Colorado Visit, Triathalon, Work

Colorado Trip
We drove to Colorado with Bruce's parents to help Michelle, Bruce's sister, install a new sprinkler system and visited Garden of the Gods.

Bruce and Hailey at Garden of the Gods

Bruce, Ben, John, Rachel climbing

Hailey

Saw Lindsay's freshly painted condo in Colorado Springs.
I stayed an extra few days to visit my family before flying back to Utah with Hailey. It was her very first flight!

Eric lived in Utah for a month.




Triathlon
Bruce and I are doing an Olympic Triathlon in St. George on September 18th! The race is an open water, one mile swim followed by a 26 mile bike (with a one mile stretch which has a 6% incline.... not too sure about that), followed by a 10K run. The swim should be okay. I can swim a mile now, so I just need to train to get my time down and increase my endurance a little since open water will have more turbulence. We bought a month pass to the city pool and went swimming 3 days a week to train for the Trithalon. Hailey loved the pool!
The bike might just kill me. We've been casually looking for a second bike. We used to have 2 but one got stolen from our apartment so Bruce and I alternate who rides everyday. It works well now, but a little closer to the race we will want to train on the same bikes we will ride, plus longer rides are more fun with company. We borrowed a bike trailer from one of Bruce's relatives which I use when I ride with Hailey. She doesn't really like it because it's so roomy that when I brake, or turn she tips over and can't get back up. I saw someone else with a toddler car seat in a trailer, so I've started looking for a car seat that we could put in the trailer the help her stay upright. We'll see if it works, assuming I can find one at a price I want to pay. As for the run, I've been doing 3-4 mile runs and feel really comfortable, so the 10K distance should be okay, the real question is can I do it after a 26 mile ride and a mile swim. The race is really expensive ($90 each!), but I've enjoyed the training so far, and I think that we will really enjoy the race. In the future I think we'll look earlier in the season and try to find a cheaper on, but since we haven't been training that long and the end of race season is approaching, it was our only option.


Ernst and Young, Texas Trip
Bruce went on a trip to Texas this last weekend to visit the Ernst and Young Accounting office in Huston. He said he enjoyed the trip and he learned some good information about what they are looking for in an employee which will help him make some decisions about pursuing a Masters. He had not been accepted into the Masters program when he left for the trip, and was considering other options, but has since been admitted!

Hailey
Hailey is doing great. She is growing, and becoming a little person more and more. She has all her front teeth, can crawl very well. She walks with help and will crawl into the room where I am at just to pull herself up on my pant leg and get help walking. She can stand for a few seconds without help and can walk around tables, chairs, and anything else that looks stable. Today she was super cute- she was rolling this giant ball and every time she would roll it she would look at me for praise. I would simile, or say "yeah" and she would get this grin on her face. So cute!

The other place that Hailey has been so cute is in the pool. Because neither of us are currently BYU students we can't use BYU facilities, so we purchased a 1-month pass to the Provo Rec Center. I take Hailey in the baby side while Bruce swims laps, and then we switch while I swim. Hailey loves the pool. She has gotten pretty brave and will crawl all over the stairs by herself. I sit close so I can rescue her when she topples over, but she's pretty independent. She's really social. When she sees someone who she thinks is interesting she leans toward them and turns her head to stare. I usually let her direct where we go based on her head jerking and I think she likes it. She hates to be on her back in the water, but loves to be in a swimming position. She also love to splash and has a floating toy that she wants in and out of all the time, probably just to try my patience :)

