Long Time Gone

I know it's been a long time since I've written, sorry. I'll try and recap everything, but mostly its just going to be tidbits. The picture of Levi making a weird face is a new one of his. He does it randomly, but I think it's his 'surprise' face. We got all dolled up for the Sunday before Christmas, as is tradition with us, and I think our outfits looked great!


A few days before Christmas Levi became quite sick. He remained so, and still is sick. He is doing much better now, but still has some residual sickness. He was vomiting, coughing, he had a sore throat (we assume), a fever, and some serious head congestion. We tried a few different medicines, and even took him in to be seen after a nurse gave me a scare and said she thought he was wheezing and it could be bad news. Turned out he was fine, just the flu or cold or something. Better to be safe than sorry. But if Levi looks a little pale or sad it is because he wasn't feeling well.


For Christmas Eve we spent the whole day with Justin's family in Albany. His older sister and one brother weren't able to make it, but we look forward to seeing them in the future! Levi played a lot with his aunts and uncles, as well as his cousin Bentley, who is right around his age. They are always so adorable together.


Justin's family does the Nativity story every year, and acts each part out (while video taping it all). Justin was a wise man, and I played one of the hosts of angels. Levi was supposed to be a sheep, but since he didn't feel good, he wandered off a lot. Here are some shots of us all decked out!


Christmas morning we spent at our house opening gifts and such, and then headed to Justin's parents for most of the day. We then ate Christmas dinner with my sister and parents and played some games in the evening. It was a wonderful Christmas, and I look forward to many more happy times with our families!


This past week has been recuperation mostly. Levi is still trying to get better, and I am mostly trying to get myself motivated. Justin is not looking forward to this next term, which will begin in a week, but he is basking in these last few moments he has off.
We took down all our Christmas decorations today, and started getting our apartment back to the normal look. Although, I think I liked having all the decorations up better.
Levi has progressed a lot in his vocabulary lately. In fact the other morning he came into the bedroom where I was sleeping and cuddled up with me. Then Justin came in and pulled him away to let me sleep. Well Levi wriggled and screamed 'Help me Mommy! Help me!' So Justin let him come back and he snuggled again. Justin waited a bit and then tried again to pull him away. Levi repeated the same phrase. So Justin let him snuggle a bit longer, and then picked him up. He seemed fine, but when Justin left the room Levi squealed and asked for me. So Justin let him get down and Levi came into the bedroom and shut the door behind him and said, 'Bye-bye Daddy!' It is so cute to watch him understand and comprehend sentences now! Also, he is counting up to 12! And he is actually counting, not just repeating words. He will sit and count his crayons, blocks, anything really. He is getting better with colors, but still gets a few confused. I'm still working with him, and persistence is key! Another cute thing he loves to do is sing along with his favorite shows. He knows Little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Wonder Pets. He likes other shows too, but he sings along with these the most! I have tried to catch it on video, but to no avail. I'll keep trying and hopefully send one to you all!
I hope all of your Christmases were merry and bright! And to all a Wonderful new year!

Christmas Prep

Wow! What a week!

On Monday I had a meeting in the morning, and Levi played with other kids of parents I was meeting with. Its odd, sometimes he is so social, and sometimes he just wants to play alone. A stage I am told. I noticed he was starting to get really sick, so we took it easy that day. In the evening we went to Christmas Storybook Land in Albany. It is just what it sounds like. Think of every story you were told as a kid, all Disney stories, all Mother Goose and Grimm Brothers stories, and all nursery rhymes. They had a display for probably every one. The walkway was lined in Christmas trees and lights. Towards the end they had three model train sets. This is where Levi fell in love! He couldn't get enough of the trains, even when we had to leave. I decided I would take him back later on in the week.

Tuesday we found out Justin's grades. He thought he got a 'C', two 'B's and an 'A'. However, he got three 'A's and a 'B'! I am so proud of him! I knew he could do it! It is so nice when all your hard work pays off. He is still dreading this next term, but I know he'll do great!

We found out on Wednesday that our scary crazy neighbor finally moved out... completely! He hadn't given us any problems since that one weekend, and the ducks are even starting to come back! We are glad to be rid of him, but I do feel bad for his whole situation and living in denial when he really needs help!

