EXCITING NEWS...

I'm pregnant...and 14 weeks along!  We are so excited to have a baby :).  Due date is December 9th and we find out in about 4 weeks if it's a boy or girl.  Any predictions?  

Ultrasound pictures at 11 weeks.

LAS VEGAS

For Memorial Day weekend we visited our friends in Las Vegas. We stayed for a couple days and packed in as much as we could! It was fun to see Las Vegas and hang out with our friends.

We went to the strip one night-definitely not too pleasant to walk through those streets-so much filth and pornography. But we did enjoy seeing some of the cool things around there. We went to the Shark Aquarium at Mandalay bay, and then saw the water/light show outside of the Bellagio that night. (Really cool to watch)

We ate at a delicious buffet, visited the Temple, Drove up into Kelly Canyon, and took a tour of

Hoover Dam (which was really interesting to learn about). We also ate at In-N-Out Burger which was a first for me! I'm a fan.

Amanda was a trooper-she is 6 months pregnant and the sun was hot!

What we've been up to the last few months...

So we haven't updated our blog in a few months so I figured it was time for a few pictures and an update:

Earlier this year I got to visit my good friends Sara and Eli in Payson, UT and their cute new baby boy-Tanner!

Kris and I went skiing/snowboarding with his brother and friend at Kelly Canyon-it was a lot of fun! (And Kris is a GREAT skiier)

Here we are dying easter eggs with our friends in the ward-Stephen and Staci.

We got another niece! Melli Nielson was born in March...She's only about a day old in these pictures.

Sister in laws at Melli's Blessing. :)

Kris's friend Zach came to visit and we all went to the ice caves. It took us about 2 hours just to find them! But it was worth it.

I just ran the Teton Dam Marathon Relay today with some co-workers. 6 of us ran in the race-4 or 5 miles a person. Sandy (secretary) and Paul (Our boss) came and cheered us on as they drove us through the race to our transitions. The weather was nice and it was a lot of fun!

Half Marathon

So this last weekend I ran my first Half Marathon!  I've always wanted to run one, and I finally did it!  I ran it with  my sister Annie-in Moab, Utah.  The weather was BEAUTIFUL!  The course was long-especially the last 2 miles.  But, we made it-thanks to the ipod, power gel, gatorade along the way, and Annie-who encouraged me to keep running when I was tempted to walk.

One of the greatest parts of the race was during the last mile (the hardest)-My mom was cheering for us on the sidelines, and then about 1/4 mile later my sisters Kristen and Whitney were cheering us on, and at the finish line Dad and Nathan were there!  They all provided great moral support :)

After the race, we had a picnic and drove around Arches National Park.  Here we are standing under "Delicate Arch".  It was so fun to all be together for the day. 

Our Niece Kate's 1st Birthday!!!

Kris' brother Ross and his wife Heidi have a little girl who just celebrated her 1st Birthday!

 

Kate and her 1st Birthday cake!

Mmmmmmmmmm!

Kate opening her presents with her Mom.

Kate playing with her new toys with her friend Colton (Adam and Genn's Boy)

Kate's Mom made here her 1st year birthday shirt!

Kris' Favorite Books of the Year

Rough Stone Rolling:  

I found this book very informative and gave me a more deep look into the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Saints in the early history of America and the restoration of the church.

         

None Dare Call It Conspiracy:  

Very appropriate title I have come to find out.  This book should be read by everyone.  It provides great insight to our national/global state of affairs, but must be handled mildly and with great prudence.

          

10 Books That Screwed Up The World:  

The is a look at theological concepts that have shaped our society over the last 500 years or so.  Very interesting to see where the seeds of so much of our modern issues were born and why they were born and with what objectives they were born and from whom they were born.  

        

The Book of Mormon:  

The Book of Mormon is the book that has been most worth my reading this year.  Herein I have been taught about the prophesies of the days that we live in.  More than ever this inspired book has come like a voice from the dust for me, our community, our nation and our world.  This book has inspired me to change and look inside myself and make more effort at rooting up the pride and ego, increasing the gentleness and kindness, and raise a voice of warning.  It has taught me of the dangers of the secret combinations that if allowed to infiltrate our countries and societies will see to the destruction of them.

    

Kris and our niece Lily at the Teton Dam.