It is finally over!

Rich left for Boise on Sunday to take the Idaho bar. And in approximately 7 hours, this whole thing will finally be over. For anybody who hasn't endured this horrible process, let me tell you it has not been a fun experience for anybody in the family. Kinley and I are so proud of Rich and the way he has handled not only studying for the bar, but law school, and fatherhood. We are very lucky to have him and very excited to have him back full time and hopefully do some fun stuff as a family.

Fire in Nephi Canyon

We have been staying with my parents this summer and they are about 20 miles or so from Nephi. To get to Nephi you have to go through Nephi Canyon, which is where the latest wild fire is burning. So far we have been unaffected by the fire, just lots of smoke and we lost power for awhile yesterday. Yesterday afternoon I went in the backyard and took some pictures of the giant smoke clouds. And last night we were able to see the fiery hot glow of the flames. I am amazed by the force that the fire moves with, it is very strange to be so close to something like this. Here are the pictures from yesterday.

Trip to Pocatello

Within the last week I have made 2 trips to Pocatello. My mom and Kinley were kind enough to join me. I was searching for a place for us to live, and I was very apprehensive about taking an almost one year old on such a long trip. It was Kinley's first time at a hotel and she had an absolute blast. Each time we arrived at the hotel way past her bedtime, but as soon as we walked in the room, she perked right up and was ready to play. She bounced around on the bed for a very long time and loved looking at herself in the mirrors. I was certain she wouldn't be able to sleep well in the playpen, and combine that with Grandma's snoring and the usual hotel noise, I thought for sure it was going to be a long night. Well Kinley and Grandma slept just as sound as could be. I of course spent the night as usual worrying that the nasty hotel blanket might some how touch me. But it was a great trip, lots of fun, lots of driving, and of course, successful as we now have a place to live.

Here are some pictures of Kinley "jumping" on the bed.

So what kind of mommy are you...

While sitting at my nephew's coach pitch baseball game and wrestling with Kinley, an adorable little four year old girl saddled up next to me to play with Kinley. She was very talkative and asking several questions, such as can the baby walk, talk, etc. Then she said, so are you her mommy? I said yes I'm her mommy. Then she asked, so what kind of a mommy are you? I was a little stunned by the question and not sure how to answer. I certainly did not want this four year to critique my parenting style. The girl noticing I was speechless asked if I was the kind of mommy that liked to play or the kind that had other stuff to do.

Well, what an interesting thought. And I said with a big grin, as of July 27th, I am the kind of mommy that has nothing better to do than play (and housework of course). That is right, my so called career is coming to an end. July 27th will be my last day in the work force and hopefully it will stay that way for awhile.

We have found a cute townhouse in Pocatello and are hoping to move the first week of August. So with Kinley's birthday just around the corner, I am heading into full time mommy mode with full force!

Well, we have finally found out where we are moving to - Pocatello, Idaho. Rich starts his job on August 5th. He will be a law clerk for a newly appointed judge. It is a great opportunity for Rich and we are both extremely excited. It was Kinley's first 4th of July. She got to do sparklers & fireworks with mom & dad and watch the huge firework show in Moroni. The fireworks didn't scare her. Instead she seemed unimpressed but was excited because she got to stay up past her bedtime.

We recently had a family reunion in Provo where Kinley got to go swimming for the first time. She was very brave and crawled into the pool until the water was above her mouth and she got tired of swallowing it.

The Friess'

So for us first time parents, the way we relate to time is pre and post baby. Unfortunately, our time post-baby has been a little busy and hectic so I haven't had the time or energy (or memory due to the sleep deprivation) to give a detailed update for us, so here is the last 11 months in a brief synopsis.

Our daughter Kinley was born on July 31, 2006, and has been the greatest joy and blessing in our lives. We have enjoyed all of the ups and downs that go with parents, and truly love this special spirit. We have endured sleepless nights, the blow-outs, the spitting up, and we have treasured the smiles and laughs and the few hugs and kisses.

And we have also survived law school, a very great accomplishment for Rich and for our family. Rich graduated in May and has hit the Bar review and study courses with full force. We moved to Utah and are staying with Marlyce's parents during the Bar study process. Rich is taking the Idaho bar the end of July, so we hope to be moving to Idaho soon...somewhere.

Marlyce is continuing to work for the company she worked for in Nebraska and is able to work completely from home. This is a great blessing for us, but it is also difficult as pharmaceutical research is far less fun than an adorable 11 month old.

Kinley is very active and loves to be around her grandparents and all of her cousins. She is crawling very well and moves faster than an almost 11 month old should. She is however refusing to walk, which at this point in time, we think is just fine. She has such a cute personality and is a very happy baby and loves to smile.

So that gets you some what up to speed with us. We'll do our best to keep this updated so you can follow our lives as first time parents and our first year in the "real world".