Camping, Gophers, & Horses!

I've been super busy and didn't get the chance to update our blog last week. Two weekends ago we went camping with Trent, Tara, and Blake at Woolford Provincial Park. It's not too far from here, but it was nice to get away. It was super quiet there. Only a few other people there in the entire campground.

Our Woolford Campsite:

Uncle Tim is great at putting Blake to sleep:

Saturday afternoon we went into Cardston and met up with Julie, Kendall, and baby Kyla. We were so excited to finally meet Kyla. She's beautiful.

Then all of us headed out to Trent's parent's farm to check on our horses. Tim moved Jet out there late winter. Tim worked a bit with Jet in the round pen. He's now 2 years old (time flies eh?). Jet looks a ton like his mom Felize. And Tara's horse just had a little colt the weekend before.

Tim working with Jet:

Having a rest:

I got tired of taking pictures of Tim and Jet so decided to take a pic of my shadow.

Here's my baby bump at 30 weeks:

And OF COURSE if you're out at the farm, then a little (or a lot of) gopher hunting is a must. Tim, Trent, and Kendall loved it. The field was full of gophers. After the first few hours the wives and babies got tired. The guys went out for another hour. Silly boys!

Ready, Aim, FIRE!

Hmmm, I wonder who got that one?

To check out more pictures from the weekend go to our Photo Albums on the left of this page. Click on both Camping 2008 (Part 1) and Summer 2008.

We Love Camping - Writing on Stone

We love camping and we really love camping at Writing on Stone. We went twice last year (here and here). Trent, Tara, & Blake as well as Clay & Erica came with us this time. We had lots of fun. The weather was so nice on Saturday that we spent the afternoon swimming in the river. We also spent a bunch of time climbing in the hoodoos. I was pretty terrible at it this year. It's not so easy climbing in those when your balance is shot cuz you're almost 6.5 months pregnant. I had to take a few breaks cuz when I walk my stomach gets tighter and tighter making it hard to manouver. But if I stop for a bit it'll relax. Tim was super adventerous as usual and scaled all the tough hoodoos (makes me nervous). And our dogs were always right behind him. I find it amazing how well dogs can climb (and jump) if they really want to get to their best friend. (Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger.)

Tim & Dexter just checking things out:

I couldn't climb to the top of that hoodoo, so Tim came down to take a pic with me:

Tim calls this my pregnant pose and he catches me doing it every once and a while. It feels so good to stretch out my back and the hand on the tummy is trying to push a little foot out of my ribs:

Tara & Blake in the hoodoos:

Looking down on our campsite from the hoodoos:

This is me making Tim stop for a picture:

Just us and our dogs:

Our campsite:

Tim using the hoodoos as a climbing wall:

Blake & I chilling while the guys cooked steaks:

May Long - Traditions

Some traditions just can't be broken. And one tradition that we have is May Long weekend is spent with Trent & Tara (and now Blake). We take turns planning:

In 2006 Trent & Tara took us to Kalispell area and we had a blast (in the rain).

Last year (2007) we took Trent & Tara to Lewis & Clark Caverns in Montana. Found some rain again and some snow on the way home, but once again we had tons of fun.

But this year it was a little harder to get out for the long weekend. Tim had shift work all weekend long and Trent & Tara had a baptism on Saturday and some exchange students coming on Sunday. We still made the most of it. Tim got off work Friday night at 6pm and he didn't have to be back to work until 6pm Saturday night. So we had 12 hours...and we were going camping. Some people in Trent & Tara's ward have a bunch of land down on the river in Lethbridge...so that's where we went. Trent & Tara also bought a trailer this spring so no more tenting for all of us (camping's getting more pricey though cuz now we can't a share site and have to pay for gas in two vehicles to pull two trailers -- eek). Anywho, even though it was rushed we had a good time. I think Blake loved his first camping trip. The weather was BEAUTIFUL! It was so hot. And me being so prego now, I no longer have any shorts or capris that fit -- the baby and I sweated to death. Tim took me out on Monday to buy some maternity capris. However since that day it has rained non stop here in Southern Alberta. I think we're drowning!! Come on...bring back the sun so we can go camping again!

So our May Long weekend was cut VERY short this year, but I'm glad we were able to make it out. Even if it was for only a sleepover.

Blake James - Born (Happy Easter)

Our best friends, Trent & Tara, welcomed a little boy to their family on Easter Day. Blake James was born just before 3:00 in the afternoon on Sunday March 23rd. He was 7lbs 10oz. His mommy did such a GREAT job as her contractions started Friday morning and she didn't deliver Blake until Sunday afternoon. We're so proud of her.

