The final 6 weeks

Don't worry, this picture is not Donna's belly. I just thought it was so amazing. It's probably photo-shopped but that little footprint is just too much! One of our favorite things to see right after the baby is born is to watch the little tike stretch out for the first time. They are so cramped in that little confined space of the uterus...I'm sure it feels great for them to finally stretch out. The pregnancy is going well but Donna can't wait for it to be over with. I feel so bad watching Donna in the last month of pregnancy and knowing how uncomfortable she is day and night as the baby is rapidly growing. We are happy we are finished (probably) after this last one. I always get so worried that everything will be okay with mom and baby. From a husband's perspective, it is hard to watch your wife experience pain and you cannot offer any help. Donna assures me that Her perspective during labor is much worse. I guess I'll take her word for it. I have to remind myself that this process is natural and mother nature is in charge. I was always amazed at our previous doctor, the late Dr. Steven Fielding in Cedar City and how he seemed so calm during the birth process of Kaitlyn and Jessica. I was always freaking out and trying not to faint and he was usually smiling and calm. We are fortunate to have a very good OB Doc here in St. George who has lots of experience. We need your help with our little name poll on our side bar. We are having a hard time deciding the right name for this baby.

Aviation Nation in Las Vegas

Aviation Nation left Matt and Ashley at Edwards AFB and headed to Nellis AFB in Lost Wages, Nevada. It was a beautiful day in Vegas for the Air Show and the kids thought all those jets were pretty cool.

The F-22 Raptor. It was fun to finally see one of these up close on the ground and then later in the air exhibiting its power.

The kids got to sit in the Cockpit of a C5 transport plane.

Kaitlin mannin' the Fifty. Look out Al-Qaeda!

Nicole was not too fond of all the Jets screaming by at 500 miles per hour. She coiled up in the Stroller and tried to avoid the noise.

My favorite part of the day was the Amazing Thunderbid show. These F-16 pilots are incredibly talented. They put on a great show for all the fans. Here is a short video of them performing a Barrel Roll in perfect synchronization.

Music is the Medicine of the Mind

I love to listen to the musical talent of Paul Cardall. He is a brilliant pianist. This is his rendition of "Redeemer". Take a moment and enjoy the soothing sound.

Its A......myth

We just returned from our Dr. Appointment and Donna had the ultrasound. We now know what we are having and I have an axe to grind. Prior to getting pregnant, we had heard many myths and rumors about how to predetermine the gender of your baby. Here is what I have discovered:

1.) Alter your diet by increasing salt and red meat. Donna and I thoroughly enjoyed taking the liberty to devour steaks, hamburgers, venison, and elk roasts to increase our chances of conceiving a boy. Yep, its a Myth!

2.) Wear Boxer Shorts. I donned these hot boxers last spring. Didn't work!3.) Conceive on a Quarter Moon. I never was good at interpreting lunar calendars. I kept telling Donna, "Yeah honey, I think that's a quarter moon" According to Wikipedia, the phases of the moon go like this: New Moon, Waxing Crescent Moon, First Quarter Moon, Waxing Gibbous Moon, Full Moon (jay at lake powell), Waning Gibbous Moon, Last Quarter Moon, Waning Crescent Moon, and finally Darkened Moon. I must have caught Donna on the Waxing Crescent stage or the Waning Gibbous stage. Dang Moon! Although, I did get lots of mileage out of this myth I have confirmed it is in fact a Myth.

4.) Another Myth we found had to do with the profession of the man can determine the sex of the baby, for example, men who work in nursing and teaching are more likely to have girls whereas men that work in welding and construction are more likely to have a boy. I knew I should have majored in Construction Management in school.

5.) Here is a quote from an online resource: "The ancient Greeks used to believe that girls were created from sperm from the left testicle so in order to get a boy, they used to tie up the left testicle during the deed!" Yeah, needless to say, I never dared try this one cause I never was good at knot-tying in Scouts. You definitely wouldn't want to mess around with a Granny Knot.

6.) You are more likely to have a boy if your partner has brothers. I thought I had hit a home run on this one. With 5 boys and 4 girls in my family, I just knew it was meant to be. BUT WAIT, maybe the myth is referring to Donna's family. She only has 2 brothers and 4 sisters. Dang! Strike 6.

7.) Have your hubby drink a strong cup of coffee about a 1/2 hour before bed to make the "little guys" more active. I used this opportunity to violate the word of wisdom and drink a few Dr. Peppers. It didn't work and now I'm addicted to Dr. Pepper. That stuff is soooo good.

