There is not much valid excuse for waiting almost
four months since our last post... Sorry, Grandma! We are always busy. :)
But we are all happy, healthy, and getting ready for a large series of changes
heading our way.
The biggest of those changes is... *drumroll*... We are expecting Baby
Wyman #2 in January! I thought something was up when I couldn’t keep my
eyes open most of the time and Westley’s naps suddenly seemed way too short for
my liking. Sure enough, our little baby is growing fast and healthy. We had our
first ultrasound last weeks and the little person was moving around and being
adorable already. We are so excited and happy.
Unfortunately, this round isn’t half as easy as last time. As I write
this, I’m sipping some Peppermint Herbal tea, hoping that it will help even the
littlest bit. I am sick morning, noon, and night - pretty much all the time.
The very thought of food makes me gag, a lot, and every time I try to cook
something on or over the stove, it sends me to the bathroom.
Westley has been trying to figure this out… last night I attempted to
make chili on the stove and couldn’t hold down my food. While I was heaving in
the bathroom, he followed me in with a concerned look. He studied me for a
second and then started to laugh hysterically, full belly laughs and giggles.
He thought I was doing a funny trick just for him. I am grateful for my little
toddler, even though he wears me out, because he is a spot of comfort and joy
through the horrible days.
Our favorite things to do right now are to go to the park and slide on
the slides, read books especially the Curious George one from Grandpa Joel and
Grandma Lisa, and watch Dumbo curled up on the couch. He is talking much more
fluently and has started to say phrases. He tells us what he wants most of the
time and is very good at getting his point across. A typical two-year-old, he
has his bad moments and his “I’m trying to see how far you’ll let me go” times,
but overall, he is a very good boy. I am remembering the toddler behaviors from
when my brothers were growing up and that has helped me to be more patient with
him, but to also know what he is capable of understanding and doing.
 |
| Westley is an avid flower lover like Mommy. Every time he sees blooms, he has to stop and smell them all! |
He usually exceeds our expectations though, is smart as a whip, and likes
to learn new things. The other day, he was playing on a blanket that had words
and letters on it, and he pointed out the letter “z”, and very proudly and
loudly said, “Z, Z, Z!”. I never showed
him that, Mr. Smartypants. He plays a little letter sounds game on Chris’s IPad
about once a week and I guess he picked it up there. I am always shaking my
head in amazement with him.
We celebrated his second birthday on May 4th, with dear friends. He loved the Curious George cake I made for him and had a blast with all his presents. Thanks everyone! He's a spoiled but sweet little guy.
As far as our other big changes ahead, we are preparing for Chris to
finish his last semester here at BYU-Idaho. He will graduate July 23rd,
and we will be moving probably the 28th or 29th. It’s
very bittersweet for us to think about moving on. We have been in Rexburg
together for almost 5 years, so it has been “our home” for a while. It will be
sad to leave at the end of July and not be coming back this time. We have made
so many valuable and strong friendships here and had so many molding
experiences. But life rolls on and new adventures await!
We will be taking a year off to prepare for grad school, have the baby,
and save up. We are going back to my hometown, as the jobs and economy are more
promising. It will be great to have my family there to help while we have the
new little one, and to have us all together for perhaps the last time. Cory, my
oldest brother is returning from his two-year mission for our church next week,
and I really look forward to spending time with him, and with Joshua before he
heads out on his mission shortly after.
It’s a miracle how things keep working out for us. A dear family who
I’ve known forever is going to let us help house-sit for the year that we will
be in Ankeny. That will give us just the right amount of time to get things
under our feet and send us off to grad school, wherever that ends up being. I
really and truly believe that Heavenly Father loves us and is aware of our
needs, and that He continually paves a way for us to keep our little family
provided for. It is a very vivid testimony to me that families are important
and when we work our very best to love, support, and protect ours, He blesses
us with the things we need.
Other recent highlights in our family was a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for
Memorial Day weekend. We had planned the trip as a kind of anniversary present
to celebrate when we got engaged and when Chris was baptized into the Church
(both events on April 20th, but obviously different years J ), but there was a series of bad landslides up in
Jackson then and predicted snowstorms through the Teton Pass, so we had to
postpone it. And we are sure glad we did! The weather was absolutely gorgeous,
just right, and we had the best time we have had in a year. It was very touristy and reminded me a lot of Park City, but more family-friendly.
