Attempting the Grand

I have always had a desire to climb the Grand Teton someday and although I never really actively tried to find a time to climb it I knew that someday I would get my chance. I had also decided that if I ever did climb it I better make it because I didn't want to do it twice! Well, the good news is I finally got my chance to climb the Grand, the bad news is we didn't make it so I'm going to have to try it again. But it OK!

So our fun began Friday night... Or should I say, Saturday morning at midnight when we left the comforts of our warm home so we could be hiking by 1:30. I wish I would have been wearing a watch so I could keep track of all the times, but I didn't, so I don't know when we reached certain points.

 We all stripped down pretty quick after we started hiking. Crystal and I sporting the spandex pants!

 A really cool night shot Scotty got!

 We made it to The Wall (I think that's what it is called. With the fixed rope) right before the sun came up.

 It was pretty slow moving because of all the ice.

 Looking down onto the Lower Saddle

 We didn't get a lot of Pictures. But this is our descend from the Upper Saddle. Because of all the snow it was very slow moving and took a lot more time then we had planned for. A couple of guides had told us that the Owen Spalding route (which was the route we planned on taking) was very icey and they hadn't even taking anyone on it the day before because of all the snow and ice. We didn't feel like it was worth the risk of trying. Especially since none of us had done it recently or at all. We were pretty bummed.

 Either way it is a beautiful hike!

 Finished! The last 4 miles go on FOREVER!!!

I think from start to finish it ended up taking us just over 16 hours.  Although it was a hard hike. And one I had hoped I would only have to do once. I will be trying it again. It sucked to get so close to the top only to have to turn around. The next time around though I am going to train. I think that will make it a little easier and enjoyable.

Bird Family Reunion/Family Va-ca

 At the end of summer we were able to go to Scott's Bird reunion. This is the first one they have done and it was a big one! Four generations big. So Scott's great great Grandparents I believe and their children's families are represented by a different colored shirt.

 Our line of the family was the Reed and Beth Bird side.

I don't know why I was so excited to go because I knew I'd know no one... But I was, and it ended up being a blast! It was fun to get to know some of Scott's family and to join in on all the fun activities. One of those activities being floating the river. We were staying in a cabin in Island Park and floated down Henry's Fork. Well... Jacob could have had more fun, let's put it that way. haha We were doing great until he woke up and decided he hated being on the river! I guess it could have been a lot worse... Just a half hour period of screaming then he settled down once he realized being on the river wasn't all that bad.

The gang. Me, Jersey, TJ, Riley, Janette, Grandma, Keri

 Pushing in the shallows

 Jersey with her cute hat! :)

 Riley and TJ

 Scott, Grandma and Jacob (after he had settled down)

 We also participated in the Bird Reunion 5k! Scott, Jacob and I. This would be Jacob's 2nd 5k and overall we didn't do to bad. I pushed the stroller so that Scott could actually run because he wanted to try to PR. Which he did! He took a full 30 seconds off his minute per mile and ended up running it in around 27 mins! Nice work babe! He ended up getting 5th place! Jacob and I ran it around 32 mins. We got 3rd place in the women's and 1st place pushing the stroller. (There were only like 3 of us) Not to shabby, I got the award Mother Hen for getting first pushing a stroller. :)


One morning Scott wanted to drive up to Sawtell Peak to watch the sunrise. I agreed to it, but after a not so good night with Jacob, let's just say I wasn't in a very chipper mood when 5:30 came around and there Scott was with a boyish grin on his face practically jumping on the bed with excitement. We went. And it's a good thing at least the males in this family are early birds! It was fun though once I woke up enough to not want to shoot Scott. ;)

Waiting for the sun...

 It was a little windy up top... I don't think Jacob was amused.

 It was pretty smokey

 After that we spent the day in West Yellowstone shopping. Scott decided he wanted to ride his bike from West Yellowstone back to the camp ground. I think around 20 miles... Maybe a little less. So we took off without him. It only rained a little bit on him. But he made it!

 After the reunion was over Scott's immediate family stayed up in Island Park a few days more for our own Family Vacation. We made our way up to Virgina City to walk around the old mining town and were disappointed to find that the train was broke down. (The main reason we went to Virgina City). So that was too bad.


We were going to go to the Lewis and Clark Caverns but the weather wasn't exactly cooperating with us, aka rain, so we skipped out on that.


A couple weeks later we all came back to the cabin so we could continue our vacation because we had so much fun the first time we wanted to do it again! And because the weather was bad so we didn't get to do everything we wanted... :) So we headed up to the Lewis and Clark Caverns! I was a little worried about taking Jacob through them, I didn't want to be THAT lady. You know, the annoying lady that decided to enter the caves with the screaming baby in a cave that amplifies the screams 10 fold. I was very grateful when Jacob LOVED them! He only fussed a bit right before he went down for his nap, then when he awoke, he loved looking at all the different rocks and colors. It was so fun to watch him look at everything!