Well, in all seriousness, I am very grateful to be having another little girl. I love my 3 girls so much and I can't wait till the next little girl arrives! Now to determine a name: Hilda, Bernice, Ethel, Bertha (apologies to those of you who may have these names...I'm sure they work great for you, they're just not my cup of tea). We may need some help naming this one.

The Kittens Arrive

It seems like everyone was pregnant in our household over the Summer. Our cat, Jasmine, finally had her kittens last weekend. The girls were in Shock witnessing the event!

Five little fluff-balls were born.

Nicole named this one "Fluffy". They are all so cute and tiny.

Their eyes will stay shut for about a week.

They all let out the cutest little "mews"!

Tiny Kittens. This one is called "Cinders" (short for Cinderella) She almost looks Calico but her dark patches have Tabby stripes in them. Kinda cool. The girls love to hold them.

A Siamese was born in the bunch. Her ears are already starting to turn dark at the tips.

The proud mama snuggling with her newborn. How Sweet!

Surprise, Surprise!

We traveled to California for Donna's sister's Graduation. Congrats Charlene! We decided to surprise the Girls with a day at Disneyland. They had no idea we were going and it was so much fun to surprise them at the front gate of the Happiest Place on Earth! We spent a full day at the park from 9AM till 10PM and had a Blast.

Goofy was all up in Nicole's Business!

The kids enjoyed exploring Tarzan's Treehouse. We were successful in getting the girls to jump on Indy's jeep on the Indiana Jones ride, drop off the cliff at Splash Mountain, and venture into the spooky Haunted Mansion. Last year they did not dare go on those three rides but we talked em' in to it this year. They LOVED it!

The Coaster at Toon Town is always a favorite! Kaitlyn had that look on her face the entire time! Grandpa and Grandma Degen are behind me and Kate. Nicole looks like the ride gave her a bit of a headache.

Being silly in Goofy's garden!

Its a Small World After All. That dang song keeps playing over and over in my head! This ride was closed last year for renovation but unfortunately for Donna and myself it Reopened this year. The girls absolutely ate it up and wanted to go on the ride over and over. It really is a cute ride for them.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Nicole and Grandpa flying high with Dumbo! Nicole is in Heaven with that great big Smile!

The girls totally loved the princess windows on Main Street Disney. They would stand and stare at each one, admiring all the fun detail.

Before we left So Cal, we had to hit the beach! We ate dinner at the Huntington Beach pier.

...And Ran from the Waves!

Nothing Screams Vacation like footprints in the sand.

Gotta Love Sunsets on the Beach! This was the last picture we took as we said goodbye to our vacation and departed for boring, dry, no-beach utah. Ugghhh....

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Blog Disclaimer: This post was written by Ryan...however, it was reviewed and edited by Donna prior to publishing. All embarrasing facts and Gross Exaggerations have been removed.

Here We Go Again!

The Many Faces of Jasmine the Cat

Pooped Out! After a Long Day Playing with a 2 year old.

Blankie in One Arm, and Jasmine in the Other. Nicole is in Heaven!


Jasmine is TOTALLY Fascinated and Perplexed by the Snake. She'll sit for 30 minutes at a time just Staring at the slithering red thing in the cage below.


Come to Papa!

Not quite sure what to think of this last one. We found Jasmine sleeping like this one day. I think she is trying to strike a pose for her boy Tiger up in Cedar.

How the Other Half Live

Each year I look forward to enjoying the local Parade of Homes. A guy can dream, right? Actually this annual outing is a severe dose of coveting. I'll admit, I am guilty of this commandment and need to work on it. It just genuinely amazes me how some people live. Most of these homes are second or third homes of wealthy individuals who only use them for a few months out of the year. Truly amazing! Click on the picture to take a closer look at the view out this window.

The view from the entrance. No need for hanging artwork when mother nature provides these landscapes!

This is the backyard of the home above. A Microsoft Executive owns this $5Million Beauty at the Ledges of Snow Canyon.

My personal favorites each year are always the incredible homes at Kachina Springs at Snow Canyon. The homes are breathtaking.

Just one of the many amazing backyards in Dixie! Gotta love the views.

This 16K square foot home was the hit this year. Complete with an Indiana Jones themed back yard (theres a hot tub with a huge flat screen in that cave!) The home had an indoor basketball court with adjoining racketball court in the basement. Who says there's a recession in this country anyway?!?!?!

This indoor b-ball court had a climbing wall, putting green, and full weight room off to the left of my picture. I'll bet all the kids in the neighborhood will live at this house! That huge movie screen would make for some fun movie nights!

This is Donna coveting! After the home show we returned to our cramped 3 bedroom apartment and reality set in! We actually like our humble little abode. Its comfy and just right for our little family...but I wouldn't mind that indoor basketball court. :-)