Friday morning Justin and I got our new camera in the mail. We had some store credit at Best Buy, so we have been searching for a few months and finally found a great deal. It is an 8 MP, with 5x optical zoom, 3x digital zoom. We got it for only $127!! Plus it came with free shipping, and a free 2 GB memory card!! We are so excited. I have been spending a lot of time checking it out and looking at all the features. That evening Levi and I got all dressed up and went to our ward Christmas Party. He looked great, and was probably the best dressed little man there!

Saturday was another busy day, as most Saturdays are! In the morning I ran all over town doing stuff for church, and running errands. In the afternoon, once Levi was awake, we headed to Albany. We bought two loaves of bread and went to a popular lake there to feed the birds. There were seagulls, geese, ducks, and regular birds. Levi was in heaven! He loved it. He even heard trains go by and was yelling 'Choo! Choo!' frequently. We then took him back to the Storybook Land and let him watch the trains longer this time. On the way out we stopped and let him sit on Santa's lap. He didn't scream, but he did reach for his dad, as you'll see in the picture. After that we dropped Levi off with Justin's parents and went on a mini-date. We don't get to go out much, our dates usually are when Levi is asleep and after Justin gets home from work. So it was nice. We tried a new restaurant in North Albany. It is called the Smokehouse Cafe. It had southern style food, and bistro style food. We both enjoyed our ribs, and really liked the fact that they had a 'BBQ Sauce Bar' so we could add as little or as much sauce as we wanted. Not only that, their prices were all around $5! They also had smaller portions for people like me. It was good food, good price, and great company. That evening we attending my sister and brother's ward Christmas party. My sister was in charge of it, so we got invited. She did 'A Night In Bethlehem' and it was a hit! I was very impressed, and loved the feeling there. The ward members dressed up for the time period too. They had little shops and such all over the cultural hall that you bought things (food, goodies, etc.) with some pebbles everyone was given. It was well thought out and well put together. My hat goes off to you Alicen!

Sunday night Justin performed with our ward choir (that my dad conducts) in front of the Stake. I think he really enjoyed himself and had a great time. He really enjoyed at the end when they all sang the 'Hallelujah Chorus' from Handel's Messiah. They sounded wonderful too!

Well that's our week, and after all I've done today I know this week will be busy too!

Bulldogs Win!!

This past week was crazy but great! Justin and I got a lot done around the house, so that was nice. Justin also had all his finals last week, and is thrilled to be done for a month. We think he did well, and I am glad he finished and passed all his classes!

On Saturday Justin's brother, Neil, played in the Oregon State Football Championship... and won! They beat Glencoe 34-7! Neil looked amazing too! He even had an interception towards the end at a crucial point when the other team was about to score. We are so proud of him, he is such an amazing football player. We're sure he'll be All-State Defensive Player of the year again. We then went to Justin's parents for a steak dinner in celebration. His brothers from Wyoming and California came to see it, and his sister came down from Salem. It was nice to have so many there in support of Neil, and I know he loved having them there too.

Neil's high school gave out awards on Sunday night, so Justin and I went to a banquet for the team. Unfortunately the event was a big waste of time. They didn't hardly talk about the players individually, and all they said about Neil was his name. We were really upset and annoyed with the coaches for their lack of appreciation and recognition. Justin and I plan to write a letter to the principal, athletic director, and coach about the poor quality of the event.

Well, that was our weekend in a nutshell... hope yours was great!

My Schmoo!

We decorated our tree on Sunday, and I am pleased with how it came out. Justin wanted more color, but I liked it the way it was. We are also done decorating our home as well. I love this time of year, and I really love decorating!

This morning I was up at 5 AM (ugh!), so I was awake when I heard Levi stirring in his room. I went in there and he was tossing around on his bed. So I cuddled up next to him and he laid there cuddling with me for a little bit. Then, ever so softly, I hear, 'Hi Momma.' I gave him a squeeze and said hello back. We then played name tag and he kept softly chanting my name, to which I would say his name. It was a sweet little moment that I will cherish for ever!

Yeah for Football!!

