Heartbeats and Other Wild Things That Come Along With Pregnancy

Today we are exactly 14.5 weeks. My pooch is protruding out past my belt line and it is a little hard to get used to. I have 2 pair of pre-preggo jeans I can still wear so long as I fasten them with a rubberband, but have started pulling out the maternity hand me downs this week.

Monday we had a great check up and heard our munchkin's heartbeat. It was 150, which is exactly average according to Dr. Knight. Our next appointment isn't until December 4th, and we are scheduled to have the "big" ultrasound. Hopefully baby Ragan will cooperate and spread their legs so we can tell the flavor.:)

This has been such a wild and fun ride so far. I can't begin to imagine what we have in store. I am pretty much over the nausea I had in the 1st trimester, but am now unable to fall asleep at night and wake up absolutely exhausted in the mornings. For a woman who loves her 8 hours and can't currenly recoop with a cup of coffee, this has been a struggle, but worth it in the end, I am positive.

Aspen has slowly lolled into off season, and things are pretty low key at work and home, and we are loving it.

The vacation calender is out and ready to be filled, so let us know if you want to come on a ski vacation to Aspen this winter. We have a guest room with a great view, at least through April.

Until the next adventure...

B,B & Baby

It's Official!

After 3 months of waiting to spill the beans, we are finally sharing the news that we are pregnant. Our official due date is April 23rd, but that really means, sometime in April.

We couldn't be more excited to meet the little one. So far, everything has been textbook, and we are continually praying for more of the same. We have another check up this afternoon.

I will be updating the blog regularly.

Best,

Becca & Bryant

 

After Counting the Sleeps, We Are Down to One!

After planning the big trip for nearly 5 months (which is about 4.5 months longer than Bryant and I usually plan trips), it is finally here. My mom arrived yesterday to watch Trev and Amy's kiddos for the week (bless her heart), while we bake on a beach and play hard for the next 8 days. Tonight we drive to Denver and we fly out tomorrow morning at 7:15.

I have always wanted to go to Hawaii and can't tell you how excited I am that we finally get our chance!

Until our safe return,

B, B, T & A

Let it Snow!

This morning I woke up at 6:00 and went downstairs to let Mali out and feed her breakfast. When I opened the door, I was totally taken off guard by a dusting of snow on our front porch!

Growing up in Bonney Lake, Washington, the first snow always accompanied a huge rush of adrenaline. Irregardless of how little or how much snow fell, my best friend Sarah and I would pull out the sleds and head back to the "sinking spot" on their llama farm and do our best to get a few runs in before our hands and feet froze off. That rush has carried long into my adulthood and it seems that no matter how unexcited I am about the end of summer, the first snow always excites me for the winter, and upcoming ski season.

Enjoy this pictures I took this morning. One is out my front door, the other is of the highlands bowl and the last one is the view from my office looking up at Aspen Mountain.

Many blessing and surprises to you today.

Becca

The view out my front door this morning!

The Highlands Bowl Covered with Snow (white peak in the background)

The View of Aspen Mountain From my Office

Pig Roasting

This weekend we went to Gunnison to send off 2 brothers, Leo and Romo who have both worked for Regan Construction as laborers for nearly 5 years. Leo spent the last year working at Rock House Ranch near Gunnison, while Romo stayed in Aspen working for Bryant and Mark. They will both be going home to Mexico City in about 2 weeks, and they will be missed.

The drive to Gunnison in the summer is much shorter than it is after the snow falls. We were able to go over McClure and Kebbler Passes (Kebbler is a dirt road that is also a cut off to Crested Butte in the summer). The conditions were great and the scenery incredible. The summit of McClure is over 11,000 feet and Kebbler is around 10,000 feet. After about 2 hours of driving, we made it to the ranch. Rock House Ranch is nearly 1000 acres and incredibly beautiful. I absolutely love being back on ranches and this was no exception. The main house was perfectly suited for this property with a huge garden in the back yard and beautiful view of the Gunnison Valley. The owner had several horses on site and immaculate facilities. The highlight of the entire day however, was the pig roast. The ranch hands put a pig in the ground and roasted it overnight. Bryant has been talking about doing this for a long time, and it was fun to actually go through the experience.