 Hiking up to the Cavern opening

 After Jacob woke up from his nap he just wanted to look up at all the rocks.

 Wouldn't be camping without finding the "treasure" aka geocach with Uncle Scott!

 We also spent some time at the Mesa Falls. It was a little rainy but not anything terrible. Overall it was an awesome vacation! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Bergendorf for a great va-ca!

3 Months

 This past month has been a tricky one for Jacob and I. We have had MANY a fussy day where Jacob just wont be happy. It's been somewhat challenging and at times frustrating not knowing what is wrong and not being able to make things better. I've gone from possibilities of being tired, bored, hungry, teething.... I still don't really know what it is. Even though he has been kind of hard to handle this past month we still had plenty of precious smiles as well! That cute smile I just can't get over! Jacob this month is 13 lbs 3 oz and 24 inches long. Putting him somewhere near the 50th percentile. I can't believe how much he has grown and changed. Some friends of Scott and I just recently had a baby girl. We went and visited her when she was 11 days old and I just can't believe how much changes in just three months! It's crazy! There really is nothing like that newborn stage though.

 Fell asleep playing with his toys :)

 Fell asleep in his favorite spot.

 Some of Jacob's achievements this month include discovering his hands! It was so cute when he discovered them because he'd just sit and stare and them like, "What are these!"

He discovered them soon after turning 2 months old and has progressed more and more throughout the month reaching for objects and trying to touch them. When he figured out he can put those hands of his in his mouth he was all sorts of happy and now does it nonstop!

As of now he looking very left handed. I know it's early and can prob still go either way at this point but he uses his left hand WAY more then his right. His is right is for sucking on and his left is for reaching for things. Jacob also learned how to blow bubbles out of his spit! He also fell off the couch for the first time. Right on that little head of his. It's just so interesting watching babies react, or not react, how you expect people to react towards things. Like if an adult fell off of something you would see them holding out their hand's to try to break their fall. Babies just don't have reactions like that. So when Jacob fell off he had his hands pinned to his side like a board and he just kept bouncing off things until he hit the floor. I guess he'll just be an A- student now instead of an A+ student. As long as we don't drop him on his head too many more times I think we are still good! ;) 

Jacob's likes this month:

-Sitting up, And when I say sitting up I mean his head can't be touching anything and he has to be supporting it on his own. No leaning him against anything.

-Being held and entertained

-Sucking and chewing on his hands

-Sitting in the recliner

Jacob's dislikes:

-His car seat. If it is not moving don't put me in here!

-Being left alone to self entertain

-Being cuddled

Jacob's sleeping patterns this month have kind of been all over the place. From getting up once for feedings to getting up 3 or 4 times for feedings and maybe a couple more times just for kicks. But as of right now he as settled on a pretty good schedule of going to bed around 8. Getting up for feedings at 1 and 4:30. Then getting up for the day around 7:30. Not to shabby but I'm definitely excited for him to drop that first feeding and sleep straight till 4!

I'm excited for each new stage Jacob hits. I felt like the first 6 weeks of his life went by so fast and now things have kind of slowed down. I think I get impatient waiting for him to hit the next stage when I know I should just enjoy the moment he is in. :) We sure do love him though! Especially those contagious smiles!

What your house may or may not look like after being with a 3 month old all day...

 Bath time at the Bergendorf's! Hunter (4 months) and Jacob (3 months)

Mesa Falls Half Marathon

Because my husband is the beast of a man that he is, he ran a half marathon the weekend following the Grand Teton Relay. When it comes to running I have had a tendency to underestimate Scott, but this year he has proven me wrong! I'm so proud of him! He has done so well this year. The Ragnar Relay, GT Relay, 5k and a half marathon this summer. AND.... he PRed in his 5k race as well as his half marathon! Last year when he ran the Layton half marathon he ran it in 2 hours and 17 minutes. This year he ran the Mesa half marathon (which is a harder race and he hadn't trained as hard for) in 2 hours and 10 minutes!

 The time on the right is for Scott's race

 Jacob and Daddy

After the race Scott said that although he thought his lungs were in better shape this year he didn't think his body was physically in better shape. He hurt a lot more after this one then the last. But I think while running the GT Relay my family pushed some competitiveness into him and he pushed himself harder as well has his body probably hadn't recovered from running the weekend before. Either way he still did great and I'm proud of him! Good work babe!