Beau Abram Lusk

Beau finally made his entry- and rough it was!!! Story and pictures yet to come...:) Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts- both Beau and I are doing well and Seth is the best dad in the world! We finally made it home after 37 long hours of labor and almost 4 days in the NICU. Seth and I are so thankful and happy that our little boy is home with us, safe and healthy, and Portneuf ROCKED with their delivery of care. He was born 12-22-09, 7.11 lbs, 21.5". We were able to bring him home on Christmas day. Honestly, no one could ever give us a better Christmas present-EVER!!!!! LOVES!

Seth & Hai

Guess What!?!?

haha...just kidding. Still pregnant:). Today is "supposedly" the big day, but I think this little guy is really liking his current environment. We will keep yall up to date (just cross your fingers that he comes before Monday the 21st- the dreaded induction date- not that I don't want him on Casey's birthday:) ). I would prefer that he comes on his own, rather than making that decision for him. Come baby come baby baby come come!!! (sing that last line, it sounds way cooler- don't you remember the song!?!?) JOCK JAMS rules!

PICTURES!!!

These photos were taken on Halloween- I was about 34 weeks along. Jen caught some great shots! I think the due date picture may need to be photoshopped a bit:) I don't think we will be right on target with the due date (I would like to hope for an earlier date, but I just don't think it's in the cards, baby!). This little guy seems to like his current environment! Quick update- we are doing well! Movement for me is getting a bit cumbersome, especially getting in and out of bed/chairs/my car/ etc. But nonetheless, I have nothing to complain about! Baby is getting BIG! He is running out of room and my ribs feel like they have been a substitute kicking target -maybe he'll play soccer in the future;). Seth and I are getting pretty excited as the days slowly pass. I know he's excited- yesterday, while I was at work, he called me 3 or 4 times, "Hai! You still pregnant?!" Haha- I am pretty sure he would be the first to know that I wasn't!

















Which one is your favorite?

A new tradition has begun!

No... Beau is not here yet (dang it!). The day after Thanksgiving was the annual Lusk Turkey Shoot out in Arbon. Jared and Deana started a unique, hilarious tradition. The winner of the Turkey Shoot is responsible for providing the next year's trophey- YEP!!! I WON!!!!!!! Haha- Deana came up with this year's prize!

Yup...I just gotta rub this one in a bit. Seth, Steve, Kade, Jared, Dave, Drew, Jeremy...all you boys who aren't supposed to miss...I BEAT YOU!!!! hahahaha-

PROOF that the birthday girl kicked some booty, and yes, that is a PINK toilet seat!:


Sincerely,
The reigning Shooting Champion for 2009
Hot Shot Hailey

9 months!?!

Seth and I have hit full term today (37 weeks)! We are so excited for our little ball of energy to get here. He is as active as can be! These past few weeks have been packed with activities to keep our minds busy and help the time pass by quickly (and boy has it flown by).

Thanksgiving FEAST 2009

Hey Family (Lusk and Clinger troupes),
I know yall think I am crazy for wanting to host the Thanksgiving dinner at my house, and you may be right, but I'm way too excited for everyone to come and visit! So, if baby decides to come on Nov 26th (scary to think), then option #2 will be to travel to Steve and CaroLynne's for dinner. But I think we will be alright:)

I want to start up a menu so we have a well rounded dinner. I thought it would be fun to start it up on the blog so everyone can have an idea of what kind of food is going to be there, and who is bringing what. So, please leave a comment on what you would like to bring, for starters, or call me / email me so we can get this party started!

According to my guesses, we will have around 30-ish people coming.

