The Viets do YELLOWSTONE

One of the things on our "bucket list" for our time here in Montana was a trip to Yellowstone National Park. The first national park, and maybe the best, in this country. We were on our way to visit friends and family in Star Valley, so we decided to tackle Yellowstone on the way down.

The DRIVE

We live about 120 miles from the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park, but to get there we had to drive the Beartooth Pass. Breathtaking. The highway zigzags up the steep Beartooth Mountains to an elevation of 11,000ft, where there is usually snow. Yes, snow in June and July. There is even a ski-lift running year round. Then at the top there are beautiful mountain lakes and pristine wilderness. It was a slow drive, because it was both dangerous and beautiful. The girls didn't appreciate it as much, especially when Josh made them get out for a picture.

 

The WILDLIFE
This was the most exciting part for the kids, but spotting wildlife is a rare occurrence on a hot summer day. Except for the buffalo. The buffalo are everywhere, in large herds, grazing the valleys, the roadsides, and sometimes taking leisurely strolls along the road.

 

The elk were pretty common too. At least the females were. There were a lot of elk near Mammoth that just made themselves at home, and didn't shy away from people or cars. We found one just sitting on the lawn outside the gift shop.

 

We did see one male though, with antlers still young and furry.

 

Some mountain goats high on the hillside.

 

And then there were the BEARS. You always knew when a bear was spotted because there would be tons of cars pulled over to the shoulder, and a bunch of overzealous tourists with cameras trying to get close to this deadly animal. We fit right in.

I was so unlucky, I got out for a picture and all I ever saw was this big brown bottom. Then as I was getting back to the car, the bear decides to cross the road just a few cars ahead of us - and I missed it! Lydia and Josh saw the whole thing. Josh saw 4 bears that day. He took this picture of a momma bear, and she had her cub hiding in the grass next to her.

 

 

The HOT SPRINGS

I didn't realize until this year that Yellowstone is a supervolcano, and that's why there are so many geothermal features throughout the park, like geysers and hot springs. We visited the Midway Geyser Basin to walk through the hot springs and see the Grand Prismatic, the 3rd largest in the world. There were lots of pools to walk along, and lots of steam to walk through! Claire's glasses kept fogging up, it was so cute we all had a good chuckle.

I didn't take the picture below, but this is a view of the Grand Prismatic from the hillside. Maybe next time we visit we'll hike up the hill to get this view.

 

Mammoth Hot Springs is a large, terraced hot spring that is thousands of years old, and mostly dry by now. But the calcium deposits over those years created some pretty impressive landscapes.

 

 

The FALLS
Yellowstone is full of waterfalls, and big ones at that. It was so great to be driving along the road, turn the corner, and spot a 200' waterfall in front of you. The most popular one is the Lower Yellowstone Falls, at over 300 feet! I took this pic at a lookout spot from the road.

It was the only waterfall we decided to hike to. There was a short trail that lead from the road down to the brink of the falls, so we took the girls down there for an up-close look. Both Josh and I were a little queasy as we looked down the waterfall...but the girls were picking up rocks and throwing them into the falls to the interminable depth below.

 

Yellowstone's Grand Canyon

 

The FAITHFUL
No trip to Yellowstone is complete without a visit to Old Faithful, the most predictable geyser in the world. We had dinner at the Lodge, then got our ice cream cones and found a bench to park on while we waited for the "show".  We had trouble explaining geysers to the girls, so we just called it a "water volcano"...and left it at that. It was a perfect night, and great to see so many other geysers in that basin erupting at different times too.

 

 

And yes, it is possible to do all of this in a day. That's what we did! 

Father's Day "Heart & Sole" Run

The Heart & Sole Run takes place every year on Father's Day weekend in Billings. There was a 5K, 10K, and a 2 mile "fitness walk". We both wanted to run a race... but what about the kids?

We decided that in honor of Father's Day...Josh should run with the girls. So Lydia and Claire did the 2-mile race with Josh, while he pushed Hadley in the jogging stroller! What a sight. Then I was free to run the 5K, my first race since Hadley was born. As for Scarlett...we all agreed she would be too much work during the race...so she just went to a friend's house.

My 5K race performance was not impressive. I was pumped up with music, excited about the big crowd, doing my first race in well over a year...but the excitement wore off as I began gasping for air and getting passed by 8th graders. How did I ever run a half marathon last year? It was definitely a different body. I was struggling to keep my pace below an 11minute mile. Struggling. Ugh.