Lawns
I've been helping with the family lawn business. I mow with Bruce on Tuesday and Wednesday, assuming that Grandma can watch Hailey, then do sprinkler repair and weed some customers lawns on other days of the week. It's nice because I can take Hailey for everything except mowing (too noisy for little ears) and it gets me outside and busy. Hailey loves to eat dirt whenever we are in a flowerbed or have a chunk of grass with the dirt side exposed. It was really cute the first time, but she does it all the time and I don't want her to get botulism, so now we fight about it. I move her a way, she crawls back and eats until I catch her again. :) Some weeks get really crazy with Bruce working at his other job 3 days a week, mowing 2 days a week, and doing sprinklers as often as we need to. In addition to all that I've been subbing at the job I had last summer doing water checks, so I work an average of 1-2 days a week. Like I said, it makes life busy, but we've enjoyed it thus far.
I tried to fix up a bike from the neighbors dumpster but it was going to cost so much in new parts it wasn't worth it. Bruce started looking online for used bikes, but demand is high in Provo so most the road bikes we were interested in were about $200. We decided to get one on Amazon that was $160. A lot of money, but hopefully we use it enough to justify the expense.

Scott's Shed

Scott decided to build a shed for bikes, lawn equipment, etc. One Saturday we helped spread concrete, and another we helped build and secure some walls.

Pouring concrete

Spreading concrete

Raising the wall

Hailey Walks Along Furniture

Hailey's Newest Skills
Hailey loves walking along the furniture or with help from any extended hand. I bought her a push walker toy which folds down into a bike. She cannot direct it very well and gets frustrated when she walked it into an obstruction, but it entertains her for a few minutes.

She recognizes and prefers her parents over other adults, and gets excited every time she sees another baby or toddler.
She has the most adorable laugh and makes these deep, gasping squeals.

Triathlon
Bruce and I decided that we will do an Olympic triathlon at the end of September in St. George, Ut. We've enjoyed the diversity in the training and are excited for race day.

Kevin and Laurel Visit 
Kevin and Laurel came to visit. Hailey enjoyed the company of Claire.

Hailey and Claire on Grandma's swing

Crackers!

McCall, Idaho, Sommerfeldt Reunion

Scott's family have a reunion every few years. This year they met at McCall, Idaho over July 4th. We enjoyed the time together, and the chance for me to meet some of Bruce's cousins.

Scott and Lisa and their children all went canoeing. It was fun, and when we got to a cove area we all took turns jumping in. We didn't want everyone to get their clothes wet, so we traded clothes and took turns jumping. Hailey slept in the bottom of the canoe during the outing.

We also went to a hot springs in McCall.

Colorado Visit

In the last month we've enjoyed a visit to Colorado, much progress in Hailey's development, a second job for Bruce, and other excitement.

We visited Colorado for Chis and Amanda Kuntz's wedding at the begging of June and were also able to enjoy some time with family. I was in the wedding party, so I attended many of the wedding events. Everything was beautiful-the wedding rehearsal, dinner, ceremony, and reception.

In addition to wedding activities, we installed an electric dog fence around the perimeter of the Waite's property and painted the living room wall green, purchased Hailey some cute clothes, and thoroughly enjoyed our time visiting.

Bruce
Upon our return, Bruce was offered a job with a small business that manages the books for other companies. He has enjoyed the two weeks working. He works part time doing the book keeping at this new job and works part time doing lawn care with the family lawn business.
Bruce will be visiting the Ernst and Young Huston accounting office on July 30th to meet some of the people and get a feel for the office. If he likes the office then he can apply for an internship later in the year, which ideally leads to a position when he graduates. He's not committed, and will consider other firms and other locations, but we're excited that he will be able to visit the office before we commit to an internship.

Rachel
I've found a good routine at home and have a number of projects that fill any free time, but I've stayed busy working at my job, or with lawn stuff. I am a substitute water auditor for Central Utah Water District and have worked a few days. It's the same job I had last summer, but this year I only work when one of the normal auditors is absent. It pays pretty well (which is why I'm doing it) and because it's not everyday, and usually not all day (we're finished whenever all our appointments are finished which is often before 5PM) it's a good fit. Hailey stays with Dad or Grandma on the days that I have to work. I also help Bruce mow when Lisa is able to watch Hailey, and often take her along when we do sprinkler work.
When I'm not working, I clean the house, do the laundry, cook dinner, work on sewing projects (a jacket for Hailey, a dress and a skirt for me), and whatever else comes my way.