Gluttonous menu as of 11/13/09:

Appetizers
-Grandma Sandy-veggie tray
-Aunt Sue- awesome salsa and chips
-Shancy- veggie tray
Turkey
- Hailey
- CaroLynne
Ham
- Tina (classic ham)
- Hailey (jammed ham)
Spuds
- Hailey (garlic mashed)
- Shancy (mashed)
Rolls
- Andrea
- Hailey
Dessert
- Andrea- (surprise)
- Jessica- (still a surprise)
- CaroLynne- gluten free pumpkin pie
- Heidi- pumpkin pie
- Tina- pecan pie
- Seth and Hai- vanilla ice cream for topping pies
Sides
- Tina-salad
- Grandma Bette- green bean casserole, sweet yams
- Hailey- kick butt Brussel sprouts (don't be afraid:))
- Aunt Sue- green salad
- Grandma Sandy- fruit salad
- Jessica- jello salad
- Heidi (?)
Beverages
- Seth & Hai- H2O and soda


...the rest is TBD.

Don't forget to comment:) Love yall!

8 months!!??!

Seth and I are having a hard time realizing that in a few short weeks, we will have to learn how to be responsible! I don't think 7 weeks is enough time! haha. We recently went to Billings, MT, and yes, we are 8 months into this deal (WOW- time is flying!!!)- hence, the 8 mile marker just outside of West Yellowstone. Let me tell you...a road trip at 8 months is kind of rough! Our little guy is sure getting big though! His hiccups are outstandingly strong- he gets them at least 3-4 times each day. It's cool to feel where he is situated by using his hiccuping little body as a gauge. He prefers to have his little butt right under my lower, right ribs, making it nearly impossible to breathe- Seth says he sleeps like his mom...meaning that it doesn't matter if no one else is comfortable, as long as he is! I couldn't agree with him more!



Josie had her first bird hunt this last week. Seth said she did pretty well- but we are going to have to work on her bringing the bird back (she doesn't like the feathers in her mouth). Here is her first outing... Seth- you are looking pretty stunning with your manly hunting facial hair! Rar, baby:)

Look!

Check out this profile! We are almost to the single digit weeks to go! 9 weeks left on Sunday. What!!? Can you believe it!? There are so many things we want to do before he comes...and if 50% of them get done, I will feel really good about our progress. Seth has been working hard on getting our storage room done- we only have a few shelves left to paint. We have been trying to gather enough wood to take us through the winter for heating our house (talk about cheap heat;) ). And we finally have a crib! -thanks to my friend Kristin from Rockland. Now, I just need Seth to get the gun safe out of the little guy's room so I can get some stuff organized (nesting has settled in, I think).

Tomorrow is the Run with the Big Dogs race!!! I am so excited- I know Mose and Josie are ready;) haha. Hopefully we finish in one piece. Wish us luck!

hey mom- check this out!

Here is my unique lady pin! I wanted to show you the finished product. Started with the lady- added the groovy feather and the rhinestone to her lapel. Now she is a one of a kind:) She had her debut today- I love her! haha

Groovy bathroom on a budget

K...I am soo excited about getting my main bathroom decorated- almost as excited as I was about getting my wall painted! Check it out:
Here is the groovy shower curtain- I bought it at Walmart for like $8 and the dingleberries came from my favorite store Trinity (a huge bag for $1!!!). I have been so excited to use them and the red palate in the bathroom gave me the perfect opportunity!


This shelf came from the DI for $2- it used to be periwinkle (yuck). Spray paint can do amazing things. The red flower square was a hand me down from my mom- it used to be tan-ish/gold-ish. Once again- I love spray paint.



Towels came from Walmart- a splash of color:) Not too shabby- all done for under $25! Suh-weet!

Oh- and my groovy mirrors. I found these plaster mirrors from the new second hand store in the Sr. Citizens Center in Aberdeen a few months ago. I had mirrors cut for them and spray painted them black, now they are my masterpiece!

$2 steal

check out my cute $2 steal from Trinity (the skirt):

Man, I love thrift stores:)

Hooray for color!

