Technology tempermentalities...

All right....I do not come from a family that has a ton of patience for technology. In fact, technology down right causes the women in our family to curse....alot. But I really need to hand it to our laptop. It has been dropped, spilled on, stepped on, pounded, and screamed at - how would you feel? As a result, our sweet laptop, is preparing to say it's goodbyes, and like all emotional technology.....it's being a little tempermental. This is what we have to do to get it working: 1:Hold the bottom of the computer tightly while pressing the on button. 2: Face the computer west (do not mess with this) 3: the mousepad doesn't work so we use a wireless mouse. 4: Wireless mouse has to be held in place (facing directly north) while manuevering mouse with the other hand. All of these steps, still do not secure a working computer. It just depends on it's mood. Anyway, I am grateful that it is working at the moment. Here's what we're up to.
We have really been trying hard to involve Harry in our reading sessions so that his vocabulary would extend. So catching him in Bella's room reading the picture books to himself was one of those grateful mother moments. How cute is he?!
We are part of the "One car Club" - pretigious huh?! So behold, vehicle B. Yep, you got it this is how I get around during the day. The kids don't like it when I pile groceries on them - but other then that they love the Chariot. (that's what I call it, because trailer makes me feel white trash, Rick-shaw "Ricky" for short didn't really fit that long.)

Picking Berries...

Top five things I love about Oregon...

1. NUMERO UNO! You CAN'T get out of your car to fill it up with gas here in Oregon. There is a gas attendant that takes care of it for you. You hand him your card, specify the amount, and he takes care of it. He will also, if he's nice, wash your windows for you while you wait. Oh, and you can't tip him either! A small luxury, that I am lovin'!
2. Berry pickin' (pictures to come): Everything here is fresh and wonderful. For 1.75 a pound, I go up the street and pick my own raspberries, Bella and Harry love this. And of course theres no charge for the pound and 1/2 that we consume while picking. Also, Blackberries grow wild EVERYWHERE, plus they are free. So we go to the park and always end up shoving some in our mouths and taking some home with us for dinner. I am in Berry Heaven!
3.One word...recycling! Oregon gives you two trash cans. One for actual trash and the other for recycling. You just throw anything and everything in there, glass, plastic, cardboard, paper. We have found now that the State has made it so easy. That we fill up our recycling bin long before our other one. I really like having one less thing to feel guilty about. Go green!
4. The beach being so close.
5. Everything is five minutes away, farms, shopping, running....running to go to farms or shopping. You get the picture.
6. Two words here...Trader Joe's! Need I say more?!


Harry and Bella in the backyard. Throwing rocks is their favorite passtime here. Harry says shoe now. And as of this morning, also comes up and tugs on my legs and says "hodu" ("Hold you" for all of those not fluent in Harrison) Lovin' that.
Too much love? Never. So long as the choke hold still allows for the airways to continue their function, however moderately.

A day at the Beach....

I think that conversation went something like this....

"Alright, we just dropped daddy off so we have the car today. What should we do?"

Harry:"Canny, Canny." (his way of saying candy.)

Bella: "I want my bike."

Me: "OK, we can A:Go home unpack more and clean....B:Go to Costco.....C:Go to the Beach.

Bella: "GO TO THE BEACH!!!!!!"

Harry: "Gampa, Gampa"

So we kept on driving and got to the beach an hour and a half later. It was a beautiful, perfect day. It was a 100 degrees when we left home and at the coast - a perfect, palmy 80. Oh ya, baby!

I love Harry's Feet....Love, Love, Love.
Gorgeous! A huge thanks to Hike-a-Deb and John for showing us this beach. It wasn't crowded at all.
Bella had to be pryed away from the Beach when it came time to going home.


It was a great day today. I am so grateful for my children. We are in this adventure together. And together is ....perfection.

We moved...

We moved. Kent came home Wednesday morning, we packed up Wednesday night (our eternal gratitude to Misner, Jen, Scott, Jake, Mary, Marvin, and Jill - our impulsiveness would not have been possible without you.), and moved on Thursday. So how did this happen? It's not like we haven't thought about coming here. We truly tried to make it happen 6 months ago, but it was like banging our heads against a brick wall, it wasn't the right thing. I don't know why it wasn't right a few months ago and it is now, but oh well.

I was looking all over the web for homes. Everywhere. I had looked over the past months at about a thousand. But I saw this home and a feeling consumed me "This is where you are supposed to be." No voices, just nudges. But the nudge was strong enough to carry me through the good bye hugs, the Boise breakdown and the Lease signing blues. All the while, I was reassured. This is where we are supposed to be. Finally, happily, let it begin.

Why haven't I written? Well, let's be honest. It hurt too much. As much as moving forward is hard, standing still has been more difficult. Caught in limbo, I didn't know what I was doing in the next five minutes let alone the next five days. And that level of uncertainity wore on me. Wore on my spirit until I was sufficiently down. The only rays of light came from my little babies beautiful faces, they were all I wanted to see every day and I didn't care if I accomplished or did anything else. Maybe its that I was suffiently humble to recieve the guidance the my Heavenly Father wanted to give me.

The Temple we go to now.




Oh how I love you, let me count the ways!!

I miss home more then I can say. I miss worshiping fruit with Suz. I miss talking to Papa Stan. I miss Bella digging in the dirt with Grandma. I miss my mountains. I miss my Hike-a-Deb - man do I miss my Hike-a-Deb. Harry misses and asks for his Gampa Gampa everyday. I miss my Lindsay's adventures in everything, I miss Nicole's laugh, farmers market with Molly, I miss Bella's little friends, I miss my friends who know me in and out, I miss the library, I miss the way the sky in Utah changes at sunset from Orange to purple, the list is forever long. I ached sometimes. But at the end of the day, I am here. I am now. And all I can do is hope that you guys, my ward family and my family will find your way to our home to visit soon. Heaven only knows you are in our hearts forever.

Bella took this picture of Kent.

We have all been sleeping alot. We are plum tuckered.

Now that's out of my system. I can write and I will. Soon.