Justin has been preparing big time this week for finals coming up next week, and I'm sure he will do great! The highlight of our week happened on Saturday, which was a very full day. Levi woke up at 5 AM, so it started early. We then prepped our house to get a Christmas tree (making room and what not). Justin sat and played trains with Levi who was in heaven! Since he woke up early, Levi took an early nap (9:30 to be exact!). While he slept Justin and I tried to relax a bit. But as soon as he woke up we went and got our Christmas tree. We brought it home and then headed out to Salem. We spent the whole afternoon and evening at Justin's sisters home. Levi had a blast with his cousin who is just six months older than him. There were some disagreements about toys, but all in all he had fun! They even wrestled around together (which neither of them have done before!) It was so cute to watch them. Justin and I also watched the Civil War game there, and for the first time since 1993 the visiting team won... and it was the BEAVERS!!! They pulled it out in double overtime, it was a tense game to watch. The final score was 38-31. Towards the end of the game Justin and his sister's husband went to watch Neil play in the semi-finals. We all were planning to go but the weather wasn't being friendly, so his sister and I stayed behind with the boys. Justin and Braydon came home shortly after half time when the score was 40 - 0, West Albany winning. Neil won the game 46 - 0. So now on to State next week to play Glencoe (a high school up by the Wilsonville area). Another full weekend coming! After they came home we ate some pizza and headed home. We got back around 8:30 or so, and Levi fell asleep on the drive home. Justin and I caught another game or two on TV and headed to bed ourselves. Busy day, but a great time!

Finished!

I am finished (for now) with the railway I made Levi, and I thought I would share with you!

Also, I wanted to let all know concerned (because I sure was) that Levi has completely broken out of his 'Daddy' phase. Don't get me wrong, he still adores his dad, but I think the split is pretty even now. He gets excited to see me, and sometimes when he with his dad or my mom or someone, he'll ask for me. I'm thrilled to have my little boy back! He is speaking a lot more now. Although he still has a long way to go, we are very slowly progressing into two word or three word sentences. He knows one to ten really well, and he knows the alphabet tune, just not all the letters. Justin wants him to be able to know his whole alphabet, all his main colors, and one through ten by the time he is two. He has one out of three so far (he calls everything green right now). I told Justin good luck! Another cute thing Levi has done lately is he has emptied the shoe rack by our door and climbed on it to try and reach the keys so that he can unlock the door and go outside. No worries though, he can't reach the keys, and even if he could, the key holes are on the outside and he doesn't know how to unlock them from the inside. Anyway, I still think he is pretty smart to know to use keys to open a door! Here is my evidence...

Thanksgiving

Well I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings! Our family did, stressful but good. We were all gathered at my parents and my sister was in town too. We came out with a broken toe and a phone call to poison control avoided! The day started out with the oven being too hot and parts of the turkey getting singed. Things seemed to move a little more smoothly after that, and the turkey turned out wonderful (thanks to Mirinda). Everyone was able to get all their assigned food done and it all turned out yummy! After dinner is when the mass chaos began. The kids were playing downstairs and adults were periodically checking on them. Well, a short amount of time went by and my niece managed to get into 409 (cleaner similar to Windex) and drink some. After looking things up and reading what to do, we didn't call poison control and just fed her bread and water to dilute it. She's doing great now, so that was the right thing to do. Shortly after that Justin went outside for a bit and as he walked past the logs the back side of the axe fell on his small toe. It hurt really bad all day yesterday, and although the pain isn't there anymore, it is black and blue and still swollen. I'm pretty sure he broke it, but there isn't anything they do for that, so he just keeps taking pain meds. He also played football yesterday (and did pretty well I'm told) and is sore from that too. Later on Levi was playing on the landing of my parents stairs and fell off a chair, no one saw exactly what happened, but from how he was laying I don't think he hit his head or anything. We gave him some Tylenol, and he was alright. No bumps or bruises. So, as I said it was a stressful day (especially with noise levels exceeding the sonic boom), but it was so nice to have family all there.

Today (the Friday after) I was up at 4 am heading to Wal-Mart to shop. I got Levi and Justin's gifts there. Then the women in my family all headed to Kohl's, where I stood in line for one and a half hours (I'm not kidding, I timed it). The line winded all through the store, it moved fast though. While I stood in line with Alicen, my sister Mirinda and my mom went to Target to get stuff there. They returned and stood in line with us for the last 15 minutes before checking out. Then we went to K-mart, which was empty compared to everywhere else we went. It seemed like any other day at K-mart. So, now I am holding my eyes open while I wait for Levi to sleep so I can. After my nap my day was still full, and I went to see the movie 'Enchanted' with my family. It was really funny. I thought it would be dumb because they were trying too hard to be funny, but it really unfolded and was great!

