Darn it!

I got asked to speak at Church over Memorial Day weekend. I said yes, then Scott and I were talking and decided to go away after all to Bend, OR. Then we discovered all the hotels were full for that weekend. So, I'm back to giving my talk! Bummer. :)

Here is a picture of the kitchen. The rest of the house really was not up for photos. It was a looong Mother's Day weekend. The house was clean on Saturday, but you know...

Here is a picture of the family room off the kitchen. Nothing on the walls yet! You can see some stuff stacked to the side.

Here are a couple of planters that I filled up a few weeks ago.

Ahhh, now that's better

Yesterday was a busy day. It started right at 6 am getting showered and then downstairs by 6:30 to take the trash out. The recycling people are here at like 6:35. They have caught me in my PJ"S the last two weeks . Normally, I'd put it out the night before, but I've have so much stuff I don't want any little critters getting into it and making a huge mess. (and BTW, Scott hasn't been here ONE Wednesday since we moved in...can that be true? I think so!) But anyway...it was pretty much non-stop all day. I finally went to get my WA license and license plates. I got the license but made a little discovery, neither car is in my name!! That's not good, what's up with that I asked Scott ASAP. Oh, well, that just means he has to get his booty over there and do it. Yesterday, was Activity Days. We went to the Camas Fire Department. I must admit one of the firefighters/paramedics was very cute. Sorry Scott, but he was :)

So, that's not all, but I won't bore you with anymore. The POINT here is what I did after the day. I took a bath in my new jacuzzi tub! I ordered some sesame oil, geranium and lavender essential oils to make myself this little oil/lotion. So, perfect recipe for a lovely evening after kids go to bed and husband is out of town= 2 cups Epsom salt, 4 drops lavender essential oil and one big bath tub of water. Soak...for a long time, until you start to prune. Then slather on the geranium/lavender infused sesame oil. Then wrap yourself in a big terry clothe robe and socks and go watch some American Idol. It was heaven. My book is calling to me now in fact. Today, not so busy :)

Just keeping it real dog

Okay, so I tried to sign up to cancel some (probably not all) of my junk mail, and I'll be honest it's kind of a pain. I went first to that GreenDimes website, and they have some options where they do it, but they charge you for it. Uh no. I'm kind of cheap I guess, I'll just do it. I think I did it, but it wasn't all that user friendly. We shall see. It probably didn't help that Hope was awake and fussing on my lap when I tried. She is taking her nap now, maybe I will try today.

Also, Hayden tried to break out the moon sand the other day, and I must admit I had a little fit. No gritty sand on my new table and floors, thank you very much. I still let him play...just outside on the picnic table :)

Hayden said a naughty word today, and I asked him where he heard that, and he said from me. It made me kind of sad, and I must do better!!! I'm not a truck driver, but sometimes...this blog is called Confessions of a Redhead. And I'm not perfect, but I am trying.

Oh AND I talked with this one lady about book club. She is a photographer, and I called her to take pictures of my kids. She really is a super nice/cool person. She runs and does triathlons. So, I'm not dissing (is that how you spell that word??) her, but...she is the one that was telling me (at Enrichment) she really likes Jodi Piccoult. Cool. I liked 19 Minutes. She mentioned today that Jodi is a bit edgy for her. That, at one point, the Relief Society Prez before the current one, wanted to "okay" the book choices for the LDS book club. Okay okay okay, not for me. I'd go to discuss a book, but I don't want to spear head THAT. I'm not interested in an "Enrichment" night book club. I'm currently reading the Other Boleyn Girl...I loved Middlesex, East of Eden (a favorite of mine) has a prostitute for a main character for goodness sake. I will wait on the whole "starting my own book club" thing. Wait until I know more people. Maybe exclusive is good. :)

With all that in mind, I invited Hayden's little friend Dean and his Mom over to play and have some herbal tea next week. She invited me to coffee a few weeks ago, I told her I didn't drink coffee, but I'd love to have some herbal tea. I couldn't go when she wanted anyway. I'm sure she is wondering. ;)

Junk mail and MORE junk mail-enough already!!

I'm still loving that book Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. READ IT!! So, something I have noticed now that I'm recycling like a maniac...I don't have to change my garbage out for DAYS, like every 3-4 days. It doesn't really stink either, because most food goes to the compost pile. I know TMI, but...just so you know and all. :) Something I have noticed in the mixed paper pile of the recycling is we get an obnoxious amount of junk mail. According to Sophie...seven reason to eliminate junk mail:
1. It wastes 28 billion gallons of water for paper processing each year.
2. Most junk mailers use inks with high concentrations of heavy metal like zinc and magnesium in addition to high-gloss UV varnishes, which are difficult to recycle.
3. The result is more than 4 million tons of paper waste each year.
4. It costs $320 million of taxpayers' money to dispose of unsolicited mail each year.
5. It costs $550 million to transport junk mail every year.
6.Landfill space is getting to the point that it disfigures rural areas and pollutes groundwater.
7. We each get about forty pounds of junk mail a year-more than a tree's worth of paper per family.

So, if you are like me and sick of getting SO MUCH junk mail, realize you can do something about it. She lists a few web sites that you can contact to cut down on the junk mail. I'm going to do it, if you want to as well, here they are: www.greendimes.com, www.junkbusters.com, www.exuberance.com.

Naked old people

This next comment might not be very nice of me, but so be it...I can't stand it anymore. I am sick of seeing naked old ladies!! There I said it, but let me explain. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I go to the gym a little later than I would prefer. 10 am. Hayden likes to go to Kid Fit, and it starts at 10. That's cool, spinning starts at 10 too. But here is the problem. There is a group of elderly people that work out at my gym, they belong to the Silver Sneakers club. They have special classes in one of the studios and special swimming classes for them(all ending at about 9:45). They really are very cute, dressed! The problem is, they are very comfortable all naked. Naked is fine. But these guys are naked, wet, not very flexible, and very comfortable with BEING naked. I am a very private naked person, especially at the gym. There is this one largish lady in particular, that sits, NAKED on a bench...there might be a towel down there, but I can't be certain, and I'm not looking too close!! Anyway, she sits naked on the bench (like I already mentioned). I have seen her ask people to help her get her bra on! I'm not certain what I would say or do if that "opportunity" arose for me. So, I'm already sort of freaky about those benches at the gym, I always have been...this just makes matter worse for me!! If you are a naked bench sitter at the gym, you should be ashamed of yourself. Please, change your ways :)

Moving on...I love"d" my book club. I moved so I'm no longer attending said book club. I want to start up a new one here. I was asking around at Enrichment last night if there is a book club. I guess there used to be one, but nobody wanted to head it up and it fizzled. There is ONE book club that still meets, that is super exclusive. I don't even know who attends. OHHH. How I hate super exclusive book clubs. I was talking to this one girl and asked her about book club. She said she'd go to a book club as long as we don't pick super snotty books and we are not super exclusive. The next lady I talked to, asked me if I had ever heard of Jodi Piccoult. Oh boy. I like Jodi, but...come on...let's not build our whole book club on her!! Sarah and I started a book club back in TX 10 years ago, and it was easy. At the time, everybody was new (just moving in to the ward). I'm not so sure about here though, it doesn't seem so easy. So, I don't want to read trash, but I don't want people to think we are all about super snotty books either. I want people to stretch, but I don't want to scare people off. Maybe I should wait a little while and not be the "new girl trying to change everything up". What do you think?

