Sunday, May 18, 2014

Saratoga...So Far

Hello,

It has been a while since we have posted and we wanted to update you on life and our different adventures in life!  We will try to tell you of events in somewhat chronological order.

Northeastern Woodworkers Association Convention

It has been interesting to see how many events happen in Saratoga Springs. We were looking on the events page of the Saratoga website, saw that the Northeastern Woodworkers Association was going to be holding their annual convention at the convention center downtown, and decided to go! It was a lot of fun! It was at first interesting to get in though. We looked around to see if there was a fee, but couldn't find any information on it. Consequently, we went with it in mind that there probably was, but that's fine. When we arrived we tried to go into an exhibit and were asked for our tickets. We said we didn't have any and asked where to go to get some. Once we finally found where to go we got up to the window and found they only took cash. The man helping us wasn't sure where to get cash, but he thought the hotel at the front of the building would be able to help. We kind of wandered around and asked many events people how to get to the ATM. When we finally got to the front of the hotel we asked the front desk people where it was. They informed us it was broken and we would have to go across the street to the gas station. Well, we eventually got cash, got back to the convention, and were able to get tickets! We were able to see lots of vendors selling tools, a booth to make your own wooden pen, boats, toys, award winning pieces, furniture, random stuff, and the main exhibit of musical instruments. The instruments were really cool! They had some people showing how to make guitars and others demonstrating their instruments. We sat down and listened to some of them play their instruments for little bit and they were really good. One of the vendors there was raffling off a banjo. It was really pretty and we just about bought a raffle ticket, but then knew we would have to learn to play it if we won. 

Baby and Toddler Expo

Once again, we were on the Saratoga events website. There was listed a Baby and Toddler Expo and we decided to go. They mentioned pediatricians being there and we really wanted to check them out. We got there early and started to walk around. Most of the vendors there ended up being stuff we weren't necessarily interested in, but we took their stuff and talked to them anyway. We were very disappointed that there were no pediatricians there too. However, the Pottery Barn Kids was there and they were having a raffle for a crib with a mattress and bedding. If you won the raffle then you had to opportunity to buy the stuff at a really good price. Guess what! We won! We're guessing that really we were the only ones there that entered. From looking around basically everyone else had small children so they wouldn't really want to enter it when they still had to pay for the stuff and not just get it free.

Random Trail Discovery

It was finally starting to warm up and we wanted to explore some of the area. I knew I had seen a trail head off the side of the mall parking lot. It was really random though and I wasn't sure if I could find it again, but that's where we wanted to go. We ended up taking a different road that went behind the mall and drove for a while till we did discover a trail head. It was great! It was one big circle and we were able to find the other entrance that I had seen from the mall parking lot. We also came to find that when people here talk about going for a hike they really mean going for a walk and there might be a small hill or two along the way.  None the less it was really nice to get out and explore some.



Saratoga Spa State Park

Shortly after we got here we found a random restaurant online and decided to go for dinner. When we found it we realized it was in a hotel at the Saratoga Spa State Park. It looked like a really fun place with different springs and little geysers and such.  Unfortunately, there was still snow on the ground. We went to dinner and afterwards there was a whole lot of fog also so we couldn't really explore. Although, outside the front door of the hotel was a whole rack of snowshoes you could check out. We ended up not going, but decided we needed to come back. Which we did! We went and found out all kinds of things about the park. The springs there are mineral springs and it used to be used for it's medicinal properties. The different springs had different uses and it wasn't unusual for doctors to send patients to spend time at the springs. There were also quite a few bath houses (one of which houses the farmers market in the winter time). It was fun to walk around and see the different springs. However, Jared did learn that most of the springs don't taste too good. They may say to drink them, but you will probably be spitting out the water afterward! He did this and later we learned that spring was used as a laxative. Good thing he didn't chug it down! 



Easter

The Easter Bunny found us! Hurray! We got Easter bowls instead of Easter baskets, and the bowls look oddly just like our cereal bowls. Oh well! For Easter we were able to go to dinner at Some peoples house in our ward. It was fun to meet more people and get out. 


Trip to Utah

It was so nice to visit Utah for Jared's graduation! Thank you everyone who came to the ceremony, to dinner, picnics, hangouts, and whatever else. It was great to see family and friends again. We both really miss family, Utah, the mountains, and functional roads (roads are not really taken care of out here. They are really broken up and need help in quite a few places). It was interesting that one of our concerns for flying out there and back was the actual flight. Southwest had no issues with Kim being pregnant, but we weren't sure how everything would go. It ended up being just fine and on the way home we found out that if you ask real nice they will give pregnant people pre boarding, which is the awesomest thing ever! 

Ticks

Last week we decided to go discover more trails. There's an old Scout camp that closed a few years ago that has lot of trails so that's where we headed. We walked around, watched some little kids fish from a bench, and Jared got ticks. Hurray! Neither of us had any experience with ticks before this point, but we pulled them out (they weren't in too far) and it looks like he'll survive just fine. 


Jared Making Whole Wheat Noodles for Pasta

Having a Picnic Right Outside our Place

Baby

Baby is doing just grand and is due June 12. The doctor was concerned about his size so we had an ultrasound this week. He's about 5 lbs 7 oz, which is on the smaller end, but just fine. No, he does not have a name yet. As of right now, the possibilities are as follows: Ronin, Sven, Flynn, or Broderick. We aren't really planning on figuring it out until he gets here (this is our excuse to procrastinate deciding). Then we can look at him and have revelation sprung on us as to what his name should be! Ta-Da! It will be magic! As for a middle name we aren't sure yet. If you have any suggestions let us know. Because of how awesome we are not about blogging consistently, next time we're on here we'll probably have pictures and he just might have a name. 

We love you all! Have a happy day!