The Closing of a Chapter

Well Graduation is just 3 days away and then comes an opening of a new chapter of our lives. It has been great to study at Brigham Young University-Idaho. I have learned so much from my professors and the experiences that I have had here. I will miss it all dearly, but that’s not to say that I’m not ecstatic to be finished with my Bachelor’s degree.  In a week Lindsey, Westley and I will be moving to Iowa. We have a house sitting job near her parents and I’ll be looking for work (I have some interviews set up) and studying to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT). We’ll work for a year, save up money and apply for Grad schools. As Lindsey said in our last post, we’re also excited to be expecting another little one, come next January. Life has many adventures ahead for us.

Westley after his ER visit

Let’s look at some adventures that have recently come. A few weeks ago, Westley decided to take his first trip to the emergency room. He rolled of the bed and went face first into our bedside table. Lindsey put him asleep in our bed when I was already sleeping because I work at 4am. Well when he fell, it was the biggest wake-up call. Scared me big time. We went to the ER because of a huge gash on his nose and it took 3 nurses and myself to hold him down to allow the doctor to stitch him up. When the doctor was finally able to have a look, it turned out to only need the skin glue they use. That night was the busiest night we had in a while. Westley absolutely hates the doctors and cried the entire time. After we left the hospital, Westley stopped crying and said “French fries?” So we went and got him a few fries.

Later the next weekend we went up to Driggs, ID and saw the greatest fireworks show that I have ever seen. It even competes with Disney shows. It was at Huntsman’s Golf course, owned by the politician who ran in the republican primaries for 2012. The Beach Boys were there and played a concert before the fireworks. Westley loved them; he danced with mom and ran around with me. I was also glad to see him enjoy the fireworks. He wasn’t scared at all. What I appreciated most about the fireworks show was the Patriotism behind them. The show discussed our heritage as Americans and it was heartwarming and brilliant.  I am glad to be an American and I am grateful for my personal family heritage here in this land.

                                                                                                                  

Westley enjoying some
distant cousins 

Two weeks ago, Lindsey’s Great Grandmother passed away. I only knew Grandma Maxine from the day of our wedding, but I could tell that she was a spunky lady, full of love. Lindsey and I decided to take the trip down to Provo, UT for her Graveside funeral service and visit with family that needed Lindsey’s warm comfort. Lindsey would say the opposite, but I believe she was a blessing to others as well as they were to her. Due to our limited means, we tried hard to find family to house us while we were down there and ended up staying with Lindsey’s Great Uncle, who she had never met. It was a great experience and opportunity to talk about family history and get to bring family we only met over Facebook closer to us. I am grateful we made the trip and that Lindsey found comfort in it.

Rexburg had a bit of excitement last week, just in time for finals. On a day that seemed very normal at first, we ended up seeing a torrential downpour that turned into a flash flood. Our house was not affected by the flood, but many of our neighbors’ and students’ houses were. Many buildings on campus were flooded so bad that students were knee deep in water as they left to go to safer areas. The University was prepared for the cleanup and with all the custodial crews and maintenance crews we were able to have most of the school up and running by the next day.   

Other than finals and garage sales, everything else has been pretty normal in the Wyman home. We’re excited to make our way back to Lindsey’s hometown and continue into the next chapter of our lives. I hope to make it better than the last, which I want to always make our goal. If any would like our new address, feel free to call, text, Facebook, or email me, and we’ll be sure to send that info your way. We love you all and hope all goes well in your lives.

Announcing...

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 23^rd, and we will be moving probably the 28^th or 29^th. 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 20^th, 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

Keeping Busy

Hello everyone! Sorry that is has been a while. We have been very busy recently with all sorts of things. I am three weeks into my second to last semester and working hard. I am taking Classes in Medical Microbiology, Evolution, Biochemistry Lab, and Human Physiology. Currently I have been learning the mechanisms to Immune response and sympathetic & parasympathetic division of the central nervous system. 

Lindsey has been very busy working to help Zella with everyday things and it seems to get harder and harder. I hope to be better at helping her with the responsibility but with work and school I am gone all day. Lindsey is great about everything though. I couldn't have been more blessed than I am to have her in my life. She decided that she is going to learn Danish for fun and to help her get a better understanding of her family history. 

