So I (Rob) was a slacker and didn't alert everyone that newsletter time was coming... I think it had something to do with Orianna, Fintan, & my BDay plus the 4th of July. Curse festivities! j/k.
But, I did see Jason a fair bit, and can tell you the following about his month. I will write as though I were Jason.
_____________________________________
So, this month I decided to donate my body to science. There is a new robotic liver that they can implant in living people as a test to see if it could replace a real liver. My former liver is now pickled in a vat above my mantle...
Oh wait, that was my dream... oh yes...
This month I got a job at Stone Haven Dental on the border of Lehi/AmericanFork.
We found a nice apartment in American Fork that is far enough away from Rob's house that he doesn't constantly pester me for dental favors.
I dunno what he is doing with all the spare canines I've collected for him, but I suspect some experimentation with vampires... BAH, dreams again, sorry...
Anywho, this apartment is identical to the one I had in Orem 2 apartments ago. It's kinds weird, but nice to already know where all my stuff can fit.
It's also nice to live close enough that I can TP Rob's house for half the gas money... though the price of TP is outrageous!
I also told Rob some other cool stuff about my job, but apparently his memory is too poor to remember them all. Something about this dental clinic is one of 3 in Utah that has some fancy equipment that can do... something... that's cool.
-The Hopes (as imagined by Rob)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
2010 June: Bates (and a little July)
Wow, very busy month.
Ok, so I have been hectically working at my day job and a side project called FashionGenome. I have been working 80 - 100 hour weeks and finally don't feel like a lazy slob when I read everyone else's newsletters ;) It should go live in July, so we will see if it goes anywhere or not.
Other than that baby-preparations were the only other big thing. Tamara was due on June 28th (2 years and 1 day after her due date with Orianna), but didn't have the baby till July 5th. Fintan Thomas was born at 6:05 am after a grueling 30 minutes of labor in the hospital ;) I am in awe of Tamara's in-tune-ness with her own body. She doesn't particularly like hospitals, so she contracts at home until she is sure the baby is coming. Orianna took 4 hours, and was just over 8 lbs, so Tamara had to shatter both records with a 10 pound boy in just under 30 min.
Fintan seems to be doing great. Tamara is also doing amazingly well. In fact, she felt so goo that we left the hospital the same evening (though the staff was not happy about that). But, since she got to sleep in her own bed and didn't have nurses bugging her every half hour she was very rested the next day. A visitor told us, "You guys are way too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to have just had a newborn!" So, we really are doing just fine.
My mom & little sister, Erica, came to stay with us for a week and help out... so, we decided to infect them all with a horrible stomach flu. It was great fun, and I am sure they are reticent to leave tomorrow. Luckily we all recovered fairly quickly, and Tamara and Fintan managed to forgo the plague as per their newbie-antibodies (lucky babies and mothers!) Haha, seriously though, I got it sooner than anyone and I think it is because I have a weakened immune system because I have been working so much... Or maybe it was because Orianna chose me by cuddling with me, turning her head toward me, and unloading about a quarts worth of digestive tract onto my chest. The daddy-daughter bond is a strong one, and it just isn't right unless you are sick together ;)
Hope you are all well. Cheers,
The Bates Fam
2010 June: North
I spent the first few week of June hiking, packing, relaxing, etc. I decided to take advantage of my vacation time and get out to see some of the beauty of West Virginia. I went on a couple of day hikes and really enjoyed myself. Now that I’m the scout leader I will be taking the boys out for some hikes and I wanted to scout out some good areas. I think I found a few that will work really well.
On June 9th we flew across the country to Boise. We weren’t sure how Becky would handle the flying, but she did just fine (and as far as we can tell the baby did just fine too). Becky’s parents picked us up and we spent a week with them on the farm. It was good to see them again, it seems like it has been so long. We had a family reunion in Swan Valley at the foot of the Tetons in a beautiful valley. 2 of her uncles asked me to work on their backs (Rob I think you warned me about this several years ago); I was able to help one, but I had to tell the other to wait a year or two until I learn a little more.
Then we came to Rexburg. I’m sorry that I didn’t get the word out that we are here, because I have heard that at least one of you (Derik) is in town and we probably could have met up. Unfortunately we are leaving town tomorrow morning for Bruneau. And by the way Derik, I was watching the 4th of July parade and saw the Jr. Miss float and thought “that girl looks very familiar, where do I know her from…” Then my mom told me it was your sister. I told my family that I used to pick on her when she was little. Tell her congratulations for me, I’m happy for her.