I finally did it! I have conquered the white walls of our home and painted our entry wall. At first, I wasn't happy with my painting technique- it wasn't looking quite right. But after I applied the metallic glaze, it turned out just the color I was seeking! I will have to take a pic of the finished produce with the furniture back in place. It made my front room look so classy. I love the way my couch and pie safe look with it! Take a look: Oh snap. It's on my other camera. I will post it later-
Here it is!!!


So anyway...we hit month 7! On Sunday, I was teaching the State Jr. Miss girls their physical fitness routine, so they had to be our "mile marker post." Their routine turned out sooooo darn cute! Thank you Jen for helping me!!! Jan, I wish you could have made it up here this year! Next time for sure.



The girls have really been a great group to work with. I have to brag about them real quick- these girls learn soooo fast, the majority of them are fairly athletic, and they have been super fun to work with. I have really been impressed with their ability to learn and perform. I found it interesting that there were only 4 or 5 blonds in the group! Odd. Last night was their first performance and they did fantastic. I look forward to seeing tonight's show. I am so glad to have the opportunity to work with these Jr. Misses! Thanks Deb Duffin for asking me to choreograph!

WE ARE GETTING SO EXCITED FOR OUR LIL' GUY TO COME! We finally have a crib- it's not put together yet, but that's not the point! He will be here so soon. The anticipation is killing us! We can't wait to see what he looks like. I think we have decided on a name: Beau Abram Lusk...still TBD, but I think we are closer to a final answer.

This one hurt...

So, while I was in TX, Seth bought a Polaris Ranger. This bad boy was a beast!!! It could climb some insane terrain and it was perfect for living out in the country. Seth had just replaced the brakes and had the clutches reworked the week after I returned. Then, last weekend, we were heading to IP for a little vacation with the Ranger in tow (formerly known as "The Goat"), when sadly, one of the straps snapped and Seth and I looked back in time to see our new toy go rolling down the highway. Slow motion. There are a couple of good things: we weren't on the freeway going 75 mph, no one was ahead or behind us, we weren't riding in it, and it's insured. Unfortunately, we haven't even made a payment yet. BUMMER! I have only ridden in it 3 or 4 times! Needless to say, we sure did have a fun/expensive 2 weeks with our Goat:

The Oregon Coast

Texas Pics

The Baby Ba-BOOMP!

I have neglected documenting our pregnancy progress on our blog. I have been keeping a neato hand written journal that my good friend Nikki made me- it contains the intimate details. But here are a few pics to show off the beh-beh:
4 Months: see our Oregon post :)
5 Months: on my other camera:)...I will find it
6 Months:

K...so really I am only posting one picture until I can find month 5 on my other camera:) But how perfect did that work out that the highway running through Sugarland, where Jana lives, was #6!??! Talk about good timing:)

TEXAS trip!!!

WOO HOO!!!
I can't believe how fast time flies- especially when you are having a blast! Mid August, I headed down to Texas for a much needed Jana-fix! We were all dance camped out after 5 long, but fun, days of choreography and teaching, so day 6 was spent reviving...aka...pedicures and shopping! I had so much fun with my friend! Her and Dave are a blast! I really missed Sethro while I was gone- 7 days without my sleeping buddy is a LONG time! What made it worse was when my plane landed in SLC about 10 minutes late, so my luggage was a little late, and I had to wait an extra 2 hours for the next shuttle (I was seriously 100 yds from the 4:30 bus, running, as it pulled away from the curb). I'm not going to lie, I cried a bit. I had told him while I was gone that my belly had really grown and the first thing he did when I got off the bus in Poky was get a big ol' grin on his face and say, "Whoa! You did get fat!" haha- all in good times! I couldn't believe that 6 months had already passed!

Frivolous question:)

Ipod classic vs. Ipod touch???

Jana- I'm still torn!

All my music lovin', dance teachin', runnin' fanatic friends...I need help making a decision. Storage galore versus application heaven... My ipod will be used mostly as a running buddy/dancing tool. I need your opinions! Hai

I will post a real update when I have time to upload pics...lots has happened in the last few months and I am a real procrastinator:).