Josh's experience was frustrating in a much more comical way. For some reason he had his mind set on winning this 2 mile "fun run", with 3 little girls with him. He had to start at the back because he had the stroller, but at the shotgun start he wove through all the other racers to get to the front, all the while cheering the girls on to keep up with him. At one point Claire was slowing them down, so he threw her up on his shoulders and pushed forward.

Yes, he was that guy.

But they stayed with Lydia's pace, and had fun along the way, even with their crazy dad. We were so proud of our girls. The next day the race results were printed in the newspaper. They all finished in the top ten for their age group ;)

Hadley's Blessing day

 

Hadley Sue Viets

blessed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Sunday June 2, 2013

 

Josh gave a beautiful blessing to Hadley, and we are excited for the wonderful life she has ahead of her. She's already a light in our family and I know her light will shine brighter as she grows into a confident young woman, influencing those around her with her example of kindness and love.

She's our perfect little angel!

First visit to Red Lodge

 

Red Lodge is a small mountain town about an hour south of Billings. It's got everything - lakes, rivers, camping, hiking, wildlife, and a ski resort in the winter. We spent a Saturday there and Josh taught the girls to fish at a little lake called Wild Bill Lake. Lydia and Claire both caught fish and reeled them in... but like their mom they were a little freaked once it got to shore!

 

 Scarlett liked to pretend she was fishing, but didn't have the attention span to wait for something to catch her line. She mostly played with the rocks and splashed the water. Lydia was the best fisherman, getting probably 3 or 4 fish, and actually holding one! Claire never wanted to touch them. "No daddy you do it! You get my hands all dirty." Claire also got her pants wet when she fell in the water and demanded a wardrobe change.

 

 

 We then went to the Montana Candy Emporium. It's full of old time candies (cinnamon bears, jellies,  taffies, etc). It reminded me of my grandma Taylor who used to always have a glass jar full of these candies for the grandkids. The real treat, however, was the homemade fudge and chocolates. Just for mom and dad of course.

Red Lodge also has a Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to all sorts of animals that have been rescued due to injuries or were owned illegally. There were bears, wolves, elk, a mountain lion and bobcat, and the big buffalo, among others.

 My Montana girls!

Lovely Lydia

Our lovely Lydia is growing up so fast. It really is so fun. She and I talk about boys and boy bands (Big Time Rush), she likes to dress up in mom's clothes and wear lip gloss, and she loves when I straighten her hair. We have talks about modesty and language and she is not afraid to be different from her friends at school. So far so good. We just gotta stay on this track!

Lydia got a new bike...because Scarlett and Claire needed bigger bikes! Lydia is lucky to be the oldest because she always gets the "new" bike, while the others get the hand-me-downs. Fortunately Claire and Scarlett were thrilled with the change! We go on a lot of bike rides around Ironwood, and the girls are pretty fast now. Scarlett only keeps up if she has her scooter.

Lydia has now lost her TWO front teeth, just a week apart. It always happens when dad is away in North Dakota, so she gets very excited to FaceTime with him to show off her missing teeth! 

 

Lydia just finished her first season of soccer in Montana, with the Pink Panthers. It's "spring" soccer, which means its cold and windy, and sometimes it even snows during the games. The YSA league is very laid back - the coaches ref all the games, there aren't many rules enforced, and the girls just have fun. Our team wasn't that great, but they didn't know it. Lydia scored 2 or 3 goals this season and is still very good at dribbling.

 

We got to visit Lydia's class at Arrowhead for a circus! During the week they learned all about circus animals, and decorated their classroom and props to put on their own circus for their parents. Lydia was a twirler.

 

Now the school year is over and summer fun begins!

Claire's ready for Kindergarten!

Last month was Claire's preschool graduation. Yep, she's on her way to kindergarten next year! At her graduation ceremony the kids sang some songs and then they were each presented with a new book and a special folder with artwork they'd done, photos of their activities, and a nice card from her teachers.

 

Claire's friend - the other "glasses girl" in class - Alaina.

 

from Mrs Smith

" We are so glad you found our preschool for Claire, she was such a wonderful addition to our class. She was a bit slow to warm up to our loud students, but found her space and made friends very quickly. She is very well liked by her peers. She will really blossom in elementary school, she enjoys learning so much. When it is playtime Claire usually chooses to sit and write words, and is starting to read sight words. She is independent, she can take care of her own needs, and follows directions well. She also shows a strong understanding of the Bible stories, and her favorite was "How God made the world". We will miss Claire, but she will  love kindergarten and all the learning to absorb :) 

 

Claire drew this picture on her last day of preschool



 

Love her!

