Camping for the 4th

We went to the Uintahs for the 4th. My parents own a lot in the Manor Lands which is all private land. They haul their RV up and we tag along. I must say that I appreciate a familiar bathroom when getting up twice a night to go. Anyway, my mom had this little lawn chair and Lydia LOVED it. She saw my dad sitting in his chair with a box of crackers and a diet coke by his side and decided to follow suit--though of course her drink of choice is whole milk.


For some reason, when I get the camera out, Lydia thinks she needs to squat in order to pose for me. I was trying to get a picture of her in the chair where she was comfortably sitting when I got out the camera. But upon seeing the camera herself, she got down and "posed." I have many pictures of her in this position.

Our first 4-wheeler ride!! I've been riding 4-wheelers since I was little. It is kind of a family tradition for the Carrigans. Well, we've got Lydia starting even younger than I did! She liked it for the most part, as long as we weren't gone too long. It was really cold so that might have factored in. Isn't her little helmet cute?

I had fun totally chillin' for the weekend. I let Chad and my family take the child-watching reigns so I could relax. My only complaint was that our air mattress died and I ended up sleeping on the ground seven months pregnant with aching ribs and all. I must have complained more than I thought because Chad has seriously doubted my ability to go camping again this summer.

Black Hills

So I know our trip to the Black Hills was six weeks ago, but here are some of the pictures. Behind Lydia above is Sylvan Lake. We had fun walking around it. In the summer you can swim in it and of course fish too.

Mount Rushmore


Crazy Horse Monument. This was actually one of my favorite stops. Maybe because of all the turquoise jewelry. They also have a really cool Indian museum there.

This is my absolute favorite picture of the trip.

We attempted to go rock climbing, but the weather was so cold and we didn't quite know where to go. We ended up finding a small wall and our friends and Chad went up once each. Lydia and Claire were so cold and miserable though so we had to make it a short trip.

In other news, things are going well. Chad's work is great. We're getting better acquainted with our ward. The weather has been really mild for this time of year which I'm grateful for since I'm packing around a very round belly.

And I've realized that I haven't officially announced on our blog that our baby is a boy. All the friends I've seen have had to ask. We're excited to have one of each.

We just went camping over the fourth so maybe I'll get those pictures up before a month passes, but anyone taking bets?

Utah

So we're moved in! This is what we came home to when we arrived Thursday.


Now we're almost home here. We still have some odds and ends to put away. We downsized quite a bit when we moved here so a lot of stuff has yet to find a place--but we're getting there.

It's been nice to see our families so much in the last two weeks. They helped us move in, we had a nice family dinner with Chad's family, went to graduation for both of our little sisters, and played at the park all day with Chad's siblings and families on Saturday. I went shopping with my mom and sister too. Oh, it is nice to have shopping again (at least for my psyche, not so much for my budget)! Nebraska shopping is limited to Wal-Mart unless you want to take an all day trip to Omaha or Lincoln so to be surrounded by shopping here is like going to an ice cream parlor after a long diet.

Our ward is small and not-so-close-knit which is typical of Utah wards for the most part. Hopefully we'll make friends soon. There are a few young families that I've got my eye on as soon as I can track down some phone numbers. I miss the invitations to dinner that we received when we first arrived in both North Carolina and Nebraska, but people just don't really do that here. I guess I'll take it upon myself to invite them over here instead.

Chad's job is going well. He has a really caring and involved boss and he hopes to get into the muck of things much sooner here than he did in his other two positions. We'll see. The company already treated us to a Bees (baseball) game and free food there so that was a perk.

I am missing Nebraska a bit. I miss my friends and I miss the branch. But it's only been a little while. Lydia has sure been up to some antics lately that leave us both laughing so she keeps us entertained. What a cutie! Right now she is walking down the hall with her belly protruding as far as she can possibly stick it out. Personally, I think she is making fun of my baby belly which is way too big for me to still have three months left.

We went to South Dakota before we moved here and got some fabulous pics so I'll get those posted soon. Until then, we'll just keep rockin' it here in Utah.

Good Things Nebraska

Our time here in Nebraska is nearly over. We leave in less than two weeks. I can't help but think of the things I'll miss (and the things I won't) as we head to our next adventure. We moved to Nebraska from Durham, North Carolina where the trees invade the skyline (though beautifully). So when we arrived in Nebraska, I couldn't help but notice the SKY! It is gorgeous here and there is so much of it to look at since nothing but corn and a few trees invade its space. The weather here is dynamic and you can watch the sky change literally before your eyes. I love the open feel of it.

The people here are simple, really, and I like that. In our branch of the church, character is rampant. Where else can I find a Brother Carley? A tall, thin man with an exuberance of personality who farms goats and who faithfully greets every single person in front of the church every Sunday and on every other day of the week can be seen wearing the most hideous denim overalls ever? Where else is there a Brother Lindquist? A serious, thoughtful man who was recently made the Branch President and who wears cowboy boots every single day and yes, even with his suit. Or a Brother Jones. A man who can say "I hate babies" and make you love him even more for it. Where else will I get to go to dozens of convert baptisms in a single year and feel the energy that comes with new members?

I'll miss the quiet streets where I feel absolutely comfortable walking or running alone or with Lydia in a stroller. I admit that I am a HUGE wimp when it comes to trusting the world I live in and the streets of Salt Lake do scare me a little.

I'll probably miss my huge apartment with its super cheap rent. We're definitely down-sizing in space with the next move so we can still save money for a house.

I will NOT miss Nebraska winters. They are bitter and even longer than Utah winters. I will not miss having to drive two hours to get to the temple, stake conference, or a city that has decent restaurants or a Target. And I will definitely NOT miss the 13 hour drive we have taken too many times to go see our family in Utah.

I WILL miss our friends. There are a few families here that I especially love, but one in particular and we will miss them a lot. Lydia spends a lot of time with Claire and I spend almost the same amount of time with Claire's mother, Mandy. Claire asks for us by name and Lydia has taken up some of Claire's mannerisms and expressions so that gives you an idea of how good of friends they are for their age. We always say the world is small and it could be that we live close again, but in all reality, there is just as much chance that we won't.

So we prepare to move. I'm not excited to start over again. I honestly feel like we haven't been here long enough to merit all the work of starting some place else already. It's hard the first little while until you can make new friends, get to know the ward, learn the area where you live, etc. That's the part I'm not excited about. But I know once we get over that, we'll love it just like we've loved every other place we've been. We'll get to see family a lot more this summer and we, of course, are looking forward to having our little baby in September. So here's to the changes of life and all that comes with them as we say goodbye to the flatland of Nebraska.