Gorgeously Green

I have officially unpacked every single box...that I can. haha Let me explain...Scott was out of town last week, and he was gone for two days this week. I have done most (aka all) of the unpacking in the house. I like it that way, I am not complaining. BUT I have reached a point that until we move everything left IN the garage OUT and organize it and set up shelves and such I can't do anymore. Then there is all the other stuff, extra books and electronics that can't be parted with that need to be put/shoved in the basement area. The thing I do need to do is go through baby/kid clothes and get real on what I should be keeping and giving/throwing away. I'm big into the this/that today. :) We also need to make another trip to the IKEA and purchase another book shelf and maybe some kind of toy shelf. I'm using our large square shelf (that used to be the toy shelf) in my loft/office (there it is again). I do have a great big walk in closet to put all the toys, but I do need some more shelving in there. We have ENTIRELY too many toys!! The other day Hayden told me he was bored...he really just wanted to play the WII and had a brain fart on something else to do. But I paused, and told him to get his little bottom upstairs OR downstairs and starting PLAYING with some darn toys!! There, that felt better.



The last two weeks I have had an obnoxious amount of garbage out at the curb on garbage day. I'm feeling a little bad. I got rid of a baby bath tub, an infant car seat and a microwave that was missing the glass plate inside. The microwave has been with us since we got married, lost in our attic in Texas. I dumped it. I should have taken it to a special recycling spot, and I feel a little guilty. I have been a very good recycler though too. I smoothed out and recycled MOST not all of the packing paper that was used. Talk about a lot of paper. But I am loving the whole recycling thing. I had all three of my bins full last week and then this week too. And I'm filling up my little composter bin again, too. I can't believe all the food scraps. I am composting napkins and paper towel now too. I'll let you know how that goes :) I know, I know stay tuned haha.



Now that I'm on the whole "green" thing now, I want to tell you about this great book I'm reading. Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. Sophie was on Oprah the other week (along with Julia Roberts, you might have seen it). I like this book, because it's all about some little things we can all do, now. Without being too granola or eco-nerdish. Check it out at the library, OR buy it at Target for under $14. Oh, and I haven't been to the DMV yet, I want to get new plates for my car too, but I need paper work on our cars to do that. Guess where that paper work is...in the garage!! SCOTT where are you??

Chip

Can you see it? It's her left front tooth. I think the dentist could fix that pretty easy, NO?? I'm taking her in later this week, or early next. I need to get to the DMV. Did I tell you Officer Friendly pulled me over last week...BECAUSE I had out of state plates. THAT's it!! He said I had a month...I had only been in the house for 1 week. Whatever dude. But I'm such a rule follower, I'm going to get it done. Every time a copper passes now, I get nervous! haha

Hope

AKA Hopey, Hopers, Soap, and now Chip and Chippy. Last night we were getting ready to go for a walk...I was still in the garage and Hope ran ahead of me. I came out and she was in the street. Safe street/cul-da-sac so don't worry about THAT...but anyway I called her back to me. She is a good girl and she came...running. She tripped, fell and chipped her tooth!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not that bad, I know that, but still, she chipped her tooth, right at my feet. I feel bad. I guess I may or may not talked a lot about her chipped tooth on the walk. Scott may or may not have gotten a little sick of hearing it. Don't forget I may or may not be a little compulsive.

Speaking of compulsive, my house is really coming together. But it's not totally unpacked, so I must keep working!! The garage is still boxy, the loft has a bunch of extra boxed up books and electronics. We could outfit the new street in computer gear...it wouldn't all work, but hey we've got the goods! Geez, we have text books that "some people" can't get rid of. Who knows when you'll want to brush up on Marketing 101 :) Hunter has actually discovered some cool Japanese books, and thinks he is teaching himself the language. You've GOT to love kids. And he found Scott's coin collection from when Scott was about his age. He came up WAY too late last night (after I thought he was already asleep) and very excited, and told us we had a 1938 nickel that was worth 18 million dollars!!!! Nope, that's just how many they made little dude. haha.

We had a great visit with Holly and family. It's actually Connor that calls Hope Soap. Pretty darn cute little kids, all of them. They had fun together that's for sure. All my kids want Aunt Holly and Uncle Kevin to move here. Why not?? Poor Holly didn't get home until like midnight last night, thanks for coming Holly!! Love you. Hey, I did make those mint brownies last night and ate one after lunch, and thought of you. If I could I'd send you one :)

Things will calm down...

Things will calm down...I just know they will. My life has been unpacking and putting things away. Nothing too exciting around here, just busy busy doing manual labor. I keep thinking I should strap a heart rate monitor on. Lifting boxes and going up and down stairs is strenuous work.

Holly and family arrived yesterday, so we are cooking up a few fun things. What stinks is, now with 1/2 day kindergarten, it really cuts the day in half. But we will sacrifice a Hope nap today to hit the stores. Scott made it home from Japan this morning (one day early!!) and we are heading out to get a new kitchen table/chairs and dining table/buffet at Whole Market aka Cost Plus. I was all set on a Pottery Barn table, BUT then I walked in there and the same table was there for a fraction of the cost!! Gotta love saving $$.

Anyway the natives are getting restless, must be snack time.

I'm back...

I'm here!! I haven't died...I just moved. We LOVE this house. Boxes are getting put away. All the major rooms are pretty much assembled. My Mom and Dad came to help un-pack and boy did they help. They got here Thursday night late and left Saturday at about 1:30 pm, but you wouldn't believe all the work I got out of them...for being old and all. Teasing. They were beyond helpful!! Amazing. The garage is FULL of empty boxes. More later. Church day, and this Momma needs to get ready...in different clothes!! :) haha

Moving day is almost here.

We close this afternoon! It was set for 2 pm and Scott just called to tell me they had to change it to 3:30. That was supposed to be the time I went to FIG, but the Primary Pres. will help out today. Sorry, I've got my priorities! Like, moving into my new house. We'll have the keys after that, so we'll start digging out of this townhouse. You'd be surprised at how "moved in" we are here. It seems that our 11 suitcases full of stuff has grown. But who cares, I'm not complaining. We'll get our new kitchen table all set up...maybe tonight. I'm going to be without my DISH for the first time in...15 years?? Maybe 13, but a long time. We can't have a DSL line in this house, (and I'm not using dial up!!) so instead of paying lots extra to have both...we are just going for cable. I can't wait to see my fridge again, and my washer and dryer, ohhh and my clothes!! Yeah! Oh yeah, and a phone. We were both a little surprised to open the cell phone bill...it seems that I have talked on my cell phone A LOT this last month and a half. You see, when I moved here I had thousands of roll over minutes. I never thought that we (I) would use them...all. Well, I did. Plus some :). Scott, being the good husband he is, didn't say a word, he got himself down to the store and got us some more minutes (at least for this month) AND unlimited long distance on the home phone, oh yeah. Smart smart man. Movers come tomorrow morning. We've got lots to unpack this weekend, did I tell you Scott has to go to Japan on Sunday?? For a week?? Remember, we were supposed to close on this past Monday. Oh well, still not complaining :)

the man cold!

What's on Your List?