If you guessed BOY...YOU'RE RIGHT!!!

We are going to have a BOY!!! It was so obvious- the ultrasound tech put the gel on my belly and the little bugger decided that he wanted to show himself to us on the first swipe of the wand!!! I'm not exaggerating either! No legs crossed, no cord nor hands covering anything!!! He's a bare all type of guy (I think he gets it from his dad)! This little guy's foot measured about 1 1/2" and he weighs ~328 g (about 12 oz.). He has some LONG legs and is healthy as can be. It's so exciting to finally know what my body has been building for the last 5 months! EDD: December 15, 2009, and counting!

Any boy names you want to suggest?

Final guesses!!!

Final guesses tonight because tomorrow we find out what baby's gender is!!! We are so excited!

Catching up

Here we go for a little update:
Seth and I finally were able to escape for our first real vacation since our honeymoon. We followed the Snake River to where it meets the Columbia, then followed the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean stopping at a few beautiful places on the way. Below is Multnomah Falls- it was a crazy-steep hike, but the sight was pretty amazing. There wasn't really a lot of water at the mouth of the waterfall, but it made a beautiful spray.



After Multnomah Falls, we moved on to Astoria, OR, to check out the super long bridge that crosses the mouth of the Columbia (just before it meets the ocean). It's like a 3 mile bridge over water! There were a few HUGE ships in the harbor and as we were pulling out, the Coast Guard helicopter was hovering over one of them (inspecting? I don't know). Astoria is a cute little city. It really had me starting to crave some fish and chips (one of my faves).

Here is the baby belly, month 4 (taken at mile marker #4 in Ilwaco, WA):



There's not much to show...yet:)

From Astoria, we made our way down the Oregon coast, stopping at Nehalem Bay State Park to camp ($20 a night with hot showers! Can you believe that!?), and on to Tillamook, Cannon Beach, and Newport. Seth and I went deep sea fishing with Newport Tradewind Charters and had an excellent time. It was a little cold (ok, a LOT cold) outside and the water was even colder! 53 degrees outside, with lots of sea WIND (no breeze exists in OR). I made friends with the captain, Steve, of the Sea Adventure I (a 50' vessel) and asked tons of questions on the way out to the ocean. I hung out with him in the wheelhouse and I am pretty sure I smoked a pack of Marlboro's with him while we were out! He was a dirty old man, but he was a hoot! Seth hung out with the rest of the crew on the back of the boat and neither of us managed to get sick! Whew! Anyway, we started trolling while I was hanging out with ol'Capitan, and he yelled at me, "Fish on! Fish on! Go get that pole!" I was so excited that I tangled up my feet and tripped out of the wheelhouse, face planting it on the deck of the boat! I scrambled up and managed to get to the pole in time to pull in the first salmon of the boat! Unfortunately, the water was a little too cold for fishing, so our boat only reeled in a total of 7 fish. I wish Seth could have caught one, but the experience was totally worth every penny! Thanks for taking me out to sea honey!
Here we are on the boat and below is my beautiful fish (it will probably be the most expensive fish I'll ever eat!):





We were busted tired after our fishing trip, but we had to eat at Mo's! I was a little let down though- there are two Mo's (an old and new) and I didn't know there was a difference between their menus...unfortunately, we ate at the wrong one so I didn't get my fish and chips! FYI- if you go to Newport, EAT AT THE ORIGINAL MO'S!

We cruised down the coast, checking out cool light houses and scenic lookouts along the way. And let me tell you, Seth and I will totally stay at KOA's again! We took a tent with us and a little camp stove and tried to curtail our vacation budget. I would have to say that we did a pretty well, and we had a BLAST!