Hailey
Speaking of Hailey, she's growing up every day. About June 15th she showed us that she has mastered rolling from her back to her stomach. We knew she had rolled a few times before that but always when we were out of the room. Since going public with her skill, she is able to make quick a escapes during any diaper change.

On the same day she demonstrated her rolling skills she crawled. She's been scooching pretty efficiently for a while, but has mastered the coordinated movement of arms and legs while in a proper crawling position. It's made her more efficient at getting where she wants to go, but just a few days after crawling she came down with a fever and has been sleeping 20hour/day for the last day or two. When she recovers from the fever I'm sure she'll discover the true benefits of crawling.
One of her favorite pass times is standing at the coffee table, walking around the coffee table, and walking around the house while holding on my fingers. She's gaining control of her body and getting better at balancing, but we're still a bit away from walking. We're excited by her progress and increasing independence- she's so fun to play with and undoubtly will become more and more fun the older she gets.
Videos of Hailey to come.

Half Marathon

Today I ran the Provo City Half Marathon.

Jessica and Rachel before the race

Just blocks away from the starting line it started raining and only let up for a few miles just after the 5 mile mark. Thankfully it wasn't pouring, but we were wet early in the race and didn't dry out, ever. My training partner, Jessica Anderson (our home teacher's wife) and I ran together for all but the last mile, when I couldn't keep up with her. I sent her ahead, but kept running and came in about a minute after her. At 2 hours and 4 minutes which works out to about a 9:30 minute mile. I was pleasantly surprised with the time because in our training we usually run about a 10 minute mile.
Bruce and Jessica's husband Burke saw us off at the start, cheered for us at the 5 and 10 mile marks and met us at the finish line. It was fun to have a little cheering squad. Hailey also cheered for us at the 5, 10 mile, and finish line. When I saw her at the finish line she was in the front pack with a blanket wrapped around her, drenched hair and a smile for her Mom despite the cool temperatures.
They had breakfast at the finish line but we were cold, wet, and tired, so we drove home (all 5 blocks) and after a warm shower, had breakfast with the Anderson's at our apartment.

Rachel crossing the finish line

Rachel and Jessica finished

Good experience.

Life

There's so much to report...

I'll highlight a few of the major points and anything that needs explanation because there is a photo.

Graduation
Last week I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelors in Exercise Science. I didn't walk or attend any other graduation rituals so it's just as though summer vacation is here, not the end of my educational career for a few years.


Hailey

Hailey standing. 4 months old. She's improved a lot since then and doesn't need to be held "Simba- style" anymore.

Hailey's growing quickly. She's almost 5 months old and can almost crawl. She gets on her hands and knees and pushes herself backward very well, and with some effort can lunge forward to get closer to her toy. The whole ordeal is pretty cute.

She also pulls to standing while holding on to your fingers, and if getting much more stable standing alone.

She's discovered her feet, but not her toes since she almost always wears socks.

She's been eating solids for a month and a half- we were too excited to wait all the way to the recommended 4 month mark and the early introduction of food can cause food allergies later in life, so if she's allergic to rice or bananas we take full blame :) She eats rice cereal, mashed bananas, applesauce, green beans, graham crackers, and whatever other bread Mom and Dad share with her. She can hold graham crackers by herself and with some success can feed herself them. She loves to help with spoon feeding which is sometimes cute and sometimes just a giant mess.

Hailey's become quite the giggly girl. Sometimes without warning or reason she will giggle at the slightest touch. For example, one night we were at the BYU Creamery and I spotted a diaper blowout. I hauled her to to bathroom to clean her up and as I pull her clothes off her head, the end of her onesie brushed her stomach. She started giggling and laughed and laughed the whole time I put her new outfit on. It's so cute!

She recognizes Bruce and I and grins when she sees us, but then again, who doesn't?