Life with Little Miss Scarlett

I love my little 2 year old. They call them the "terrible twos" but I'd much rather have a 2 year old than a 1 year old. Scarlett is so much work yet so much fun to talk to, to play with, to be around.

 

Scarlett loves her sisters. I thought she'd be jealous of Hadley but she's the opposite. She loves her and always wants to hold her. When I need to change Hadley it is always Scarlett who will hunt everywhere to bring me a diaper and wipes, while the other two just sit on their rumps.

 

Scarlett is fast. She runs fast, she rides her scooter very fast (prompting a lot of comments at the parks), and whenever its bedtime or bathtime, Scarlett HAS to be the first one up the stairs or down the stairs or to the bathroom. Her life is a big race and she's always winning.

 

Scarlett is almost always happy... if she gets what she wants. I guess that's why she tires me out - she always demands that I go outside with her, or go to the park with her, or fix her a snack, or turn on Peppa Pig. And I have to meet these demands asap or else she's screaming and clawing at me. But when she gets what she wants...she's golden.

 

Sometimes both of us are knackered at the end of the day. I'm starting to wean her off of her afternoon naps because she's been jabbering with Claire every night and keeping her up past bedtime. As a result I often find she gives herself a late nap. Always with her Dora blankie cuddled beneath her. She even sleeps like this in her bed.

Scarlett is a mess. She makes messes when she eats, and she makes messes getting dressed. She insists on dressing herself, which usually involves emptying the contents of her drawers and sprawling them across her bedroom floor before she picks out an outfit that doesn't match and/or isn't even suitable to wear out.

Scarlett is already an iPhone expert. I always find pictures and videos of her on my phone that make me laugh. It was fun until she figured out how to purchase apps, and post results of her games (Temple Run) to my facebook account. Now I have to keep a close eye on her!

She is so much fun to talk to and brings me so much joy. Worth all the work!

Mother's Day

Ahh yes..those would be the best gifts, but with a newborn, 3 other little girls, and a sick husband it just didn't happen. It was still a wonderful mother's day being showered with gifts and made to feel like a better mom than I really am. My favorite gifts are always the cards that the girls make at school, with questions they answered about their mom.

 

from Claire:

1. If I could give my mom anything in the world I would give her: new shoes

2. How do I show my mom I love her? I kiss her

3. My favorite thing to do with my mom is: go for a walk

4. Her favorite color is: red

5. Her favorite food is: salad

6. When my mom grows up she wants to: play with me

7. If she had extra time, she likes to: take a nap with Hadley

8. My mom and dad first met: in Texas

9. My mom laughs when: I do silly things or a funny laugh

10. My mom is 32 years old

11. What my mom loves the most is: flowers

 

from Lydia

My mom is as pretty as a butterfly

She is as sweet as a puppy

She is as smart as a scientist

She is as special as ME

My mom is 32 years old

She likes to: give me hug and kiss

The best thing she cooks is: pizza and ranch

Her favorite food is: vechtpels

Her favorite thing to do to relax is: Going to sleep with me

We like to: hugs and kissis together

She is really good as: helping Hadley

My mom is special because: she is realy nice to me

 

 

I hope that they always think my favorite thing to do is spend time with them. Those answers are the only completely true ones!

Introducing Hadley

 Hadley Sue Viets

Born April 6, 2013 at 6:18pm

Weight 7lbs, 7.7oz

Length 19.5"