We dipped down into the redwood forest in California, then made our way back up to Oregon to Klamath Falls. Our final destination was Crater Lake- what a beautiful site! I am so glad we stopped there. The mosquitos were terrible, but it was absolutely breath taking! This made day 6 of the trip- we were both tired of being in a car all day long, and our backs were a little sore from tentin' it for 4 nights (we had a hotel one night, thankfully!). So we caught a pace car and made it home in about 11 hours. It was an awesome get away! I will put some pics on a slideshow sometime soon.

K...I'm a little slow:) I think I have been able to post pictures the whole time and I just didn't preview it to see that they actually show up!:) Usually, the pic shows up in the text part of the new post, but only letters/numbers/symbols have been appearing lately.

Anyway, Seth and I just returned from the coast and we had a BLAST! I will update soon!

SURPRISE!

Holy cow (no pun intended)! We are going to have a baby in mid-December! Just thought we'd let yall know...Are you surprised?!?
We are so excited (and maybe a little scared...ok, really scared), but super ecstatic! Currently, I am almost 15 weeks into this "growing season" and doing very well! Luckily, I haven't been sick at all (whew!), but a little tired. I have still been able to do my running, so I hope to continue throughout the summer/fall and if all works out, I will teach dance this next year in AF. Seth is going to be the best dad! We are looking forward to the next few months, pregnancy hormones aside, until the new, little addition arrives. I can't believe I am going to be a mom (I'm still in shock)! :)
It has been a pretty neat experience so far. We play on ultrasound every two weeks (just for fun) at the clinic where I work, so it has been amazing to witness the rapid development of baby over the past few months. I think it is absolutely a miracle and a gift from God that I am able to grow another being inside my body so quickly!
So...the question is... BOY or GIRL??? Bets on the table!

GRASS-ias for sunshine!

Short post- our grass is coming up!!!! Yay! I had to call my dad and tell him that I haven't failed him with my farmer genes...our little green spires are coming out of the ground! We thought it wasn't going to make it- it took 2 weeks to germinate! But with a lot of water and a little sunshine, the kentucky blue thrives!
Funny story- we borrowed my parents' little fertilizer spreader to broadcast our grass seed and they left what we thought was a bag of fertilizer for us to use. It was called Zinc Phosphate or Phosphide, or something like that. So Seth spread it out after we spread the grass seed. Come to find out, our "fertilizer" was actually mouse poison...oops! I guess we won't have a mouse problem this year! Don't worry- it didn't hurt the dogs:).

Mom 'N' Me

FYI- the Mom'N'Me fun run is coming up soon- it's a great activity for Mother's Day (which is coming up soon!). Here are a few pics from last year's run.

Details for this year's run can be found at: http://www.sdhdidaho.org/psa/2009/april/gotr.pdf

Timeless Junk...My guilty pleasure

Ahhh!!! Who dove back into the 70's???

Lucky me! Seth thought this chandelier was pretty cool because it's twisted iron, so it now adorns my front entryway. It has a fun story: I went to my favorite thrift store in my little town of 4,111 to look for good junk (especially light fixtures). My friend who runs the store said she had just thrown this gawdy, heavy chandelier that had been hanging in the window for years out in the alley hoping someone would steal it. Instead, she decided to give it to me! What a babe! First of all, I can't believe I missed it after perusing the store several times- but after a little elbow grease, some paint, and new glass, it has been rejuvinated! I look for unique shapes and sizes when it comes to light fixtures, and of course, it needs to work! Here's the process:

Ignore the nasty tub! (the work was done at the old house).

After new glass and a toothbrush scrub:

Here is the greatest Christmas present!!! This is the OLD pie safe that Seth and my parents gave me for Christmas this year. They sure are sneaky!

Before:

After scrubbing off 1 1/2 cups of rancid flour and adding coat of glossy polyurethane:

I guess this has been in a lady's home on the reservation for about 40 years, and before that, it was in Utah for who knows how long. I would like to know its age...anyone know how I can figure out??? I have more detailed pics, so let me know who I can send them to if you know someone who can estimate age and value.