Saturday we spent all day at Justin's parents watching football and playing video games. BYU was playing Utah (otherwise known as the Holy War of football). It was kind of boring for the first three quarters, but then the fourth was tense. BYU pulled out a win though (sorry Skipper). The Ducks are really stinking it up now that they have lost so many valuable players to injury. It is looking more and more that the Beavers will win the Civil War!! Neil's team won the quarter finals on Friday, so now they are on to the Semi-Finals in Salem next Saturday! Way to go Neil!

Sunday we were all sick. We missed church and stayed home in bed. We just had the bug going around. We all still have a touch of it, but I can tell it is on the mend.

Well, Happy Holidays, and I hope it all went well for you all!

Busy as a Bee

So I have been very busy lately, but I knew things were only going to get busier, so I thought I would write now while I have some downtime.

So as an update, Justin and I are staying where we are, and we have not had any other issues with our neighbor. Justin is still a bit worried leaving me and Levi home alone in the evenings, but I usually go to my parents house, so its not so bad.

Last week I spent most of my time helping my mom get things ready for my sister coming. On Friday Neil (Justin's brother) had a playoff game and won! A recruiter from Oregon and Washington were there too! Next week they play down in Medford for the Quarter Finals.
Then on Saturday we went up to pick her and her family up at the airport. Everyone was excited to see each other. Levi even hugged and kissed Quinten! That afternoon we all went bowling, and although Levi was tired from lack of nap, he did alright and even bowled! Justin and I caught some games on TV too, including the awesome victory of the Beavers! However, sadly the Ducks lost (I say sadly only because they lost their star quarterback due to a knee injury, and no matter what team, that is always sad). Michigan lost, so they won't win their conference championship. BYU beat Wyoming... yea (sorry Marcus and Haley)!




Sunday night all the kids played together, and it was great to see them have so much fun! Levi really loves Ashlie and Quinten, and I know he'll miss them terribly when they leave at the end of the week.


I went to my parents last night, where my sister is staying, and our three kids were having a great time. Levi and Quinten chased each other around giggling. Ashlie occasionally joined in the fun, but mostly did her own thing. At one point I asked Levi to give Ashlie loves, and he hugged her, and she hugged him back. I wish I would have got a picture!

Well that is all for now, Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Where's Percy?

Okay, so first an update from last time. My talk went well in church for those curious. However, we had an unfortunate event on the way home from church. For those who remember, we have a psycho living below us... literally. Well, he had been shooting his air gun in the direction of ducks who live at our complex last Saturday. So, on our way home we find a dead duck in our complex parking lot not ten feet from the psycho's car. Needless to say Justin and I got changed quickly and headed to my sister's house where the family was gathering for dinner. We reported this to the managers who turned the duck over to the Animal Control people. If they find a pellet in the duck, then they will be pressing charges, otherwise they'll say it was just a coincidence. We talked a lot with my family that night about our options and what we should do. Justin and I first decided we should live at my parents house until we can decide further what to do. We talked about moving and those possibilities, and that night we really talked, pondered, and prayed about what we should do for our family.
Monday we had breakfast with Justin's family and headed to my parents with suitcases packed. Justin has periodically stopped by our place to get stuff, but mostly we've just stayed away. Justin and I talked some more about whether or not we should move, and decided staying at Brooktree was not a bad idea. Neither of us felt compelled to move. We still haven't decided if we are staying at our apartment or moving to a new one, but we will be staying at the same complex. Our managers have been wonderful, and when we told them our decision (because they knew we were thinking hard about moving), they were thrilled and said they would give us December rent-free for our trouble. They also gave the guy his 30-day notice (since he has not done anything to warrant an eviction). He said he has already found a new place, so hopefully he will be gone soon. Justin and I will probably head back to our place this weekend, and again, hopefully his anger will have subsided by then. We did find out he wasn't blaming me for his invasion of privacy, but the apartment complex and its owners. He said he would sue if he could (but I doubt he ever will).
So the last few days I have been here at my parents helping out, cleaning up for company coming, and the like. Last weekend my sister gave me some old train tracks her son was not using, so I put them to good use and built a railway for Levi. I used an old board from my parents for the table, and then nailed and glued the pieces in place. Levi loves it! It is a huge hit!! Even his cousins enjoy it. I am not finished yet, so I'll put more pictures on when I am. It is a work in progress, and I only have so much time I can spend working on it. The other picture with Levi in huge gloves is from today when he found the fire gloves (used in the fireplace) and tried to help move logs in the fire (he knows what they are used for). It was so cute, and then he ran around the living room with them on. In this shot Justin is behind me yelling touchdown, and Levi is mimicking him. What a bunch of goofballs!

