. A huge log has become jammed at the bridge, which has now started trapping more debris. The stream bank has eroded so much on either side of the bridge, there won't be much bank for the bridge to grab onto soon. The neighbors said there was a large track hoe on it's way to clear the bridge, but it could be several hours, if there's any bridge left. Woohoo! So exciting!
The sad part is that 2 years ago, when it wasn't this bad, we had the news out here! Now there's flooding everywhere else, and nobody cares about little Woodland.

I love the entrance to this driveway.

Flood waters next stop: Victory Ranch!

Not too bad.

This is after they IMPROVED the road!

Yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday evening.

This morning!!! It's hard to see the log jam, just the waves it creates.