We stayed just Friday night at the Miller Park Lodge Motel, right in the
heart of downtown Jackson. We didn’t expect much for the price, but were
extremely and pleasantly surprised. We got a large King bed suite with a
Jacuzzi tub and a small kitchenette for an amazing price. They were very kind
and courteous to us and we loved the location. It was right across from a clean
city park where we took Westley to play that afternoon. The touristy shopping
and art gallery district was only a block away.
We went to a fantastic café that I had read raving reviews about online.
They had the most comprehensive Gluten Free menu I’ve ever seen, it was really
hard for us to stay within budget and not get overexcited. It was called the
Lotus Café and we had ourselves a feast that I still dream about. Best of all
was the GF Roasted Garlic Naan bread they served as an appetizer. Yummmmy!
We walked around the galleries and shops in the evening and took a drive
through the newer parts of town. Westley loved all the new sights, sounds, and
experiences, but had a rough time winding down (hence the car ride), but conked
out at 10pm in his car seat. It was
really fun to get away, just explore, and have time for each other.
The next day we hadn’t planned to do much, but it ended up being much
more exhilarating than even I planned.
We woke up and walked to the town square where they had a fun Memorial
Day parade. I tell you, Idaho and Wyoming know how to put on fun parades! There
were cowboys, Indians, and Old West gunslingers, horses, veterans, clowns… you
name it. The nice thing is that it wasn’t too crowded that you felt stifled
too.
Westley’s favorite part was the candy that he was given. No one in the
parade could resist his cute face and he figured out how it worked real fast!
If anyone passed nearby, he would smile, put on his best “Precious Moments”
begging eyes, and hold out his hands. Chris and I got a kick of out him pulling
out all the stops. He liked the horses too and kept saying, “Horse!” over and
over.
We packed up and thought we would start to head home after eating at a
GF sandwich shop for lunch, but I remembered that the Teton Village, a little
further up into the mountain, was a must-see tourist spot. So Chris indulged
me. We expected just to drive up and drive by and see the ski resorts before
heading home, but when we got there the weather was so nice we decided to walk
around. We stopped in at Guest Services to ask what they suggested for us to see, and what a surprise they gave us!
There is a beautiful aerial tram system that trails up the Rendevous Mountain, which has peaks at almost 11,000 feet above sea level. I knew of it, and wanted to go on the tram, but knew well in advance that is was way out of our budget at $35 a person. So, I didn't even think about it. However, the ladies at the Guest Services said that if we had come all the way from Rexburg, we HAD to go on the tram. They told me they wanted to treat us to $5 tickets so we wouldn't miss the experience. I was genuinely astonished and grateful that they would do that for us. So, Chris and I jumped at the chance, because how often will we get to have that kind of experience again?!
I was a little worried because I was starting to feel the first twinges of morning sickness that weekend, and wasn't sure how Westley would handle the ride up the mountain, but kept my little anxieties in check because I knew it was a once in a lifetime experience. I had been on an aerial tram once as a girl when my family went to Palm Springs, CA, so I knew it would be something that Chris would enjoy.
We boarded the tram and I held on tight, expecting the tram to sway and make me nauseous, but the ride was a lot smoother than the one I'd experienced in California. Westley absolutely LOVED it! My little adventurous kiddo. :) He didn't seem phased at all that we were climbing up a mountain in a strange cable car. He just held on to his daddy and said, "Whee!"
The view was everything expected and promised. Naturally being up that high it was a little cold and quiet windy, but the scenery around us was breathtaking. We could see the Grand Tetons and several of the Western mountain ranges rising high above valleys of lush green and winding rivers. Pictures will never do it justice, of course. I couldn't believe we were there and doing it! We were up near some of the most challenging ski runs in the US, where many Olympians train the hardest peaks, and got the chance to visit with a young skier on the tram ride down. It was invigorating, I was so glad we got to go up.
So that's our latest report of our adventures. We really haven't done much else except for work, school, church, and being sick. :) We love you all and are looking forward to hearing your news and adventures too this summer.
Love,
The Wymans