More Scary than Halloween!

What a week! Justin and I both had siblings who had a procedure done this past week, and I was terrified that my sister may have lost her baby (she didn't by the way, all is okay). All experiences remind me that prayers really are answered, and the Lord really does know us all individually!
We had another scare when Justin didn't get paid nearly as much as we normally expect, and I thought we wouldn't be able to pay bills, buy groceries, etc. But again, the Lord knows me and my family, and knows our needs. An item I was selling on Ebay sold, giving us $50. I also received my refund check from my ward for some supplies I had bought for an activity, another $50. The total was $100, exactly what we were missing from the paycheck. Another reminder prayer works!
Yesterday we had probably the biggest scare ever. Remember that creepy guy I've mentioned before that lives right beneath us? Well, he has progressed to true full fledged psycho... literally! First of all, a few weeks ago he was questioning Justin about his work schedule and whether I was home alone and such. Then yesterday he told the manager that he thinks the landscaper for our complex planted a virus on his computer, and that I have been listening in on all his phone conversations as well as spying on him. With these paranoid accusations he approached our manager and asked if he could have a gun. They told him no way, not ever. His response... 'Well wouldn't you just want to go an blow people away?!' The manager told him he needed to calm down and that he was not to own a gun here. She then came and told us about this and told us if he approached us at all, call the cops. She tried calling 911 herself, but they said they can't do anything. So we locked our doors, and Justin went into Mr. Protector mode. Then we heard shots, like from an air gun. We looked out and sure enough the crazy was shooting an air gun towards the ducks (who live in the creek in our complex). We kept an eye on him for a bit and then he went back inside. Justin then headed out to take out the trash. He started calling Justin names and Justin said he had a crazy look in his eye. He then brought his cat outside and started shooting his air gun at it. When Justin came back he called him some more names, and started saying 'We're all going to die' over and over again. So Justin came inside and called the cops. He told them about three times everything he knew and experienced. Then the actual officer called us back, and he told him everything as well. At this point our managers show up at our place, and they talk to the officer too. I heard them practically begging the officer to come and talk to the crazy guy. They then informed us they had spoken with his mother, and found out he is schizophrenic. Wonderful!! We have a paranoid schizophrenic living under us! Well the cops were not helpful in the least. And the managers went to talk to him again, and he said he was going to the police station himself and left. He was back within twenty minutes, and that is when Justin and I loaded up some stuff for Levi and headed to my parents. Later that evening my manager called and said the man is voluntarily moving out within a month. So I will live in locked quarters for that month. Moral of the story... Police are no help when you really need them. Okay not entirely true, but that is how it felt!
In other news, our football Saturday went well. Michigan lost, but they could still win the Big-10 conference. Oregon had a break this week, but Oregon State won. They should have had another touchdown at the end, but the refs were calling the game in Washington's favor all night. Touchy subject with me, so I digress. Nebraska kicked butt (73-31)! And Notre Dame lost, making their season 1-9!! The first 9-game losing season since the late 1800's!!! SWEET!! Justin says he is becoming a Notre Dame fan in the sense he loves watching their games because we love seeing them lose! So other than our scary moment, we had a great Saturday!
I am giving a talk in church today, so I'm sure you'll hear about that next week. Otherwise we are well, and we hope you are too! Sorry no pictures this week.

Being Tagged... and facts about me!

The rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
Here goes:
1. While living in Okinawa, Japan I became a crazy run away. My mom had taken my sister into the ER to get stitches and so me, my brother, my oldest sister, and my dad were left at home. Well my dad got called to base, so, knowing my mom wouldn't be too much longer, left my 7-year-old sister in charge. Well, with my mom and dad gone, my 2-year-old mind decided to go and find them. So I left the house and started out for the hospital. It wasn't far away at all, but I had to cross a big field and a major road. I managed to do it just fine and ended up finding my mom safe and sound. However, my dad (mostly) and my sister will never hear the end of it because it could have been so much worse!
2. I have broke my chin open in the exact same place five times. All between the ages of 8 an 1o! Twice was because I jumped into a pool backwards that had a wide edge, hitting my chin. Once was because I was coming down a hill on my bike so fast, I came around a corner and my bike crashed; I landed on my chin (I was knocked out for this one). Another time I decided to go down a hill with my eyes closed and no hands on the handlebars or feet on the pedals (what was I thinking?). Needless to say I was knocked out and busted open my chin. The last time wasn't any stupidity of mine this time. I was climbing up a metal slide and slipped, landing on an exposed screw.
3.When I was ten I had a sliding van door slam on my head. This is too long of a story, but I almost lost sight in one eye (I was safe by millimeters!). And I am sure I have a scar somewhere on the back of my head.
4. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to own my own cherry tree farm. It doesn't have to be a large one, maybe ten or twenty trees.
5. According to my husband, I am overbearing and somewhat annoying when it comes to organization and such. I color-code my clothes in my closet, as well as organize them by type of clothing (long-sleeved shirt, skirt, polo's, etc.). I've done it to his, and its ruined in a matter of days. But when I organize something I have to do it my way, and I tend to not want any help.
6. I seem to like feeling overwhelmed. I work better under pressure, and to have nine million things I have to get done motivates me more than having one or two.

Kari, Jackie, Nia, Courtney, Leah, Jocelyn

Halloween and Things

Well our Halloween went well, and surprisingly Levi didn't eat too much candy (which leaves us with lots left over). I took him to the church 'trunk or treat' where he went from car to car saying 'twick tweet' and 'tay-oo', which means 'Trick or Treat' and 'Thank You'. He wanted to go with my mom so she took him around while I handed out candy. I decided to chose the elephant costume so he would stay warm. It was a clear day, but cold. All in all, a great Halloween.

On Thursday I went up to Portland with my mom for a lunch honoring my Grandma Clark. I nominated her for Oregon Mother of the Year, so this was a lunch for all the nominees. I had a babysitter for Levi, but canceled since it was at someones house, and I thought it would be casual. However, upon arriving at the mansion estate, I quickly realized Levi would not do well, and my mom and I were under-dressed. I didn't feel out of place, as everyone was welcoming and nice no matter what. The house was enormous! I've been to places like Malibu, Beverly Hills, and wealthy neighborhoods all over, but this was honestly the biggest house I've seen. Well over 10,000 square feet I would say. Their kitchen alone was bigger than my whole apartment! It was stunning and beautiful! The family who owned it were members of my faith, and the dad was a construction owner. Levi played outside on their playground for a bit, but when it came to going inside, he wasn't happy. He screamed and squealed, which made it so I could not go inside. My mom and I left about half an hour after arriving, wishing we had just stuck with my babysitter (Justin's mom). We wish we could have stayed, but I'm just glad we got to go at all! Later that day my mom helped me to re-make my caramels and chocolate covered marshmallows (I tried on Wednesday and they didn't work out). This time they came out great!

Friday was more laid back and casual. Justin took the two cats to the Humane Society for my because I was having a hard time letting go of one of them. Now that they are gone, its easier for me to see why they had to go. In the evening my mom and dad took us to the 'Bee Movie' with Jerry Seinfeld, as a reward for taking the cats for them. It was funny, and a great movie! I wouldn't have minded waiting for the DVD to come out, but it was nice to go to a movie. Levi lasted most of the movie, and only got up and down a few times. That's encouraging! Justin's brother, Neil, had an article written about him for his local paper this week. Since then BYU has contacted him again about coming to watch him in action. Hopefully they will have something to offer him. His team won 69-0 this week as well. They are doing great, and he is doing great! The fact that he is an amazing student and wants to serve a mission as well should help with scholarship offers to BYU.