Oh it feels so good to feel happy again. It's not like I haven't been happy for the last couple of months...but I have kind of been in a ...fog, I guess. I had found myself feeling more bored, unproductive, mentally unchallenged lately. I think those are my depressed feelings. I'm kind of dumb about the whole depressed thing, I don't really realize that's how I feel, until I'm pulling out of it. And then it's like OHHHHH. Plus, I think it's really just a twinge. But they have been there, right at the surface for a couple of months now. I feel it clearing every single day and it does feel good. I'm starting to think about all the things I want to start doing again, or do in the first place. This whole moving thing was hard. It wasn't so much the moving...packing up and stuff, but the whole change your life all around kind of thing. It has been a good thing though, clean out your life, and take stock of what's important to you.

I was in one of those aha moods this morning. I was in my bed, reading my current issue of Body+Soul. I think I might be sharing with you some other things from that mag soon, but today I was liking this article "What's on Your List?" The article talks about achieving our life desires. It says how we should write down our "dreams, desires, intentions". You know sitting down and free writing about what we want to do in this life. ..."making the most of the life you've got-and not wasting time about it...".In the writing down of our dreams, desires, and intentions it will help motivate us to actually achieve them.

This really goes along perfectly with Elder Ballards talk Daughters of God, well at least to me. If our wells aren't full, then we can't go filling others' wells.

Here is a sampling of a few things on my list:
go to the temple more!
read my scriptures everyday
start a new book club
learn to play the cello
go to Italy
spend some time really figuring out my new camera and photo shop
be more creative again, scrap booking, crafts, I used to enjoy all that, but don't do much of it anymore-find a new friend that enjoys all that
go to Egypt (I have always had a fascination with Egypt and mummies)
I'm excited to have my "stuff" back, but I really have enjoyed living with less clutter...live a simpler life!!

My list goes on, but I'll stop now. Go grab a pencil and paper and jot down your own list!

If it stays pretty like this, I get to wear my new dress tomorrow!

What a day! The weather has been perfect here for 2 days now. Today it got up to 75*-too bad I only brought two short sleeved shirts. I wore the other one yesterday (tomorrow is supposed to be another nice one-I guess I'll be doing some wash again tonight!) We all slept in today even Hopey. I woke up at 5:30 and-just-layed there. Read a little. (I'm reading Atonement right and I'm so loving it. I tried to read it several years ago and just wasn't into it- I knew I wanted to give it another go, and I did and I'm really liking it.) Then fell back asleep until almost 7:45!!

After breakfast, we loaded 4 kids, 1 jogging stroller, 3 bikes, and 2 parents into the Suburban and went to LaCamas Lake. Scott and I ran while the kids rode their bikes. It was the perfect combo. I pushed Hope and off we went. The kids loved it, because they could all get off their bikes and explore while Scott and I kept plowing forward. I think we ran about 5 miles. It was perfect running weather. Ahhhhh. Have I told you lately I love the hills here? To run with scenery is something else too. Scott said he felt like he was in Yellowstone, I don't know if I'd go THAT far, but it was very pretty.

Later we went to a cool primary activity at church. It was a great activity and the kids were having a great time. I guess I was having too much fun chatting, because just as I was thinking we better get the heck out of here before we have to help clean up...Scott went off to help...clean-up. Dang. I was talking to this lady and her husband was helping too, so we had a laugh there. Too many years in Primary and bishopric I guess.

We headed back to Twilight for dinner and then to the fun movie theater with the little cry room. I wasn't even that hungry (we went early before the movie), but I said I wanted salad tonight to go along with the pizza. Scott made the mistake of saying we only needed one menu. I was like....huh??? So, I go over and look briefly at the one menu to cast my vote on salad and pizza. I say briefly because I thought it said $4.95 for a salad that feeds 4 people. Uh no. I was feeling so good when this big salad arrives, what a deal I though. Uh no again. I don't really know WHAT it said, because my macho husband :) I'm kidding he really is not "so macho". But anyway, whatever it did say... we paid $4.95x4 salads. Not a big deal if we didn't leave like half the salad in the bowl. I'm not afraid/or embarrassed to doggie bag food home, but not salad, gross! Oh well. It was still super fabulous. And we discovered they have a whole armoire full of games to play...for the kids of course. We saw Nim's Island. The kids liked it. I thought it was a good kids flick...think Home Alone meets that Family Robinson tree house at Disneyland.

We walked through our now empty house. I met a neighbor. She lives a few houses down and teaches "fitness" classes at 24 hour and Balley's. Cool. We got smart and brought the DVD player for the kids to watch while we look. It's easier to imagine where our stuff will go now that the other stuff is gone. Only 5 days to go.

Anyway, I'm off this computer to go do some Yoga stretches. I need to stretch out good so I can walk tomorrow. Bad back here. Not that it's flaring up...no no, I just need to keep it happy is all.

Updates

So, it isn't even Wednesday. Well, we close Wednesday, but we don't MOVE in until...Thursday. At least I know. Disappointed?? Yes. But, now I can plaaaan. I just consumed a weeks worth of fat grams. A good hamburger, fries and a chocolate milkshake at Top Burger, this little place in downtown Camas. Hunter has heard a lot about it, and has been dieing to try it. So, we did. It was well worth the splurge!! Now we are off to Ikea. I'll let you know what we buy. We are getting this cool loft bed/desk for for Hunter's new room. Gotta go.

"Who's head is going to roll?"

Is what I asked when Scott told me yesterday that there is a chance we won't close on the house until Wednesday. Luckily, he was in Reno when he told me...over the phone ;). Seriously though, we find out this afternoon if we close Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Has nobody learned, I'm not that flexible. (Although, I have been learning lately.) The original date was Tuesday. We got all excited when we were told it might as early as Monday. That was somebody's first mistake. Don't tell me earlier, unless you are sure!! All we are waiting on is this stupid home appraisal. WHY was that not done before...they had, what, like 3 weeks!!! Grrrr. Now we are down to the wire. I know in the greater scheme of things what is ONE more day?? To me, a lot!!

Why is it that things that work just fine for everyone else break for me?

I'm not so sure what that child had been eating, but it must have been good. Just wanted to show you the toothless smile. His hair HAS been cut since this picture, thank heavens!!

I went to plug in my new sonic humidifier last night...and it wouldn't mist. I was soooo annoyed. Because, I had found "stuff" in places where there shouldn't have been "stuff". My little fella here, Hayden is curious. Yes in deed he is curious. He likes to see how things work. He likes to take things apart. I know that about him. And he never fails to disappoint. So, last night, I was pretty frustrated with him. Lucky for him, he had already gone to bed, or else I'm afraid I would have taken away the gift card he got for his birthday (to pay for another). I know I'm so mean...but I had told him to LEAVE IT ALONE so many times :)!!

So anyway, I woke up feeling kinder toward my little scientist, and decided to take it back to Wal-mart. I had to get another (more expensive GRRRR) model because my now broken one was the last in the store. I brought that bad boy home...and it wouldn't mist!! Now I'm wondering if in deed it WAS Hayden's fault or if I am just completely clueless! How hard can it be? Both times I have had Scott inspect to make sure, I wasn't "missing" something.

But here is the thing...I just have bad luck. All things mechanical break down for me. I'm still waiting for my new hard drive to fix my old (good) computer. And darn it, if I wasn't such a one tracker. We have been to three stores looking for humidifiers. Places are sold out. I don't want a warm mist. And I don't want a SpongeBob one. Hope and I are going to hit the Walgreens as soon as she wakes up. I'm now on a mission.