Here in Rexburg we spent time playing, talking, debating (our family’s new favorite pastime), swimming, eating, walking, etc. It has been a wonderful time. Being here has given me some perspective on just how much I have grown in the last few years. Life changes us, it’s up to us if that change is positive and uplifting, or degrading. It has also been bittersweet for me to realize that the Rexburg of my youth exists only in my memory and the memories of those who lived it with me. Rexburg has changed and there’s no going back. Becky and I took a stroll through the flower garden up at BYU-I today, and I told her that, though they are beautiful, I almost wish I hadn’t come back. I love the gardens of my memory and seeing the new ones, crammed full of ponds, and pathways and buildings, reminds me that the real flower gardens, the ones I remember, will never exist again. Okay I’m done with my sentimentality, it’s just that there are no other people who can sympathize with me like you guys can.
Tomorrow we drive back to Bruneau to spend another week with Becky’s family, then we fly back to WV on July 13th. We hope that the Holiday has been good to you all. Rob, we hope you have a healthy little addition to your family now.
Stewart and Becky
On June 9th we flew across the country to Boise. We weren’t sure how Becky would handle the flying, but she did just fine (and as far as we can tell the baby did just fine too). Becky’s parents picked us up and we spent a week with them on the farm. It was good to see them again, it seems like it has been so long. We had a family reunion in Swan Valley at the foot of the Tetons in a beautiful valley. 2 of her uncles asked me to work on their backs (Rob I think you warned me about this several years ago); I was able to help one, but I had to tell the other to wait a year or two until I learn a little more.
Then we came to Rexburg. I’m sorry that I didn’t get the word out that we are here, because I have heard that at least one of you (Derik) is in town and we probably could have met up. Unfortunately we are leaving town tomorrow morning for Bruneau. And by the way Derik, I was watching the 4th of July parade and saw the Jr. Miss float and thought “that girl looks very familiar, where do I know her from…” Then my mom told me it was your sister. I told my family that I used to pick on her when she was little. Tell her congratulations for me, I’m happy for her.
Here in Rexburg we spent time playing, talking, debating (our family’s new favorite pastime), swimming, eating, walking, etc. It has been a wonderful time. Being here has given me some perspective on just how much I have grown in the last few years. Life changes us, it’s up to us if that change is positive and uplifting, or degrading. It has also been bittersweet for me to realize that the Rexburg of my youth exists only in my memory and the memories of those who lived it with me. Rexburg has changed and there’s no going back. Becky and I took a stroll through the flower garden up at BYU-I today, and I told her that, though they are beautiful, I almost wish I hadn’t come back. I love the gardens of my memory and seeing the new ones, crammed full of ponds, and pathways and buildings, reminds me that the real flower gardens, the ones I remember, will never exist again. Okay I’m done with my sentimentality, it’s just that there are no other people who can sympathize with me like you guys can.
Tomorrow we drive back to Bruneau to spend another week with Becky’s family, then we fly back to WV on July 13th. We hope that the Holiday has been good to you all. Rob, we hope you have a healthy little addition to your family now.
Stewart and Becky
2010 June: Robertson
Hello Everyone,
Well, June was a very hectic month. We made some very large purchases in the month or at least initiated some large purchases. We realized since I will be doing a lot of commuting over the next several years with school and work that it was time to get a second car. Since prices and selection of vehicles are much better in and around Chicago and the twin cities area, we decided that it would be best to get a car and drive it out to Idaho instead of trying to get it after we moved. So we ended up getting a ’07 Toyota Corolla for a little under 8,000. We spent the first part of the month packing, sorting, and cleaning out our apartment.
We spent as much time as we could with Morgan’s family so they could get as much time with the kids as they could before we had to move. We ended up leaving Kyla and Daria with Morgan’s parents while we loaded truck since we knew that there would be a melt downs if the girls saw someone trying to carry away their beds, couch, etc. The day of packing the truck finally came. Several things happened. First in the morning we received a call from the place where we were renting our truck telling us that the truck that they had for us was having engine trouble and they needed to get us another truck. However, the closest truck was about 40 min away and the place couldn’t go and get it. So we ended up driving to a different town and picking up the truck and driving it to Winona for the company. At least they gave us a perk for the slight hassle and upgraded our car carrier with no extra charge.