Saturday I attended Super Saturday for my Relief Society. It is two wards combined, and we do crafts and such. I made two signs for my home and finished off a statue of the Christus for my mom. A woman in the area has a vinyl cutter, so she could make all the words for our signs. It was great! I have a few other signs I want made, so I emailed her about costs! While I was doing this, Justin and Levi were in Eugene watching his brother, Hyrum's football game. He lost, but Justin said he had some great plays! Way to go Hyrum! We then watched our two favorite teams on TV. Mine lost miserably! But the Ducks beat the only undefeated team in the Pac-10! They just might be a decent team this year. It just makes me sad for my team. But alas I digress.

Sunday was nothing exciting, which brings me here. I am waiting to go to playgroup with Levi, trying to kill time. I hope you all are well and happy!

Beautiful Weather

Well here in Oregon it has been beautiful lately! Nice weather, about 65 degrees, sun shinning, cool breeze, clear blue sky! Glorious! I went for a walk with some friends yesterday, and Levi had a ball! I found out one of my friends, Robin, is pregnant! Yeah for her! I think most of my friends or family is pregnant now! That is so awesome for everyone! I have this sneaking suspicion that my sister-in-law Nia is pregnant too, but I'm sure she would protest this idea! I'll try and get some pictures of the trees around here that leave you speechless!

Today I made chocolate covered marshmallows, and caramels from scratch. My friend's caramels came out perfect, but I cooked mine a bit too long, so they are a bit too hard. They'll be good to dip apples in and such, but not for eating. I'll try another batch some other time. Hope you all are having a wonderful fall and Halloween!

Look Alike Contest

Hectic Week!

What a week! So much has happened I haven't had too much time to keep up with it all!

On Wednesday I decided that I had a lot of stuff to get done around my apartment, and I needed to get as much done as I could that day. So I spent most of my day, cleaning, organizing, doing laundry, and the like. I brought dinner to a friend of mine who just had her baby, and saw the little guy! It just makes me want another one so badly! My time will come, I know.

Thursday was not as busy, but I found myself still doing some laundry and cleaning. I spent the evening at my parents house, and a friend of mine stopped by to hang out for a bit. Its nice to have those things break up the monotony of life.

Friday was interesting. I had promised my mom that I would take two cats to the humane society for her because they were becoming too much trouble. Well, that day had finally come. Both cats were inside and I was able to catch them with my mom's help. While helping me, my mom reminded me of how hard it was for her to give away two cats, especially to the humane society. Well, this allowed my mind to fill with all sorts of not nice things about the cats being put to sleep and such. So while I was driving, I found I couldn't do it. So I went to my house and let the cats go there. Now I have two cats, and am desperately looking for a home for them. Justin and I decided that if we can't find them a home in one week then he will be taking them to the humane society (which I found out is a no-kill place). But in the mean time, we have two cats. Levi loves it, especially when they howl. He is nice to the cats for the most part, he just loves to chase them. Friday night was our ward's Halloween party and Chili Cook-off. Our family dressed up as Betty, Barney, and Bam-Bam Rubble from the Flintstones. Levi was a perfect Bam-Bam! We tied for best costume in our ward. The other family was quite deserving as they were dressed up as Peter Pan, Wendy, Tigerlily, Captain Hook, and Tinkerbell. They looked awesome! I hoped our chili would win too (I got my sister's recipe and added my own special touch). Although everyone there told me how much they loved my chili and thought it was the best, I didn't win. Our Bishop was one of the judges, and he had told me how much he really liked mine, so I asked him why I didn't win. He politely said there were some other great chilies there too, but that mine would have won if other things hadn't prevented it. He left it at that, but I took it to mean that if I hadn't won the costume contest I would have won the chili contest. I was fine with that, and since I didn't set out to win the costume contest I was very happy with what happened! We unfortunately missed Neil's game that night because of the party, but his team won again, and we caught most of it on the radio. Since they won this game they became their conference champs! Way to go Neil!! Now on to State!

Saturday morning we headed over to Justin's parents for breakfast because his grandpa was in town for Neil's game. It is always nice to catch up with him, and he loves seeing Levi. He said his neighbor up in Bremerton (who we met a couple months ago when we were up there) keeps asking about Levi. How sweet! Justin spent the afternoon watching football, while I napped. Oregon beat USC, Oregon State beat Stanford, BYU was postponed, Nebraska lost, and Michigan won! It was a good game day. There were a lot of games that were close and fun to watch. When Levi woke up he took him to the park since it was such a wonderful day! That evening was my sister's ward Halloween party, and since she was in charge, we were invited. We dressed up differently because our other costumes would have left us quite cold. Her party was at a member's barn. She did a great job, and everything turned out wonderful, I think! Everyone there seemed to have a great time.