I've always said that toys, highchairs, books that made it through 2 other kids always break for this guy. He is just hard on things, maybe we are more alike than I realized!

On the other hand, we move into our new house on Tuesday! You could say I am excited :)

"We aren't having more Asian food are we??"

Hunter, when did you get so PC? Hunter asked what we were having for dinner. I don't know if you remember this, but I love "Chinese" food and Hunter does not. Any time were are having any sort of stir fry...anything in the "Chinese" family of foods, I get creative and think of other names to call it. Because if it's "Chinese" anything he starts to complain. (He used to love it, but got violently sick on Pei Wei Diner a couple years ago, and it ruined it for him.) Anyway, I start describing what's in the dinner, watching what I say, and He says, "We aren't having more Asian food are we?" It just made me smile to see how PC he is, without even trying.

Click here for this recipe. It was good. My kids (yes even Hunter, I think I'm winning him back on the whole Asian food thing) all liked it, especially the meat. They gobbled it up, the sauce on top was great! Next time I make it, I'm adding more carrots. I do think the cooking time is off, however. Watch the veggies so they don't burn. Also, at the end of the recommended cooking time, the veggies were done, but the meat wasn't. I simply took the veggies out, put the meat on another baking sheet, and let the meat cook for a few more minutes until it was done. I'm a sucker for pea pods, yum!

Some people are just never happy...

That of course would NOT be me. (ha) Anyway. Remember, I just left Houston, TX. The place where some people liked to complain about the humidity. I honestly, really kind of liked the humidity. I'm really not joking either. I hated the feeling when I'd go to Utah, or less humid places, and feel the moisture just sucked up out of me. I would (maaaybe) complain...just maybe for a second or two, when in the middle of the summer it was like 100% humidity AND over 100*. You know, when you get out of the shower, and no matter what you do, your hair does not dry?

Two things come to mind. First, when the baby has a cold (in Houston mind you, where it is already very humid outside!) and they tell you to put a humidifier in her room. Very rarely did I see the wisdom there. Anymore humidity in the air, and we were going to create our very own thunderstorm right in the child's bedroom. And then second, this person shall go nameless to protect their identity, but they know who they are :). I'd walk into "said person's home" and she would have her HUMIDIFIER on full blast-for no apparent reason (at least that I can remember). I would always just giggle to myself, and think, "I don't think that is needed!"

But here I am, wanting, craving a little humidity in my life. It's plenty humid here-outside. But you turn the heater on...and all the humidity is gone. Today, I will head out to the Wal-mart and purchase a humidifier. I tried to do it the old fashioned way...boil water on the stove. Until, I started a fire, yesterday. Yes, ladies (and gentlemen) a fire. I had come in from the garage, and I must have created a little stir, and a receipt touched the electric burner (I do hate electric burners!) All of a sudden, Hunter and Hayden are yelling "FIRE, FIRE!" I yelled, "SCOTT!!" But luckily, the little receipt burned up and that was it. And that was it for my homemade humidity.

movie night!

Scott and I saw Leatherheads tonight. Cute movie. Literally. With George Clooney, how can you go wrong? I don't think it will win an Oscar, but it was highly entertaining! You know what else looks good?

And...

Speaking of Sarah Jessica Parker...have you smelled her newest perfume, Covet? It's quite Lovely. I really do need some of that.

Hunter would say, "that was random!"

Hunter loves to say how random things are. Like, if somebody says something, kind of out of the ordinary, he'll say "that's random". I think he would say this next post is...random.

First, before we left today, I felt the need to wash the windows of my car. I like a clean car, vacuumed, washed, picked up. We don't have a hose here in the apartment, so my car hasn't had a really good bath in a long time. I have done little spit baths, like today. I get a washcloth out and do the best I can. We were pretty much loaded up ready to rock and roll this morning, and I felt the need to clean off the car. I felt much better.

Second, if I do say so myself...I rock. Here's why: I'm totally getting around this city and I'm feeling pretty comfortable about it. One of my sisters...who shall remain nameless...once kind of made fun of me when I lived in Houston, about how I didn't really know the city very well. I have decided it wasn't me, it was the city. Houston was just confusing, and not very...driver friendly. You had freeways that went in loops, not straight lines. Yesterday, I was chatting with someone in line for the IMax (am I Marleen's daughter or what?) and she was saying how Portland is a "big little city". Yup, I would agree.



Today, we went to the zoo. Great fun! It's such a nice zoo. All my kids and people I talked to (sister and friend) wanted me to compare it to Houston. It's about as nice, just different. It's kind of like the San Diego Zoo (best zoo IN the world) in that it's all about the hills. I went for a run this morning and about half way through the day, I was thinking that was a wasted step. No need. I walked the zoo today. But my goodness, the polar bear is one huge bear. I don't know if I have ever been that close to a polar bear before. They are HUGE! Have you seen Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth? Poor polar bears!


They also had these BIG old black bears in their enclosure, that seemed oh so close. Wasn't there a story somewhere about someone getting mauled by a bear at a zoo? Or am I making that one up? Either way, that bear was very close. There was this deep ditch thing between us, but still. It still doesn't top the time in Houston when we went to Brazos Bend State Park. I think I blogged about it, way back when. But you walk amongst the alligators. No joke. My Mom still marvels that we (specifically her) did that. If you ever get a chance...that's one park worth visiting.



But what I wanted to share with you about the zoo was this. I like how this move has brought my children closer together. They have been hanging out together, playing together, making forts, and well, yes, fighting too. Hayden was getting tired and Hunter put him on his back for a ride. Hope wanted out of the stroller and Hannah took her hand and started walking with her. It's nice too, that they are getting older and can be left alone. Hope pooped at lunch today (sorry, she did) and I needed to change her. It was nice to leave everybody at the table and go change her. NOT having to haul everybody and everything into the small bathroom.



We were all pooped when we got home. I think I might have caught one Oprah since we moved here. I MISS MY DVR! But anyway, the kids were vegging on the couch downstairs, and Hope and I ran upstairs to catch Ops. It was quite the show today, no question there. It was about this man, that is pregnant. It's all over the People magazine, so check it out if you wish. Anyway. I was farting around on the computer and clicked on one of the links on my sister Holly's blog. All Us Christensen's. I so enjoyed her post. She talks about nobody can do "it" all perfectly all the time. She says you either clean your house, make gourmet meals, or you are your child's personnel play date for the day. But you can't do all three. SO true. For the last couple of days, I have been the personnel play date Mom. With burst of clean house Mom. Not enough bursts, mind you, the bathrooms here are not so good. Gourmet meals...no, but I did make a tuna noodle casserole! In fact my 15 minutes of cooking said tuna noodle casserole/blogging are almost up...(Daddy came home and took everybody outside to ride their bikes ahhhh peace) I'm out of here!

a trip to the OMSI

We took a fun trip to the OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) today. (thanks for the recomendation, Jamie!) It's a great science museum with lots of hands on things for the kids (and their Mother). We did all kinds of cool science experiments in the Physics Lab and then also in the Chemistry Lab. We even got to put on goggles (no pictures, sorry) There is a whole floor devoted to the pre-scholars too. Hope and Hayden LOVED it. (Shhh don't tell anybody, but so did Hunter and Hannah :) If you come visit me, I promise to take you there.