What the HEALTH has gotten into me?

Hello family and friends,

I am feeling a strong urge to discuss a few things with myself, and open them up to you as well. I attended a webinar yesterday on lifestyle modifications to prevent DMII (diabetes type 2), and if you visit with me very often, you will know that I am paranoid about developing Diabetes- that includes myself, anyone in my family, and my close friends. Approximately 23.6 million Americans have been diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus II (DMII) in 2008 and ~3,500 new cases are discovered daily (Dr. Michael McDermott, ADA). That's ~1,000,000 new cases per year! Now, I don't know about you, but I am doing all that I can to prevent the onset of this disease. So, here is a little FYI about DMII (brief...I will include a few links to other websites if you have more concerns).

We will begin with a few risk factors you can't control:

• Ethnic Background (Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, and Asian Americans are more likely to be diagnosed- reason unknown).
• Family history
• Age greater than 45

Here are the main MODIFIABLE risk factors (meaning YOU HAVE CONTROL of the following risk factors):

• OBESITY
• Lack of activity
• Unhealthy eating patterns & unhealthy food choices

And a few other things you should watch out for:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High Cholesterol

All it takes is a small change here and there until you are living a lifestyle that is conducive to preventing DMII, as well as other cardiovascular diseases. Begin with 2 minor goals at a time:

Ex. #1: Walk 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes (that's only 30-45 minutes a week- compare the benefits you will get from walking versus what you will get from watching American Idol or The Bachelor... It's all about perspective people:) ).

*The results from the Diabetes Care study done in 2007 say that regular exercise (walking 3 days per week for 30 mins) reduces your risk of developing DMII by 31%!

Ex. #2: Start eating a light breakfast daily. Skipping meals can offset your glucose/insulin levels for the day (aka, your energy levels). Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day...LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!

A few more tips:

• Limit consumption of diet and regular soda- evidence shows that both can lead to Insulin Resistance (a precursor to DMII)
• Avoid eating out at restaurants frequently- this will save you calories and $$$$ a little green
• DON'T FRY YOUR FOODS- bake, broil, microwave, crock pot, grill, etc.
• Limit your screen time- find the kid in YOU and play outside! Walk your dog, mow your lawn with a push mower, walk to get your mail (yes, some people drive), ride your bike! May 11-15 is bike to work week (if only I lived closer to town!)
• Moderation- come on yall- the Lord has laid this out for us in the WORD of WISDOM (D&C 89). But really, variety is key to getting all the nutrients you need. Color your plate (veggies, veggies, veggies)!
• ...and while you are coloring your plate, why don't you try switching to the smaller plate (10"). This is a really easy way to control your portions.

Alrighty...I think that is enough for today. I am officially off my soap box.

Much love, Health Coach Hailey

Oh yeah: those links...

American Diabetes Association

http://www.diabetes.org/

Diabetes Life

http://www.dlife.com/

BMI calculator

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Totally reminds me of...FRIENDS!

K, check these out! Here are four of the five "uglies" that have been transformed (the red one is next on the list): Aren't they so fun!?? They remind me of the mismatched chairs on Friends (minus the crazy colors). Total cost: around $45. The spray paint was a little spendy, but not too bad for 4 fully functional chairs. Thanks, Seth, for helping me attach a few seats! I'm glad my husband supports my gypsie-like habits ( although, I prefer to call myself thrifty:) ).

Here is the "after" table (I will have to see if I can find the before...it was hideous):

And here are the four beauties, one by one...
Meet Melba, Jorja, Louise, and Mabel

Reunited and it feels SO GOOD!

(P.S. that is one of my chic chandelier remakes)

Here is the before snapshot of what the table used to look like. I was so lucky to find the leaves still intact! Everyone teases me because I am too impatient to finish a project completely (note, the leaves aren't done yet:) ). I just get so excited to see the ending results that I can't take the time to work on the extra details. But I am getting better, thanks to Sethro.