Westley is as rowdy as ever. He has a little Elmo potty/stool and loves it. He uses it as a stool to get up to high places where he doesn't belong. He carries it around to the locations that he wants to reach. He also has learned how to open the oven, microwave, and fridge and make all sorts of messes. Its hard for us to keep up. His favorite TV show is Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and he knows how to say "Daniel". He loves blueberries, popsicles, chicken, and popcorn, but hasn't learned that the bowl is there to prevent a mess. He just dumps it out and then eats. He is cute in all his adventures and we love him very much. All is well here in Rexburg, ID and we love all of you. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures.

Play'n in the snow

Zzzz...

Look'n cute in dad's winter hat

Christmas morning stocking

Westley enjoying a bubble bath

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! We are filled with gratitude this winter season. Our friends and family have been a wonderful support this month. All of the genuine love and service shown to us is humbling. As we truy to muddle through everyday challenges, we can see the hand of God guiding and sustaining us to accomplish things that seem almost impossible.  It has helped us to better as a family and as individuals.

I personally am grateful for my association with the woman's organization at church, Relief Society. I am the assistant secretary there and with the responsibilities given to me with that position, I have had the chance to be strengthened by my friendships with dozen of faithful women who are ready at a moments notice to say the right words of comfort and support, to share the load, and to readily serve and support one another.

I also have another responsibility as the Ward Choir Director. Why they chose me for that calling, I am still trying to figure out. :) it has been a real stretch for me, since I have never been very comfortable leading music or being the one completely in charge of a large group of people. I have played the piano/organ for church for over 12 years but leading music is a lot harder for me. But again, I see blessings as I do what is asked of me. We had a little program for Christmas on Sunday and the pieces we performed were absolutely beautiful. I felt the spirit very strongly.

Chris is still busy with the young men. The bishop recently asked him to meet with all the boys in the class and their parents to determine where they are in their Scouting and another personal enrichment program called Duty to God. The church combines these two programs to prepare young men physically and spiritually to serve their two-year full time missions, and to be upstanding citizens, and good fathers and husbands. So that's a pretty hefty weight of responsibility when you are working with 16-18 year old teenage boys! Chris enjoys it though. He is finding ways to connect with the boys, to help them to have more focus and direction in their lives. I am proud of him for taking on such a difficult set of responsibilities and trying his best. I married a keeper!

Chris is working harder than ever at work right now. Since it is Christmas break and most of the students are out of town for the break, he is getting crazy middle of the night hours with his Tile Maintenance crew on campus. He has been working from midnight to eight in the morning every day this week and will be working an extra temporary job here in town on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for an extra 10 hours a day on top of his normal shifts at school. Luckily it's only for three days but I feel really bad for all the sleep he is missing. I love him so much and am grateful that he takes his role as our provider so seriously.

Westley is growing like a weed! He has grown out of all of his 12-18 month clothes, and now can fit even some 2T clothes. He has the cutest personality. He loves people and especially other children and babies. We are enjoying his discovery of communication. He tells a lot more what he wants or doesn't want with a lot of eye contact, grunts, very direct facial expressions, and simple words. It's pretty cute whenever someone hands him something he gives a high then low pitched, " Dak-Deuce" ( thank you). He still likes to run around saying " Football!", and he likes the Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood kids tv show which is inspired by Mister Rogers Neighborhood. He recently got a set of blocks and at the moment is throwing them over the baby gate and watching them tumble downstairs. No matter how many times we tell him not to throw the blocks, he still thinks that is their purpose in life. Goofy kid! He is all boy.

 We hope and pray you are all well and that you have wonderful Christmas season. If you haven't received a card from us for Christmas, don't worry. We decided it would be better to send New Years cards this time. We love you all and wish you the very best this season.  

Love,

 The Wyman's

Brrrr! It's White Out There!