My labor story:
Well here's my courageous story...though honestly this was by far the easiest birth of the four girls. I decided to be induced because if I didn't,  I knew I would go into labor in the middle of night like I always do, and not have anyone to help with the other kids. Hadley was due April 10th, but we scheduled the induction for April 6th. The week before the induction, I was already dilated to a 4 and was expecting her to come any time..but she didn't. So we made it to our appointment.
We checked in to the hospital at 7:30am, got my IV and my antibiotics, and my first dose of pitocin. Then we waited. And waited. The pitocin wasn't doing anything for me. I'd have regular contractions, but nothing painful. We increased the dosage every half hour. Nothing. I was ready for the doc to just come break my waters and get things going, but then something scary happened. An alarm went off in the hospital and our nurse abruptly left. The woman in the room next to me had just delivered and was having postpartum hemorrhaging, so everyone went to help. She ended up needing subsequent surgeries that took up the Dr's time for most of the day. Then on top of that, a woman came in with twins and ended up needing an emergency Caesarean. SO I didn't see my doctor all day. I just sat there on my drip. A little scared by all of this. Still no progress through the day and I was getting impatient, and ready to meet my baby!
So every time my nurse came in I asked her when the Dr. would finally be available to break my waters. When I heard she'd be available in about an hour, I called for the anesthesiologist to give me my epidural. That part was scary. I'd never been administered an epidural while I'm not in pain, so I was fully aware of it all...I felt the needle in my spine, the stinging medicine, the electric jolt down my leg...it was all creepy. But once the medicine took effect I was in heaven.
Then things happened fast. Just as the anesthesiologist packed up, my Dr. was in there ready to break my waters. It was already 5:45pm. She broke my waters, and then I waited and rested, happily drugged. Then about 15 minutes later I felt PAIN. What the heck!? I was feeling my contractions. I complained to my nurse that I needed another dose of medicine in my epidural, so she checked my cervix and said "Uh...there's no cervix...the baby's head is right there". So she went to retrieve my doctor, who came in and said "Let's have a baby." Those words got me really excited. Three big pushes later, she was here, at 6:18.

She looked pretty big when we first saw her, we were guessing she was at 8 lbs, but she weighed in at 7lbs 7.7oz.. how lucky! She was perfect. We held her the rest of the evening, imagining what her name should be. Our favorites were Hadley, Alaina, Rachelle, and Isla.

My mom had been looking after the girls, and at 6:30 that night we called her with the good news, and told her to bring them up to the hospital. They came up and took turns saying hi to their new sister. We decided on the name Hadley, which wasn't Josh's favorite until we agreed that her middle name would be Sue, just like his Mom.

  

We are in love with our little newborn. There are so many things I love about the newborn stage, that I had already forgotten since Scarlett's birth.

 

I love the new baby smell. So innocent and pure.

I love the way she arches her back to stretch...almost completely in a "C"...when I pick her up from a nap.

I love her quick little breaths through her nose when she's excited

I love the way she observes her world, wide-eyed and in slow-motion, like she is always in complete awe

I love her rooting reflex. It's so instinctive it's comical.

I love that when she's spooked, her arms and legs sprawl out, and I see how teeny tiny they really are.

 

She is one month old now, and so far she's a perfect baby. She sleeps well through the night, waking up just once for a feeding. I can take her anywhere and she will almost always just nap. She is only fussy when she's hungry, and she is so easy to please.

We love you Hadley!

My last pregnancy

We took this picture on the eve of our 4th daughter's birth. I think I only have one other picture of me pregnant with her, and I wanted to remember how our family was at this moment. The last day I will ever be pregnant.

 

Our family is comfortable with the decision to stop at 4 girls. There are definitely some things I will miss about being pregnant, but I am still ready to move on to the next stage in my life. The stage that doesn't involve so many diaper changes.

It may sound odd, but I for one really enjoyed being pregnant...and I want to remember that. Of course there was plenty to complain about - the backaches, the small bladder, the exhaustion,...and don't get me started on the postpartum problems - but it was all worth it. I felt beautiful. I think all pregnant women are beautiful. You can put on any old shabby sweater, and look adorable because you have a big round belly. When you're pregnant nobody sees your frizzy hair or your baggy maternity jeans, they just see the belly. And the belly makes you beautiful. At least that's what I see. I see a woman fulfilling her divine role.
I also love that being pregnant gave me a "free pass" to do things I wouldn't normally do, like eat donuts while I'm grocery shopping and take 2 hour naps on Sunday. I love that people are so accomodating to pregnant women - I get to cut in line, I get escorted to the "soft seats" in church, I get special parking at the grocery store, and wherever I go someone will offer me a seat if I am standing. And I especially love that when people ask "Is this your first?".. I get to smile and say "Nope this is my fourth!"

But what I loved most about being pregnant was feeling so very close to my Heavenly Father as I brought a new life into this world. I was part of a true miracle. A big part. I felt the weight of the responsibility to nourish and care for this little child that God has blessed me with, that I alone could care for. What an awesome responsibility.
It was such a blessed experience to bring my four beautiful daughters into this world, and now I'm looking forward to bringing them up to be strong, beautiful, women.