The pig was about 130 pounds and oh so tasty. We had pulled pork tacos for dinner and they were wonderful!

Mali also came with us and spent the day playing ranch dog. It was fun to watch her run around playing with other dogs and getting into mischief of one kind or another.

After a long day of hanging out at the ranch and saying goodbye to both Leo and Romo, we drove home in pouring rain and snow at times.

Sunday we helped Trevor and Amy move their family into a beautiful home near Basalt with absolutely breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains. We are really excited for their adventures ahead.

We only have 3 sleeps until we drive to Denver and head off to Hawaii for a week! I am so excited!

Until the next adventure!

B,B & B

How Great is Our God!

Bryant and I had a really nice weekend around the house. Friday night we went out to dinner in Carbondale with Trevor and Amy, and on the way home, we stopped by their new house to see where they are moving next weekend. It is a really nice area above El Jebel, about 20 minutes down valley from Aspen. They have incredible views and a nice home. We are really excited for them.

Saturday we went into Aspen, had lunch with the owners of the Ski Haus, and Bryant went to the gym. While he was working out, I went to tour the new OB unit at the hospital with my good friend, Emily who is 20 weeks pregnant, and just found out they are having a BOY! Saturday evening I headed to Glenwood solo to go on a much needed Target run. On my way I stopped in to see our good friend, Jackie and meet her sweet little baby, Alexa. She was born 2.5 months early, but is now home after spending quite a bit of time in the hospital in Denver.

Yesterday I went to a baby shower for a friend who is having a little boy and is due mid November. Baby showers always warm my heart, not only because I love being around excited new moms, but because I really appreciate when women gather together to support another woman. If you have read the book, The Red Tent, you will understand what I mean. More often than not, the amazing tradition of woman surrounding each other in support is lost in our hectic and crazy world, which makes me appreciate these experiences more and more.

Sunday afternoon I hiked Smuggler Mine with Mali while Bryant rode his mountain bike on the Smuggler/Hunter Creek Loop and again, stood in awe at the top as I soaked in the incredible view from Independence Pass to Mt. Sopris.

But despite all of that excitement, the highlight of the weekend was church last night. Bryant and I have been intending on trying our Sunday evening service for quite a while, but last night, we finally made it happen. Much to our surprise they were showing a movie that many people have told us we should watch. Pastor Louie Giglio is featured in two movies that piggy back each other. Last night we saw, "Dare to Dream: Indescribable," which is sort of the prequel to "How Great is our God." We were blown away by the message and in absolute awe of how great our God truly is and how small we, and our petty problems truly are. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it.

Our weekend experience was perfectly culminated this morning as I drove to work over McClain Flats. I looked over at Snowmass and the Rocky Mountain peaks behind it and saw an amazing scene of orange and yellow leaves capped in snow at the peaks. Our God truly is great...and we feel so blessed to live in an area where we get to enjoy the beauty of his greatness on a regular basis.

Love and Blessings,

Becca and Bryant

Union Oyster House Clam Chowder, Modified Everett Style

As promised, you will find the recipe for my mom's clam chowder below. To be fair, she found this recipe at the Union Oyster House while traveling in Boston when I was a kid. She has modified it, and I have modified it further. As I mentioned before, this chowder is worth the effort and perfect for a fall day. Enjoy!

1/4lb salt pork or bacon (I have used both and prefer the bacon)
2 small onions - diced
1c butter
1c flour
1 large (51oz) can of clams
3 8oz jars of clam nectar
20 fresh clams (or however many you prefer)
2 pints half and half
2lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
salt and pepper to taste
dash of Tabasco
dash of worcestershire sauce
dash of Tony's Creole Seasoning

Brown bacon, and onion and cook until glassy. Add butter and heat until melted; add flour a gradually, stirring constantly with a whisk. Do not brown the rue. Add half and half, clams and juice. Stir slowly to avoid lumps. Add potatoes, Tabasco, worcestershire, and Tony's. Simmer until potatoes are soft. Add the fresh clams 10 minutes before serving and cook until they open. Serve with bread or in a bread bowl. Garnish with a dash of Tony's. ENJOY!

*I like to cook my potatoes on the side while prepping everything else so you don't have to simmer the soup as long.