I had one of my scouts come over to finish up a merit badge that he was working on so I could sign it off for him (cutting it close). As we were loading the truck, he was giving his report and what he learned by doing the requirements of the merit badges. For one of his requirements, he went to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona where he saw an exhibit on the history of fishing lures and an exhibit of paintings done by some famous impressionist painters like Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh as well as several of the Hudson River School artists like JM Hart, Colman, and Whittredge. In his 14 year old mind the paintings only deserved a cursory glance; the fishing lures were the main attraction.
We had a good chunk of the branch show up and help us load and clean our place. We were able to get most everything done during the first day when we had scheduled two days to get everything done. We were able to finish everything quickly the next morning, return our keys, and drive to Rochester to stay the night with Morgan’s family. We left to come to Idaho early the next morning. I drove the moving truck and Morgan drove the Corolla with the kids in tow. Her mom drove out with her to help her. I had a plant for company. After two very long days, we arrived in Idaho. We put all of things in storage and started looking for a place to live. The cheapest place to rent in Rexburg for what we are looking for is asking $725 a month and we couldn’t find a house for under 100k that didn’t have too many problems, so our attention moved to Idaho Falls. We found a nice little house across the street from the IF Temple and put a bid in for 82,500. It was just accepted, so we will start all of the other process to see if we can close it. Other than that, we are enjoying our time staying with my parents and getting ready for school to start in Aug.
I think that is pretty much everything that has happened to us this month ignoring any scandalous details that might have popped up. We look forward to seeing many of you more often now that we are back in the West.
Derik, Morgan and Kiddos
p.s. Congrats to Rob and Tamara on the new arrival.
Well, June was a very hectic month. We made some very large purchases in the month or at least initiated some large purchases. We realized since I will be doing a lot of commuting over the next several years with school and work that it was time to get a second car. Since prices and selection of vehicles are much better in and around Chicago and the twin cities area, we decided that it would be best to get a car and drive it out to Idaho instead of trying to get it after we moved. So we ended up getting a ’07 Toyota Corolla for a little under 8,000. We spent the first part of the month packing, sorting, and cleaning out our apartment.
We spent as much time as we could with Morgan’s family so they could get as much time with the kids as they could before we had to move. We ended up leaving Kyla and Daria with Morgan’s parents while we loaded truck since we knew that there would be a melt downs if the girls saw someone trying to carry away their beds, couch, etc. The day of packing the truck finally came. Several things happened. First in the morning we received a call from the place where we were renting our truck telling us that the truck that they had for us was having engine trouble and they needed to get us another truck. However, the closest truck was about 40 min away and the place couldn’t go and get it. So we ended up driving to a different town and picking up the truck and driving it to Winona for the company. At least they gave us a perk for the slight hassle and upgraded our car carrier with no extra charge.
I had one of my scouts come over to finish up a merit badge that he was working on so I could sign it off for him (cutting it close). As we were loading the truck, he was giving his report and what he learned by doing the requirements of the merit badges. For one of his requirements, he went to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona where he saw an exhibit on the history of fishing lures and an exhibit of paintings done by some famous impressionist painters like Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh as well as several of the Hudson River School artists like JM Hart, Colman, and Whittredge. In his 14 year old mind the paintings only deserved a cursory glance; the fishing lures were the main attraction.
We had a good chunk of the branch show up and help us load and clean our place. We were able to get most everything done during the first day when we had scheduled two days to get everything done. We were able to finish everything quickly the next morning, return our keys, and drive to Rochester to stay the night with Morgan’s family. We left to come to Idaho early the next morning. I drove the moving truck and Morgan drove the Corolla with the kids in tow. Her mom drove out with her to help her. I had a plant for company. After two very long days, we arrived in Idaho. We put all of things in storage and started looking for a place to live. The cheapest place to rent in Rexburg for what we are looking for is asking $725 a month and we couldn’t find a house for under 100k that didn’t have too many problems, so our attention moved to Idaho Falls. We found a nice little house across the street from the IF Temple and put a bid in for 82,500. It was just accepted, so we will start all of the other process to see if we can close it. Other than that, we are enjoying our time staying with my parents and getting ready for school to start in Aug.
I think that is pretty much everything that has happened to us this month ignoring any scandalous details that might have popped up. We look forward to seeing many of you more often now that we are back in the West.
Derik, Morgan and Kiddos
p.s. Congrats to Rob and Tamara on the new arrival.
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