Our Week...and the 20 Week Baby Bump

Shayne, me, Bo, and Tipz on Kasilof Beach

Wow! What a week. I actually have posted three different posts tonight, so make sure you check them all out. Sorry, but this is a long blog! Anyway...let me give a way too long description of what's been going on the past week in the Pond home:

Wednesday: Last day of classes, and high school graduations. Shayne and I went to both my school's graduation and Skyview's. My school recognized me, and gave me the most beautiful flowers at the graduation. The kids gave me a standing ovation as I accepted the flowers. What a great group of kids! They actually made me cry. Shayne worked that night as well.

Thursday: Last day of work for me. I cleaned my room, entered grades, and turned in my keys. It was actually really hard for me to leave. I have absolutely LOVED teaching at the Alternative H.S. They are some amazing kids, and a great bunch of teachers to work with. I'm going to miss them lots! Shayne didn't sleep, at all, but did a bunch of chores and what not around the house to get ready for our guests that were coming for Memorial Day weekend.

After work we met the vet at Corey's to have our 3 yr old horse colt, Cojo, "cut" or castrated. It didn't go as well as we'd hoped and we ended up being there for about 2 hours. It wasn't a pleasant experience for him...not that it would have been anyway, but it was made worse by his lack of cooperation. But...it got taken care of, and I now have a nice gelding to work with...I like that much better than having a stud horse to work with.

Jared, Kaye and Malia, and Ty, Liz and Zack showed up around 10:00 that night. We all stayed up way too late talking, but it was nice to see all of them.

Bo actually getting out into the water and retrieving the stick...he usually gets distracted and doesn't retrieve the stick! :)

Friday: We found out on Friday that Haakon, Lyndsay, and their kids, 5 yr old Corinne, 3 yr old Lauryn, and 14 mnth old Torstin, were coming down as well. They had a motor home to stay in, so just needed a parking space. They are a very fun family, and we loved having them here. Everyone was coming down, b/c the opener for King Salmon fishing was that Friday night at midnight. So, their plan, (and by "their" I mean, the men) was to drive down to the Ninlchik river and start fishing at midnight. They left @ 11:00 pm and didn't get home until about 7 am the next morning. I might add that Shayne was the only one to bring home a King. He hooked into three, landed two, but was only allowed to bring home one. Yeah for him! :) Us women stayed up way too late talking again, and just having a good time.

Shayne w/ one of the King's he landed. Doesn't he look warm?!

Saturday: After the men got home and got about anywhere from 2-4 hours of sleep depending on their kids, or lack thereof...they did a bunch of work around the house. They cut up a bunch of dead fall, and built a huge wood pile for fire wood. The place looks awesome!! A couple of us went into town and got groceries for our big BBQ. Shayne grilled up the King salmon he caught, and it was delicious! We had a blast just hanging out! Ty, Liz and Zack left shortly after the BBQ.

Sunday: We don't have church until 1pm on Sunday, so we got to sleep in again. Haakon, Lyndsay, and their kids left around 12:30, and the rest of us were planning on going to church. However, I got a call about 12:15 informing me that my newly gelded horse, Cojo, and been spooked the night before by a bear and had ran himself into a metal roping chute, built for small cows, had wedged himself in there and had been there for most of the night. He had a massive hole down to the skull in the center of his head, just above his eyes, and had scraped off most of the hair and hide on his back. We called the vet...again, and ran over there and met him. We had to anesthetize him...again...and he put about 12 stitches in the front of his head, and I clipped, cleaned and treated his massively scraped up back. Shayne helped the vet with the head, and even got to administer medication via Cojo's jugular...after he was asleep. Cojo was a little easier to work with this time, but it was b/c he was so exhausted from fighting in the chute all night. The poor horse has not had a good week! Needless to say we missed church, but Jared and Kaye were good and went any way.

Monday: Memorial Day. Kaye cut my hair, and then they left shortly after that. Shayne worked around the yard, pruning and cleaning up the raspberry bushes and mowing the yard. It looks so good...he's doing an awesome job! Later that afternoon we went to the Hansen's for a BBQ. The Swanson's, Wilson's, and Anderson's were there. It was pretty darn fun! Shayne then had to go back to work. I went over and doctored Cojo. I have to put some ointment on his back every day for about 2 weeks. He wasn't a huge fan of it tonight, but I did get some on. He's still awfully tender, but at least he's letting put some on.

I also took pictures of my 20 week baby bump. Keep in mind that I had just eaten WAY too much at the BBQ so my stomach is a little bigger than normal. :) I'm actually carrying way low, and most people are surprised to know I'm as far along as I am...if they recognize I'm pregnant at all.

The 20 week baby bump...I think Baby Pond went through a growth spurt the last couple of weeks.

Whew!! So that's been our week! It's been crazy, but that's what Alaska is like in the summer. It's just crazy. We actually have an ultra sound tomorrow, and then I head to Anchorage for a week to take a class for my permanent teaching certificate. Shayne has a basketball clinic this weekend, and then maybe headed to our ward's girls camp for a couple of days to help out as the Priesthood leader.

Gotta love summers in Alaska!! :)