You know, I've been around a lot of babies. It seems like everyone I know has kids now or is pregnant with their first -- even us. However it still feels a little strange when your best friends have their first baby. It's been just the four of us for so long it seems. And now they have a BABY. Tara's a mommy and Trent's a daddy. It's so awesome, but it's still hard for me to really wrap my mind around it. Am I making any sense?

But in a few short month Tim & I will join the parenting band wagon. It's all just a little surreal today though. To think that Tara and I were originally both due in March (last time I was pregnant). I'm so excited for August. Our babies will only be 5 months apart. Just the thought of welcoming our new little one to OUR family makes me tear up. Sheesh, I'm always so weepy these days (still blaming those pregnancy hormones).

CONGRATULATIONS TRENT & TARA! We love the three of you so much!

Uncle Tim with Blake:

Auntie Ashlee with Blake:

Mommy & Daddy with Blake:

**Okay Ashlee, wipe the tears away and get back to work.**

A Year in Review (2007)

I totally stole this from another blog. Loved the idea, so I wanted to do it here too. Here's a summary of our 2007.

January

Tim started his last year of school

Bought a new car

February

My cousin miraculously survives being in an avalanche

March

Rachel announced she's pregnant

Tim finished school & is now a Journeyman Electrician

Ashlee went to the ER with a kidney stone

Tim turns 27 years old

April

Tim sold his horse Felize

Camping at Fairmont Hot Springs

Tim bought a new Quad

Ashlee bought a new treadmill

Ashlee got her wisdom teeth out

Bought an old holiday trailer

May

Grampa had to go to an assisted living home

Camping at Writing on Stone

Camping at Lewis & Clarke Caverns

Tim fought his first house fire

Jenn announces she's pregnant

June

Camping at Waterton (Belly River)

Bought a new truck

Camping & Quading at Pole Haven

Britnee graduates highschool

July

We're Pregnant

Camping at Writing on Stone

Camping in Montana

Ashlee turns 25 years old

Trent & Tara announce they're pregnant

August

Attended my cousin Kyle's wedding

Grampa passes away

Our 3rd Wedding Anniversary

Attended my cousin Carlene's wedding

September

We lost our baby

Ashlee goes to the ER with fluid on her hip

October

Spent Thanksgiving in Castlegar with Kimmy & Brendan

November

New nephew Dallin was born

December

We're Pregnant Again

Celebrated Christmas in BC

Phew, 2007 has exhausted me! Here's hoping 2008 is AWESOME!

1st Prenatal Appointment

I had my first prenatal yesterday. It wasn't anything fancy. It's still too early to hear the heartbeat. Went through mine and my family's medical history. And spent most of the time talking about my heart problems (I have SVT). The baby and I are doing well. It's 100% a normal pregnancy. Nothing crazy or eventful (which is so good). The morning sickness is good one day and bad the next. Yesterday was a good day, so I was able to run some errands after work. And today...so far, so good. Oh and Tara and I are now due a week apart.

Finally!

I haven't been able to get into blogger in ages. Finally...here I am.

I'm doing well...for the most part. Some days are worse than others. How come no one told me about the puking? Ya, puking in a public toilet at work..not so cool. Oh I guess you did tell me the crappy parts of being pregnant here, here, again here, another time here, once here, etc. I must have ignored that. Ah it's all worth it, right?

I'm lucky though. I have a "puking partner" as we call it. Yep, our very best friends are also expecting their first baby in March. They just found out. Actually Tara's not just due in March like me. We are due ONE DAY apart! Ya, you heard right. Now the question is: Who gets the 'It's a girl!' cup and sleeper? What is that you ask? Let me explain:

Tim and Trent met back in 2000 while on their missions. They were missionary companions. And it turns out they had way too much in common. When they got home from their missions Trent called Tim up and they went horseback riding. From there on out they were best friends. The two of them even lived together. Trent and Tara were married in May 2003. Tara moved in with both Trent and Tim (what a good woman). Christmas 2003 Tim gave Trent and Tara an "It's a girl!" mug and pink sleeper. The joke is both Tim and Trent swear they're gonna have boys first. On Trent & Tara's 1st anniversary Tim and I got engaged and married later that year. And it just all works out. The four of us are the best of friends. Well Christmas 2004 we got the mug and each Christmas following we exchange the mug. Tim and I have it on display in our living room right now. The mug has sparked many questions in both the Nilsson & Rasmussen homes as it's ALWAYS on display. The pink sleeper is now more of a grey color from the dust. This Christmas it goes back to Trent & Tara and then we'll see who gets it in March. So there you have it. It's not every day that someone gets to have a baby at the same time as her best friend. I can already see the day: Tara and I in the delivery room together. Separated by a curtain, but holding hands. While our dear husbands are sipping A&W Rootbeer and talking horses, guns, and trucks outside the room and thinking (but not sharing with the other) that a little girl would be so wonderful if they didn't get their boy.