I picked up a couple cool quotes today:

"Young children are more scientist than anything else." Herbert Zinn-20th century scientist

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Pablo Picasso

Tomorrow?? The zoo.

Who do you think is getting voted off American Idol tonight? Oh, and as a little side note, I don't know if I'm THE last person in the world to see Becoming Jane, or not, but if there is somebody out there who hasn't seen it, RENT it. It was great! It was so right up my alley last night! Loved it!

Spring Break-day two

Forget toys, Hope likes laundry, the basket, and our suitcases!

This week is spring break, probably the latest spring break in the country, but...it's a good time for us. Since the move, the kids will basically have an extra month of school. Texas schools get out mid May, WA schools get out mid June! Yesterday, was a nice day. Lazy morning, trip to the gym, then...shopping a new mall. For some crazy reason, all kids (except maybe Hope) like to go to the mall. Especially, if we are just roaming around. You know, going into all stores: Claire's, Sharper Image, Dick's Sporting Goods, See's Candy, Rocky Mountain Candy Apple and the Lego Store. You know, the fun stuff. The good thing is, I'm checking out all my favs too, mixed in.

Oh yeah, yesterday, I took a wrong turn. It was quickly corrected, but for a minute we were on the wrong road. Hunter knew I was stressed, he says "I'll say a prayer." The next thing I know he says, "there is the Temple, Mom!" Sure enough, there it was, beautiful.

Today?? I'm going to go for a run in just a minute. Then we will hit the road, see what's calling to us today. Shoot, it's not even 9 o'clock yet, and we have gotten this townhouse picked up already. The kids do want to hike up Beacon Rock again, and they want to go to the ocean. I'm not sure if I'm up for that alone. It's about a 2 hour drive...hmmm if only Lori or Jennifer were here. I know they'd be up for a road trip!!

I did get a letter back from Vancouver Radiology the other day. My test results are normal. It doesn't say in the letter why the lymph node showed up in the first place, only that the test came back normal. Thank heavens!!

more pictures

Okay, so this is WAY more pictures I would normally put on my blog. BUT, I still don't have my computer back (remember the hard drive crashed), it's still getting fixed. And I have to use the biggest piece of junk right now. (Think thankful thoughts Heather, at least I have a computer to use! ) Anyway, my sisters and parents have been begging for pictures of the house. And I can't send them with my present piece of junk...I mean my lovely computer. So, if you aren't my parents or my sisters, sorry to bore you!


These pictures are of the loft upstairs. This is where I'll put my desk, bookshelf and "stuff". It's big enough, I want a computer/creating desk. I want to have a nice big spot to...I don't know scrap book or something. There won't be lots of toys up here. This is Momma's spot. WELL, and Dad's spot too, I guess :)

View from the upstairs balcony.
This is really the dining room, the sales person uses it as an office right now.
These pictures are of the downstairs great room. Enough room there for a ping pong table. We get to keep the big TV, score! This room has three closets connected to it, one is a huge walk in-all for toys!! I'm in heaven there. I"ve never had a place to REALLY put toys before.

This is the living room. My piano will go where the couch is.

View one of the kitchen. I love the big windows I get to look out of.
View two. I love the big pantry, that I can actually stand up in. (In Texas my pantry was under the staircase, so it got short...real fast.) I have double ovens, I can wait for that feature! Holiday baking will be a dream ;)
Family room, right off the kitchen area. No beautiful Russian built-ins, but l like it! Yes, that is a fax machine...don't forget they are using this house right now for the office/model. They hadn't even moved all the way in yet, no kitchen table or dining room furniture yet.
My room. Hannah checking out the fake stuff on the bed.

The new house!

I'm in a WAY better mood...

let me tell you why...WE FOUND A HOUSE!! I'm so excited. We literally had seen every house in the Prune Hill Elementary boundaries. And nothing was exactly what we wanted. Sure, I could have found something...but it was either out of our price range (that happens to me a lot :), or it just didn't quite fit what we wanted. There is this little cul-de-sac with new houses kind of within a neighborhood, that Scott put feelers out for on Monday. In December (on a house hunting trip) we had tried to get in and see it with Janis, but there was no key in the little box thing. It wasn't done inside anyway. But it's done now, they just moved all their stuff into to make it the model a few weeks ago. Lucky for us, they will move things right back out. We can be in on April 15th!!!! SO, it is literally one street out of Prune Hill Elementary, but we can send them to PH anyway. We already checked. They are more relaxed about that here. I went to take pictures yesterday and got in a couple when my camera battery died. I hadn't charged that battery since Christmas! So, it was bound to run out...just my luck though to run out on the exact moment I really wanted to take a picture. ha I'll be back later today. I'm sure the sales person will be so glad to see me...again. :) Pictures to come.

Oh NO not the blue screen of death!!

Yesterday, as I was JUST turning on my computer...I got the blue screen of death. Yes, my hard drive crashed!! We think we can salvage some/most/hopefully all the stuff that hadn't been backup on my external hard drive. Because...of course that is packed. Doesn't that suck for me? Yes, it does. (I am now using an old lap top of Scott's while mine gets fixed???)

Just go ahead and say it, it kind of sucks to be me right now all the way around. Ha. I'm kind of joking. I need to go back and re-read all my positive thought blogs. It looks like the bank isn't budging from it's "new and improved" higher price. We went and looked again at a couple of houses last night. It's just that with those I would be kind of "settling". NOT exactly what I"m looking for, I feel like I could make (there are currently 3) one of them work. There are even a few that I really do like certain things about. But not everything. Like this one...it's got the game room and the media room, storage, and a big laundry...but the kitchen is smallish, the master bathroom is kind of stinky AND the master closet is SMALL. Do you get my point?? Sometimes, I wonder if we are being too picky, or if we just haven't found our house yet. I have made a whole new list of houses to see. I'm sure our realtor is ready to poke out our eyes. At least she and Hope have a good bond now. Hope LOVES Janis, and wants Janis to hold her when she is around. I'm sure Janis LOVES that too, hahahaha.

Well, I really do need to go get my fanny in gear. Today, is early release day. Elementary school gets out at 1:10 every Wednesday. That means Hayden goes IN early to half day kindergarten. I LOVE Wednesdays...can you hear my sarcasm???? Today will be kind of interesting. I'm going to be in a commercial, not really, it's a demo tape really. Let me quickly explain. This lady I met at church, Julie, whom I have been chatting with and really quite like, asked me on Sunday if I would help her out with something. She and her Dad have this company, eCompass Connection (they do webinars). So I have a bit to say that lasts about 1:50. It's complete with a teleprompter, videographer, the whole bit. At first I thought I was going to have to memorize the whole thing, but she does have a teleprompter. I don't know why she thinks I can do this!! I don't really know why I agreed, something new I guess. What was I thinking?? Wish me luck.

What the Heck??

Where to start??

First of all, I went to the US appointment on Friday. The tech said, that my "lump" looked like a lymph node. Hopefully, a normal one at that. But, I will hear from my doctor (in Texas, because she is the one that ordered the test) hopefully, in "about a week". Hayley and I both had good feelings after the appointment though.

