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!