Hailey in the Bathtub

Hailey also loves her bath. She's going to be an Olympic swimmer- you can tell because she's such a good kicker. See video at bottom of page.

Dresses

Maire and Hailey in the dress Marie made for her

My old roommate Marie made Hailey a dress. She inspired me to make a dress for Hailey too. All I manages was a jumper, but I'm working on a dress.... we'll see how it goes.

Bruce
Bruce finished the Junior year of accounting program and will hear if her was accepted into the masters program mid June. He has interviewed with 3 of the major accounting firms- PWC, E&Y, and KPMG for a Summer Leadership program which would allow him to visit the accounting firm in the city where he would like to work. He has an offer from E&Y but none of the other firms, so sometime this summer he will fly to Huston, TX to get to know some of the people at the Houston office. It's supposed to be a good opportunity to get to know some people in the office, get an idea of the atmosphere, and help you decide if you would like to work there. This summer leadership will not lead to a job or internship offer, but does help with the networking. In October Bruce will begin applying for internships which (assuming all goes will during the internship) should lead to a job offer, so any chance he has to confirm compatibility in a particular office can help the internship decision.

He's working with the family lawn care business now. They mow about 25 lawns and we hope to increase the number of lawns to about 30 or 35 this year.

March 2010

Work
Bruce and I installed a sprinkler system in Layton, UT Monday and Tuesday of this week. We stayed with Aunt Mary and Uncle Kelly and were able to say "hi" to some of the other family in the area when we stopped by Grandma Waite's house. It was a long two days, but the job was profitable and it was fun to work together on the system. Hailey was really well behaved. She slept well in the Pack 'n' Play (borrowed from Scott and Lisa) and was fairly content playing in the walker (borrowed from a friend in the ward), or scooting around on her blanket or the dirt when she could make it off the blanket.We hope to get a few more sprinkler jobs this summer to supplement the income since I'm not currently working.
I do some weeding for lawn customers. It's not consistent, but it's flexible and it allows me to take Hailey, interrupt my work to attend to her needs, and earn a little money.

Party Pak
Party Pak Rentals in going well. We have all the machines and supplies and have rented the cotton candy machine once. We will be using it at a ward social next weekend and will be renting it to someone else the next day. Hopefully we'll continue to have a few rentals a month and be able to pay of the equipment this year. It's been a fun investment thus far and we have enjoyed the personal access to shaved ice and popcorn. :) Check out the website that Bruce designed (use Mozilla, not Internet Explorer): www.partypakrentals.com

Investing
Bruce has taken an interest in the stock market, so we've invested a little money in the market. Bruce always informs me when we are making or loosing money and even though I always say "Let's go shopping" when we are making money, I have yet to go :)


Play
Work doesn't take all day, so we've had some fun playing.

For one particularly good date we built boats and sailed them. I placed a few items on the table including potatoes, celery, and knifes and told Bruce that he could add 3 additional items. He chose packing tape, grocery bags, and C hooks. I proceeded to build a potato boat with a celery mast and a packing tape leash. Meanwhile, Bruce crafted a watertight boat with a giant sail from a box (was already on the table, but not intentionally placed there), waterproofed with packing tape, weighed down with a potato in the center, and with a celery mast, cardboard supports, and a grocery bag sail. My boat sank immediately, while Bruce's sailed across the duck pond.

Rachel and Bruce with their respective boats

The boats

Bruce's boat voyage across the duck pond

Another day, for an afternoon activity I made a scavenger hunt and Bruce had to use the clues to find some cookies. He had to drive around Provo and didn't know what the prize was but was a good sport.

As a graduation present Bruce got me a basketball and a net to hang on the hoop in our parking lot. We've played a few times and have confirmed that I really am terrible, but I have the whole summer to improve and I'm excited to get a little better. One day when we were shooting hoops the little neighbor boy came out (he's almost 2 yr old) and played with us, a few days later when he saw Bruce walking to our apartment he said, "Baketball." It was cute.

Hailey Bath Hailey Crawl.... kind of