Friday was just a big day, because we finally heard something about the house. Not good news really either. The bank came back and said they want to increase the price of the house $65,000!!! @%@$#&*!! Can you believe that? Soooo, needless to say, we went house hunting this weekend, and found a few lovelies. We told the bank late Friday night (too late they are east coast time) to take our price or we walk. We also, put in an offer on another house that is currently EMPTY, so we should be hearing something in the next day or two. Hopefully, one of these houses works out. But, if not, there are more houses out there. We'll just keep looking. How stupid can the bank possibly be?? If they let us walk, the house goes into foreclosure. (April 15th) They will have to pay legal fees and auction the house AKA get LESS money for that house. But whatever. I'm not paying more for that house. Just not going to do it. The other house isn't as big, but it has a way better yard, and it has some really pretty built in features. Something I have learned, a house is a house. We can make a home of it. I just not worried about that. As long as it has a few "must haves" we should be good to go and make the other things work.

All my family is gone. We had a GREAT time. You wouldn't ever have guessed that we were all "crammed" here in this 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo/apartment. We made the most of it. Well, they really made the most of it. Scott and I had our own room and bathroom. The kids had a great time having sleepovers with my Dad on the sofa bed. Easter dinner was great. Even though I only had a hand full of pots and pans to cook in, and some people had to eat on paper. We only have 6 plates. Towels?? We did lots of washing :) It was so fun, and I loved house hunting with my Mom and Dad, Hayley, Scott and kids. I really did. It's was nice for Scott and I to have 3 more adult opinions to hear. We'd be like "No really what do you think?" My parents are politically correct. Hayley...she's not so PC, but I love her. hahaha

We finally saw Horton Hears a Who, very cute...if you haven't seen it you better go soon. The theater we went to was in downtown Camas. It was built in the 20's. Newly remodeled, so very nice. BUT it had a cry room. Scott ;) liked that feature!! Then we had some delish pizza (at that place we wanted to go to for Scott's birthday but it was closed on Mondays) SO good!! And totally cool ambiance! Fun time. I miss my family already! Thanks guys for coming.

the films have been located!

Finally, my mammogram films have been located, and I have an ultrasound appointment scheduled. Finally!! They were "lost in the system" at Vancouver Radiologist. Apparently, I wasn't "in the system" right, and they didn't know who this Heather Gray person was. Little Mr. Vince in the records department helped me out though, and talked to his supervisor. Good thing I have a little bit of Marleen in me. I wasn't satisfied today when he told me they still hadn't arrived. "Vince, that just can't be", I said. And what do you know, they have been there since the 13th!!! UHHHHGGGG. Now let's see why my intramammery lymph node is showing up on the mammo!!!

It was also funny, I talked with somebody that had all kinds of answers to my questions today. First of all, why the HECK couldn't they just digitally send my films?? Well, you can. But you have to have the same software from office to office. Mine didn't. Lucky for me. Also, why can't you just say, "her lump is in the upper quadrant of her left breast , ultrasound her there"?? According to the woman in the know, breast tissue is so dense that it has to be SO exact. I started to laugh to myself. Not THIS breast tissue. Let's just say I don't have much going on up there. If I had a huge tumor, it would stick out of my skin!

Hayley is on her way, and I can't wait!! My parents are coming out tomorrow. We hope anyway, flights don't look good because of weather. But it will be one fun weekend her in Washington. Can you believe I now live in WA?? Crazy.

moon sand

I'm one of the "crazy Moms" that actually let their kids play with Play dough and Moon Sand. Hayden got the above pictured set of Moon Sand, complete with the sand box, and he LOVES it. In fact, he loves it so much, he told me he loves IT as much as he loves me. And THAT's saying a lot, because yesterday was his birthday...and I saw to it he had one heck of a day ;). So, if you too are one of those "crazy Moms", look for the Moon Sand Castle set with the sand box. It's a good one, and it slightly less messy because they keep their mess, somewhat, contained! Yippee. If they do make a little mess, you can easily wipe it up and vacuum. Really.

FIG girls went very well yesterday. I have a group of cute little girls. No big red flags- first thing. I had a large sigh of relief, that's for sure. Today is clean up day around here. I've got a pot of water boiling on the stove this morning. I'm missing the Houston humidity a little bit today. (lots of static)

Happy Birthday Hayden!!

Hayden turns 6 today!! Happy Birthday to my little crazy boy with a heart of gold. I love that kid! Happy number 6 today Hayden!!

those darn eggs

Yesterday, I had a hankering for some Easter candy. I bought some stuff for Sunday morning, and bought an extra bag of Reese's peanut butter eggs to open up-early...a special bag to get us in the Easter spirit. I really wanted the Cadbury solid chocolate eggs with the candy shell. BUT they were sold out at Walmart AND Target. Apparently, the folks here in Washington are fans as well. So, I "settled" on the Reese's. Not really a settle mind you. Those are probably my favorite. ANYWAY, last night at dinner Hunter asks if we can have root beer floats for dessert. "Dessert" I say, shocked and amazed,"you guys had tons of the Reese's eggs, we don't need dessert too." Hunter's reply, "No Mom, I only had a few of those..." So, "apparently" I was the one that had tons of the Reese's eggs. I'm just glad that are gone now. Yes, G-O-N-E. Gone. Those darn eggs won't be haunting me anymore, in fact the thought of them makes me a little sick. Maybe I did have one or two too many.

The clinic here STILL has not received my films. More waiting. I'm going to call this afternoon. Still nothing on the house. The people get foreclosed on mid April. I don't know what will happen if they get foreclosed on. Best case scenario, it will just take MORE time. So darn sick of this. WHAT lesson am I supposed to be learning here? I wish I could learn it already and MOVE on to a new lesson.

****Do any of you have any great ideas?? Tomorrow is my first Faith in God activity. The Primary President met with me today and gave me this garbage bag full of eggs (you know, the multi-colored plastic ones that open up??)she told me I could have. Well, thanks! I said. We have a FHE lesson for the girls to put together, but that will take 5 minutes. (I have an hour to fill) We can have an Easter egg hunt. Got that, but I want to do something else...like a get to know you game involving the eggs. The girls don't know me or Hannah, and we certainly don't know them. Any super fabulous ideas? Come on...don't be shy. Anything helps!!

The last day pictures

The last picture of Hayden in his tree. When Hayden saw these pictures he said, "Oh my tree!! I miss climbing my tree, Mom." It kind of has me teary right now.

The last picture of my kids at the top of the stairs. This is a "must" shot for any and all holidays.

Last shot of us right outside our door.

Attempt at self portrait to show you my new hair cut...on the "last day".
Hope the morning of...the last day. She had no real clue what the heck is happening to her.

So, I finally got a cord so I could download my pictures I had taken right before and after the move to WA. I have "sort of" been looking all day. Then, I couldn't stand it anymore and I just flipped through them all. Pictures of friends make me a little teary. I flipped through those very fast. I'll be posting more pictures tomorrow. Blogger is taking FOREVER to load pictures. So this is it for now.

In other exciting news...

Scott and I woke up today to this, and I quote "the former male stripper David Hernandez"...for those of you who aren't in the know...it's a reference to the American Idol voted off last evening. I must admit I laughed out loud. 6:10 must have been the perfect time to set my alarm clock this morning. It was good to have a laugh, I haven't really felt like laughing the last day or so. You see, last week I got the results back from my mammogram that I had taken a few days before I left. Apparently, I have some intramammery lymph nodes that have showed up on the films, and they don't know why. You aren't supposed to see these little suckers on a mammo. For a whole week, I have been able to hide my fears someplace in the back of my mind. Really, we don't know what it is, it certainly might not be anything at all. But it's the unknown. It could be something,.. But when I get bored, I start thinking. The day before yesterday I got a little bored and started thinking too much, so Hope, Scout and I went and worked a big hill. It's was either that or eat the whole bag of Dove dark chocolates. I think I made a good choice. haha. So that's that. I was told to get myself into the radiologish ASAP to have an ultrasound done. But of course, I need to wait for my ORIGINAL films to get MAILED (not FedEX, or emailed!!). It's a week today since I requested my doctor to release my films. I should be hearing the new doctor has them today, I should!! Regardless, I'm calling them today, just to check. After all, it's the mail, not the pony express!