Westley's Halloween Costume (Zebra)

Hello from the world of winter! *sigh* Yes, the snow came. I should have known better... We went to the local high school performance of Irving Berlin's White Christmas on Friday night, and sure enough, the next morning we woke to about an inch and a half of cold, wet snow. I don't know why I always dread the first snow. Eventually, I love the crisp feeling in the air and the moonlight shimmering across a glittery, white landscape, but somehow I always get just a tad grumpy when it suddenly appears. Chris is much better about it. He likes snow. Must have grown up in Virginia, or something. :P

I have some pictures to post of this story as soon as I find where Westley hid our IPod. (He is good about us playing "Hide and Seek" for weeks)... So we woke up to the snow and Chris decided to shovel our driveway before we packed it down with our car. He went to work on it and was doing great. Westley woke up and searched the house for him like he does every single morning. I thought he would think the snow was cool, since he was too little to care about it last year, so I threw open the blinds and curtains and showed him the wintery covering. He was really confused why the world was white. He kept looking at me like something was wrong. Then I pointed out Daddy plowing the snow.  Westley did not have the reaction I expected. He looked at me and started to bawl. My fun-lovin', easy-goin' kid takes after me when it comes to seeing the first snow. Hahaha!

I kept saying, "No, it's ok! It's Daddy!" I motioned Chris over to show Wes that it was okay, but it took us forever to get him to be okay with the new experience. Chris took off his hat and smiled and waved, but nothing would make him smile, until Daddy started to throw snowballs at the window. That did it. The tears turned to giggles. We'll wait to take him out in it for another day when we are all feeling brave. :)

As far as other news, Chris has been battling a horrible cough for three weeks and has not gotten his voice back yet. He went to the doctor last week and they said he was on the mend, but it sure doesn't sound like it. We have been doing everything under the sun to help him get back to regular life (REALLY), but looks like we just have to be patient some more. I have a scratchy throat, but nothing too serious.

Westley is healthy and strong. He keeps us running all day long, both of us. His favorite activities currently include sneaking over to the kitchen table and pulling out a chair to lift himself onto the table top, dancing on tables, climbing on top of the piano, and reading books backwards and upside down. He has added new words to his vocabulary, like "bed", "uh-oh!", and "Jesus". He frequently points to pictures of the Savior in our house and at church and smiles widely, points and says, "Jesus". He loves being in Nursery class at church because they sing "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam", which is his favorite song. He also has been very affectionate to his little orange stuffed dinosaur. We often find him watching Baby Einstein with it on his lap or beside him and catch him kissing it on top of the head repeatedly. We love our little boy. He is growing much too fast.

With the holidays coming, we think of home and family more. We miss you all and wish we could be together. Looking forward to hearing news of Sarah's baby girl (due around New Years), and pray all goes well with their family. Can't wait to hear of the rest of your festivities! Love to all.

Lindsey Wyman

Toddler Time

   These last two months have gone by so fast and have been filled with adventure.  Westley is growing so much and definitely can be called a toddler now. He hit his year and a half mark six days ago, which means he is officially nursery age.  In our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have 3 hours of church.  The fist hour is our main meeting called Sacrament Meeting, which is where we take the bread and water and hear talks by individuals from the congregation.  Well the other two hours are for Sunday school.  During Sunday school there is a nursery for toddlers 1and ½ and up.  Westley finally gets to go and I don’t have to chase him around the church for two hours.  He loves nursery so much, he was mad when I took him out to go home.  

   Well, Westley has also grown to become very helpful.  He hands Lindsey dirty dishes that she just put in the dishwasher, thinking it’s time to put them away.  He also hands me his jacket and points to the closet making an ooh, ooh sound.  He is so much fun and I am grateful to be his dad.  Saturdays are Westley/Dad days.  The two of us like to kick back and watch a good BYU football game together.  He claps when I cheer and always gets excited, running around the house announcing Football! Football!

   A few weeks ago, Lindsey, West, and I traveled to Salt Lake City for our churches General Conference.  On that Saturday, we went to a bounce house where they had tons of bounce house play areas.  Westley got so excited he couldn’t contain it and ran everywhere.  It was so much fun and we learned that he is such a thrill seeker.  He loved the slides even though they were twice as fast as a normal one.

   Last Sunday we traveled to Idaho Falls to participate in our friends baby blessing. After the service we spent time with them and there family for dinner and conversation.  Westley saw the newborn in a newborn bouncy seat and West gently rocked the newborn.  It was so cute. He loves other kids and babies.

   

I am sorry that this entry is so short, but I will make sure we post again next week. Until then, We love you! Take care.