Today Levi finally made it through most of Sacrament meeting, and adjusted quicker to Nursery. We had our ward Primary Program, so I think that helped keep Levi's attention. But whatever, it was nice to have him quiet most of the time. This evening we carved pumpkins as a family. Levi was hesitant and didn't really want anything to do with them at first. He tried to help out a bit later, but mostly wanted to take pictures with my camera or drive his cars through the pumpkin muck. I carved his pumpkin for him, and I tried to do one as goofy as I could think of. My mom had these great lights for pumpkins that change colors, so we used two of them for Justin and my pumpkins. Levi's is the one without the special light.

Another Catch Up...

It's been a while. I'll try and remember everything! Last Tuesday Levi got his flu shot, and so did I. Levi was a bit upset at first, but surprisingly he calmed down pretty fast. He didn't seem to have too many side effects of it in the next couple days either. He seemed sick one morning, but it didn't last more than a couple hours. He has been more irritated than usual, and I don't know if he's growing, getting more teeth, or if it is an effect of the flu shot.

This last week we also heard back about a law suit I decided to participate in. A few months ago I received a letter stating a man in Oregon was suing Staples because he felt they disobeyed laws in regards to work hours, breaks, and such. I had to agree with him, as I was asked to skip my lunch on occasion. In addition if I worked 12 hours, I only had one break and it was half an hour. I don't know the law very well, but I think that was not enough. So I sent the letter back saying that I wanted to take part in the settlement. The letter was sent out to everyone who worked for Staples in Oregon in 2004-2005. Those are the years I worked for them. So, as I said I heard back from them in the form of a $320 check! I was thrilled!! What a blessing!

On Friday we went to another game for Justin's brother. It was another shut-out, 56-0! They are such a great team! We only stayed until halftime, but right before we left Neil made an awesome play! He ran straight through the line and sacked the QB for a big loss! Way to go Neil! We also found out my sister Mirinda is pregnant! So now my brother's wife, and my sister are expecting! I am so happy for them!!

Saturday was busy! Justin went fishing with my sister's husband on the Alsea River. They had a great time and Jim even caught one fish! Justin keeps trying to hit more and more people up to go fishing with him. Levi had woke up early that morning, so no sleeping in for me! But he did take a great nap later on. Neil came over later in the day so I could take his Senior pictures (the first round anyway). It was raining on and off, which made it annoying. We got a few good shots I think, before we called it quits. We're going to take more another time. My Grandma was in town, so we all gathered to my mom's for dinner. Levi loves playing with all his cousins, and it was great to sit and relax doing a crossword with my Grandma!

On Sunday both Justin and I had lessons to teach in church. I was teaching Sunday school for 13 & 14-year-old kids, and Justin was teaching in Elder's Quorum. My class went well, and I was reminded just how snotty that age can be. They really weren't bad, but I could have used more participation from the kids. Justin said his class went well, but ended kind of slow. He said the last half of class people didn't really participate too much, and he was left feeling nervous and curious as to why they weren't talking. Levi did better in Nursery, and I think in a few more weeks he won't be screaming at all when we leave him there. After church we went to my sister Alicen's for dinner. My cousin Josh, his kids, Jim's parents, and my grandma were all there. It was Jim's birthday, so when we had cake a few more families showed up as well. The dinner was great, and the cake was excellent!

Monday morning Levi woke up early again. I had been awake for a couple hours already, so I just got up with him. I laid in his bed with him for a while, and watched some really cute behavior! As we laid there he would whisper all sorts of things. Then he started singing and doing motions to 'Hot Potato' by the Wiggles. He was still whispering, and it was the cutest thing he's done in a while! Later on that day Levi had a visit from a friend from Nursery. His family will be moving soon, so I was babysitting so his mom could get some packing done. Levi had a blast! He loved it! They ran up and down the halls talking gibberish and laughing at one another! I even caught them jumping on Levi's bed (which I have never seen Levi do before). It was great he had a little friend!

Well that's all the catching up! Hope you all are wonderful too!