For any of you who really know me, you know I HATE waiting. And I feel like I'm getting lots of practice lately. We did hear yesterday, that the bank is sending out an appraiser for the house. Things are moving, slowly...but they are moving!

In other exciting news, Hayden overflowed the toilet last night. I don't know why one little pooped required soooo much TP, but apparently it did. It all went down (or should I say it all came back up) when I was meeting with the 2nd counselor in the bishopric...yes I do have a new calling. Since I'm not supposed to actually tell anyone what the new calling is I'll let you guess... let's just say Hannah will be very happy, and I only have to do 2 meetings a month. Any guesses??? I was pretty relieved to tell you the truth, seems like a pretty easy job. I need to call my buddy Michelle up, she was this back in Houston and did a fantastic job. Any of you have this particular job? I did expect a little more time off though, but no such luck.

Anyway, Hayden, Hope and I are staying home this morning. It is actually raining today, and I need to clean this joint up.

Leatherheads

I want to see this movie. With George Clooney and John Krasinski, how could you go wrong?? Watch a clip here.

Well duh!

This morning at the gym, I go into a "ball blast" class. I enter the studio 12 minutes before the class starts. There wasn't anybody in there when I first got there, but the whole room was set up. I think to myself, this is my kind of instructor! They come in and set the whole room up. There was a lot of stuff too. Wow! Well, at 9:03 a whole ton of people come in. This lady comes over and tells me I'm in her spot. I say oh, okay, I'll just jump over to the next set of stuff. Still thinking she is just kind of lame and she isn't flexible...and that I'm in her "regular spot". All of a sudden it hits me, she has set all this crap up. It never even dawned on me, duh!! I don't know when these people set up there stuff, but apparently it was earlier than 15 minutes before the class starts. I'm used to "setting up early" meaning...like 5 minutes not 15-20. I just left and did my own thing. I'm sure that lady was thinking, "hello lady??" Better yet, I wonder what the other lady in there thought when I switched out one person's ball for another, and grabbed somebody else's red tubing!! haha hehe. How was I to know! Plus, in my defense, the set up was VERY uniform. Everything was placed in the same spot in all the different spots...much like ONE person had set everything up. I just thought we had a really on the ball instructor (no pun intended).

I'm in the market for a jogging stroller. I have made it through 3 other kids without one. In fact, I always thought, when I go run...I want to go alone. But now...Hope and I could go for run/walks a lot. Hayden could even ride his bike on all the trails around here. Plus, a jogging stroller is what I need on all the trails, anyway. My little stroller is just not doing the job. I've been on Craigslist, but they are like $75 for a used one, I can a new one for $120. Call me crazy, but I'd rather just get a new one. If I was talking $50...that might be a different story. Am I off on that??

Things are getting back to normal, I found a gym!

Beacon Rock

Things are getting back to "normal". First of all, we did move into the townhouse on Saturday. And yes, I'm not homesick for the Residence Inn anymore haha, I knew it wouldn't last. There is more room here, with a normal kitchen so all is well. I even worked out at my new gym today. It's LaCamas Swim and Sport. Let's face it, it's NOT Lifetime, but it's good. I have forever been spoiled by Lifetime. But I will survive. Hey something I did notice and enjoy...there are a lot of "normal" flat chested women here. Yiiippppe. Fake boobs were just a part of life in Houston, you see, and they just aren't so popular here. I'm normal again ;) hahahaha. I jumped on a spinning bike and I did a little bit of a Pilates class, so life is good. I EVEN saw somebody that I knew. You've got to love church. Friendly faces are already starting to pop up. They have a cool program for kids Hayden's age (no extra charge, bonus!) called Kid Fit. He got to go play in the gym the whole time I was gone. They had organized games of soccer, football, and freeze tag. He loved it, and wants to go back tomorrow. Thank heavens, cuz you know I'll be back.





We took two fun trips this weekend. On Saturday we went up to Beacon Rock. We hiked all the way to the top! We (aka Scott) pushed Hope in the stroller part of the way up. He parked the stroller at one point and just carried her up the rest of the way. I carried her down. But the hike up and down took about 2 hours. BEAUTIFUL. Loved it. Great views from up top. Then yesterday we went up to Livingston Mountain, and let the kids play in the snow. We DO need some proper equipment, like shoes. Poor Hayden had on his Keens and his feet were freezing. But that didn't slow him down too much. We took Scout with us both days and he was in heaven. Even Hopey loved the snow. It was a cool and refreshing..snack for her. Gross, I did make sure it was clean snow-at least.

Jamie, my sisters' friend used to live in Portland. She said that the beauty of the food here in the Portland area, is that it's a bunch of Mom and Pop type restaurants. I can already see that's true. On Saturday, on our way back from Beacon Rock, we ate at Lou's Texas BBQ. Total Mom and Pop BBQ place, owned by a true Texan, Lou. We had the pleasure of talking with Lou. He left Texas in '92, but was from the Houston area, of all places. He knew Tomball pretty well, and even was talking streets! Tonight for Scott's birthday, we are going to this pizza place in downtown Camas. Scott has eaten there, and says they have good Chicago style pizza. If it even comes close to LouMalnati's, then...oh boy I don't know what I'll do ;)

Happy Birthday Scott!!

Today is Scott's birthday. Help me wish him a happy day. I love that we are on this new adventure together. Love you, bunner.

Just a couple of issues.

Okay, so I am really liking this place, but I do have a couple issues.

First of all, there are NO gas stations. I'm used to Houston, where on every corner you have three things...a gas station, a donut shop and a dry cleaners. I needed gas the other day, and I swear I almost ran out looking! But alas, I found a Fred Meyer and they had gas. The WALMART didn't even have gas.

Second issue=restaurants. We went to the Olive Garden tonight for dinner. Scott is back in town and we wanted to "celebrate" ;). We chose Olive Garden not because it's the best Italian food around (it certainly is not) but it is close to the Residence Inn. We went in at 5:15 and had to wait 40 minutes. This area is certainly under served in the restaurant area. We will certainly be traveling over to Portland for our fine dining...aka anything other than Red Robin, Chipotle, Olive Garden or Burgerville.

The weather here has been very nice. No rain for three days. The few days before that, rained some (a little) but nothing terrible. I'm sure since tomorrow is Saturday, and we have lots of fun stuff planned, it will rain all day. Hayden wants to go to "Mount St. Hood" a cross between Mount Hood and Mount St. Helen. He wants to make snow angels, snowballs, snowmen, and have a snowball fight. I'd like to go snow shoeing. We shall see.