Lewis & Clark Caverns

We made it to the Lewis & Clark Caverns in Montana and had such a great time. We left Friday night after work. It took us over an hour to get across the border. The line-up was so long. We didn't have any food that they could take from us, but we did have dog food that they made us give up. Why the heck can't I take dried dog food across the border? Anywho, we stopped driving at 2am and parked at a weigh scale and slept there. Yep, total class. That's how we roll. We got up early Saturday morning and drove the rest of the way to the campsite at the Caverns. Dad, Mom, Kimmy, & Brendan met Tim, Trent, Tara, & I at the campsite. We did the Cavern tour Saturday afternoon. Monday afternoon we went swimming at the Hot Spring in Fairmont, MT. We love the hot springs in Fairmont, BC but it was fun to try these ones out. And of course we threw in some Montana shopping.

Well here are some pictures of the trip:

The group (Tim & Ashlee, Dad & Mom, Kimmy & Brendan, Trent & Tara) at the opening of the caverns. I almost had a heart attack climbing up to it. Right behind Tim is where the campsite is. We could zoom in with our video cameras and see Diesel & Dex (our dogs) hanging out at the site.

Tim & I at the cavern opening.

My sister Kimmy with her husband Brendan inside the caverns.

Tim, Tara, & Trent ducking through a low spot.

Trent & Tara posing for a photo.

Tim & I looking super hot (actually it was very chilly in the caverns).

Me crawling through another low spot. There were a ton of low spots and we bonked our heads a few times. Dad actually drew blood and then had a scab on the top of his head. I bruised my tailbone, but that's a story for another day.

There's Tim!

Me, Mom, & Dad. You can see that some of the formations are broken. I guess back in the day when they did the tour through the caverns by candle light the tour guide would encourage people to take pieces of the formations home. And now, your not even supposed to touch the stuff cuz the oils in your hands will appartently destroy the formations. So don't look too close at our pictures cuz there seems to be some hand touching stuff going on. Some parts of the tour you couldn't help but touch cuz it was such a narrow passage.

And the group (minus Mom the photographer) at the cavern exit.

And here's a photo of our RVs and Diesel & Dex in the back of our truck (with Tim sneaking in the picture).

Our tiny trailer is about the size of Mom & Dad's slide-out on their 5th wheel trailer. But we made it to the caverns. Yep, 14 hours of driving, over an hour at the border, 6 tanks of gas, wind, rain, snow (yep we drove through a crazy snow storm), and no dog food. We had a blast! I'd do it all over again in a second.

Writing on Stone

So Writing on Stone was so fun. The weather was so nice. We even went swimming in the river that afternoon. Yes, it was THAT hot! We went climbing in the hoodoos Saturday afternoon. We had a blast. And I loved having a trailer with a fridge, sink, nice bed, and toilet. I even had a good sleep cuz I didn't have to worry about bears eating me. Actually if you've ever been to Writing on Stone it's not really the kind of place you'd find a bear. But watch out for the rattle snakes and huge porcupines. However we do a lot of camping in the mountains...and the bears do live there.

Here's me climbing over a hoodoo.

And Tim taking a rest at the very top of a hoodoo.

Check out the cool ledge I got up on...okay I had a boost from Tim.

And there's Tim way the heck out (and up) there. Too high for my liking.

Me with our puppies, Diesel & Dex. They are WAY better climbers than me. Dexter especially. Everywhere Tim went Dex was on his heels. Dexter would jump from the top of one hoodoo to the next with Tim. Diesel would climb down and then back up the next. I thought our dogs turned into mountain lions.

Then Trent & Tara came out to visit us Saturday night. So here's Trent getting ready to do the huge leap and Tim's gonna catch him (it's a long ways down as Tim is standing on a ledge himself). Okay he didn't really jump. Tara and I were having a fit cuz they were up way too high.

Tim thought this hoodoo looked like a climbing wall. Trent & Tara looked on while he tested it out. This was the only time that Diesel & Dex couldn't figure out how to get to Tim.

Tim and Trent made it to the top. Tara and I were very nervous during their climb. Diesel & Dexter were just nervous cuz they couldn't get to Tim. They must have done 50 laps each around the hoodoo trying to find a place to get up to him.