So, remember I told you about calling the Residence Inn home? Well, we checked into the townhouse today. It's pretty nice, it's lots bigger than the Residence Inn. But you know what?? If we hadn't already committed to the townhouse, I'd say forget it- we'll just stay here. Scott doesn't get this change of heart-at all! The kids and I all feel the same way. I think it's just because we are homeless right now, and have "moved in" here. I'm sure a week in that place we will feel the same way. Maybe. I won't have maid service there ;)!! Crazy though, feeling home sickish for the Residence Inn. What's wrong with me? hahahahaha. Tomorrow morning (after the breakfast buffet) we check out here, and move all of our crap over. Sounds fun, doesn't it?

Home really is where the heart is.

So, today I have found myself saying we are going "home" or it's back at "home"...meaning the Residence Inn people!! Hayden said, "Mom that's not home, Texas is home". I just smiled and said, I don't know. I have kind of moved into the Residence Inn. I know where crap is now. Life seems very simple here. I don't have to clean, or make a bed. Shoot tonight was the first night I even cooked dinner in quite a while. The last two nights they served dinner at the Residence Inn. Breakfast everyday, and dinner a couple times a week. Tonight they had food, good food...but not healthy. I'm talking nachos, soft pretzels, chips...we went to check it out and the kids were in hogs heaven. I came home and made spaghetti (Prego and noodles) and lots of veggies for our "real" dinner. I could get used to this simple life.


How's this for guts...Hunter told me today he saw this kid in his class getting picked on at recess. So, he went up to the guys being mean and told them to stop. They said, "shut up new kid", and Hunter got his little chest all puffed up and said something back to them. They just walked away. He asked me if he did the right thing?? I said yes, you stood up for somebody that needed it. I kind of wanted to cry, but I didn't. But, inside I was saying, geez they better not be mean to you now or pick on you. He had some guts, I don't know if I would have been that gutsy on my second day at a new school. Way to go Hunter!

the school shuffle has begun

I was up and showering early this morning. We started the school shuffle today. I have a lot of picking up and dropping off to do now. When we move into the house, it will be bus, or walking! But for now, it's me. Yesterday, we met some teachers and toured schools. Everybody had a smile on their face, and this momma felt very peaceful and calm. So far, so good.

First up was Hunter. We had an appointment at 8:00 am to tour his school. There was an ugly accident someplace on the 205 so we were about 20 minutes late. Lovely. No big deal though. So, this morning we left EVEN earlier and were about 25 minutes early. We won't be traveling "across town" for too much longer. We move into the townhouse on Friday (when Scott returns from his "vacation" ;)really, he is on a business trip to Denver and will return on Friday) All of Hunter's classes look great, the kids seem nice. We actually didn't meet Hunter's core teachers, but we did see them. We met his gym teacher Mr. Houston...who will also be his cross country coach. The counselor asked Hunter yesterday if he liked to run. Hunter's face lights up and says "yes Ma'am" (is that how you spell that?? Being that I'm NOT a Southern Bell, I don't really know haha) So, Mr. Houston (don't you loved the name, it was SO meant to be) is doing an intramural cross country club, that is really popular with the kids, and it starts today. What timing, right?? So, Mon-Thurs. I don't pick Hunter up until 4. He has two races in March. Track starts in April. He was thinking about playing baseball, and even went to a practice last night with a new friend from church, but I'm not sure he will do it. Maybe next time. Running is calling to him.

Hannah toured her new school yesterday and got to meet her teacher, Mrs. Hassel She seems very nice. I chatted a little more with her this morning. In between Hope's yelling and screaming. Did I tell you Hope is being a little beast? Well, she is. She is sleeping at night very well, and she is already taking a nap now. Moving is hard on her too, and she is reminding me. She'll get her groove back, I'm sure of it. Anyway, Hannah got to go in and say HI to her new class yesterday. One group of tables had those exercise balls that the kids were sitting on. I asked the teacher about them today and they rotate around the room. She commented about how good they are for the kids and how they really keep the kids on task better than regular chairs. I just smiled, hey you don't have to sell me on those balls. I packed mine up and it should be here with the "second wave" of stuff. This morning when I dropped her off, her new "buddy" Charlotte was there ready and waiting for her.

Hayden is very excited to start school this morning. Hope was such a beast I brought her back for a much needed nap. Usually, we will go to the gym,park, hike or errands. Something, anything besides come back to the hotel. But he is being a good sport. Thank heavens for Starfall and Nick! His teacher was very nice and cheerful this morning. It will be nice having that little fella around again. It's like I'm getting him back for a little while. I get a little bit of his childhood returned to me. I worry he will be bored and not challenged, but when we are back into our groove, I'll make sure he isn't! It's finally getting late enough, I need to go fix lunch for the little guy.

Then, what to do after I drop him off and before I pick up the rest of the group? I haven't been to Fred Meyer yet...or the Target in Camas...I'm sure I'll find something to do. Oh yeah, maybe the library!

Happy Birthday Hayley!

I think this picture about sums up Hayley. Happy birthday to you, my crazy sister. I love you!

This place is prettier than I thought!

I cried yesterday morning, but I haven't cried since. I think maybe the worst of "it" is over. I hope so. I sure was ready to pack my bags and head back home. Part of my deal yesterday morning (we're talking like 4:00 am) was that I was up worrying. Scott leaves on Tuesday night to go to Denver. ( how much does that suck!!) I'm a bit worried about getting around this place. Good grief, I will be carting kids to and from school ALL day. But, I guess I will be kept busy.

Busy is good. We had a fun busy day yesterday. We parked at the kid's elementary school, and went hiking on the trials literally, in our would be back yard. My butt is going to be in such good shape. The hills here are going to be so great to run on. Walking/hiking is fun and quite the workout. I think we walked about 3 miles. The kids were pooped. After that we went to the movies. We saw Spiderwich Chronicles, good flick. Then, I started shopping gyms. I visited 3, the LaCamas Swim and Sports place was my favorite so far. They have an indoor and outdoor pool, baby sitting, all kinds of equipment, and they have Pilate's reformers that I can just come in and use. I about tinkled on myself when I heard that. Very good news to me. Nothing compares to Lifetime Fitness however. I was very spoiled by that gym. Scott and I have both written "Corporate" telling them they are missing out on this market. Hunter and I found this cool music store. He needed some new reeds for his clarinet. WOW. I can rent my cello there AND take lessons. I don't know if my neighbors at the Residence Inn would appreciate me practicing, so I might wait a little while for that ;)

Today, after church we drove for about 25 minutes to the Bridge of the Gods. What a drive. This place is prettier than I thought. It's really something else. The whole drive was in the gorge of the Columbia River. The Columbia is really right in my back yard. So pretty. Even on our hike yesterday, I was a little dumb founded at the beauty here. Hannah came up to Scott and said, "Dad I really love it here. It's so pretty and I love nature." So anyway the bridge is just a bridge over the Columbia, but it lets you off in a cool part of OR, with 3-4 waterfalls off to the side of the rode. Pretty big waterfalls. We hiked around again for about 30 minutes, and then returned to our would be street. The would be neighbors had invited us over for dinner. The would be neighbors are very nice. And she was giving me the scoop on a lot of the people at church. I did take pictures today, but my lap top doesn't read my new camera card. We need an adapter. I'll be getting one soon.

I still feel like I'm on vacation and will be packing up to go home soon. Finally. I'm sure the hotel living helps with the strange feeling. Before I start feeling sad again, I'm going to go get ready for bed. I'll leave things on a good note. One whole day without shedding a single tear. THAT hasn't happened for like...forever.