Beavers and all...

So not much has happened in the last two weeks, hence the lack in newsletter. Mostly just going to the park and same old same old.

However, a week ago my grandma came into town to stay for the week and we took her out to dinner. It was at a nice new restaurant here in Corvallis. The desserts were to die for! The prices really weren't as bad as I had thought they would be, so that's nice to know. It is a place called Strega, but I'm not sure what that means. It is a new-age genre of food where its a mix of food culture from all over the world. So its not any one ethnicity, but many co-mingled. We got another shot of my pregnant belly since I seem to have so many people asking me for pictures of that.

This week has seemed so long, and I am somewhat glad its over, although that means my grandma's trip has ended. I have been "sick" all week, and today the nausea decided to come back too. We've had some pretty dramatic changes in weather, which brings my sinus problems to a head. It also brings out a few allergies, but mostly just sinus issues. I have spoken with my OB as well as my sister (who was just pregnant and her husband is a med student), and both said there is nothing I can take. No surprise, I remember this with Levi and I couldn't take anything then either. I just have to stick it out until the weather stops doing dramatic changes, and I should level out too.

A great thing this week was the Beavers victory over #1 ranked USC!! Wow! They played their hearts out and came out on top. I thought they would for sure lose by a couple touchdowns, but they won 27-21! It was a great game, and I'm glad I watched it. Also on a happy football note, Justin's brother Hyrum's team won today. He is playing middle school league, and they shut out a local team. Way to go Hyrum!

Today while I was going to some garage sales with my mom I found two opportunities to take some scenic shots. They were both cobwebs, and because of the fresh dew they were beautiful. You'll have to check out my picasa photo page for more photos though.

That's all from us! Enjoy your weekend and week!

Levi Cute Boy

This week has been full of cuteness and fun. Levi and I spent many a morning at the park, or he would go out with his daddy in the afternoon. Some days he did both. He is getting better and better about singing songs, and it is so cute to listen to him burst out. He was singing to SpongeBob SquarePants the other day and it was hilarious how he even matched the enthusiasm of the song! He's gotten to the point that if he hears the song a few times he can sing it to you. I am still trying to catch him singing ABBA, but it is harder than I thought.

Another fun night was when we were all in the bedroom having fun together. Justin was getting Levi all riled up, and Levi was laughing his head off. If he wasn't still in diapers he would have peed his pants several times. He was super hyper at one moment, and Justin asked his to flex his muscles and say he was strong. Well Levi stuck his arms down and in front of him and just screamed (it sounded like someone trying to lift a heavy weight). Each time Justin asked him to do this he did the same thing. I called him my little man on steroids! He was so cute!

Here is a shot of him wearing his daddy's tie. Justin was picking out a good tie to wear to work for 9-11, and Levi kept stealing them and wanting to wear them. So he tied one and let him actually wear it.



On Saturday we went to the local outdoor pool because my church rented it for a couple hours. Levi had the time of his life! He didn't want to leave after the two hours of almost constant swimming. He loved the big slide (don't worry, Justin went with him every time, in the one below Justin is already in the water, you can see his shadow). They have a current pool there, where the water moves in a curving, zagging, oval constantly (like a river). Levi loved this. He could move around without any help, and without any effort. He also loved having some of his cousins there to play with. They were in the water almost the whole time, and if we didn't eat lunch he would have been there for every second.

This week in garage sales we got some really good deals. I found two little kids chairs, hard plastic, but very durable, for only 50 cents each. I also found a brand new, never opened or used, MP3 player for Justin for only $2. I priced it online and found that it is currently worth $100 unused. I can only imagine what it cost when it was new on the market. The woman who sold it said she had never opened it or used it, she didn't really want it (made me think it must have been a gift and she had no idea what she was selling for so cheap). We also found plenty of other little things that were good deals, but the MP3 player had to be the best!

In lastly news I spoke to the manager of the townhouses we want to move into and they will have three openings coming at the end of October. She was very anxious for me to fill out an application, and we are very anxious to do so! We seem to only find more and more problems here at our current complex (latest seems to be an ant infestation in our living room). When one opens up she will call and let us take a look at the place, but we both wanted to get the application process going. So hopefully it will all work out and we can move in, in late October and be settled again before Hazel comes.

We hope you all are doing well!

Baby, Wedding, & Friends Oh My!

So we have had a half busy week. The start of it was relatively slow, mostly anticipating the weekend. One cute moment was when Levi discovered some stickers and was putting them all over himself and Justin. The two were really having fun! The second cute Levi moment is that Levi has learned some new songs. My mom and I like the soundtrack to 'Momma Mia', and actually have always been ABBA fans. So since Levi is usually in the car when we listen to this music, he has started singing it too. His favorites are Super Trooper and Momma Mia. He regularly requests these and will sing the chorus to both. It is adorable!

On Thursday morning I went up to Wilsonville with my mom for a dental appointment only to have it cut short and we headed home after being there only 20 minutes. We then decided to do some shopping and went to Wal-Mart and some other places. In the afternoon I had another ultrasound for Hazel. This one was great! We got some more 3-D shots and I think she looks just like Levi did, only with a bigger forehead (from her mom). We also got to hear her breathe and see her opened eyes moving which was really cool! That evening I went to a girls night. It was just four of us, but it is still nice to get together and chat. It is interesting to see where everyone is at in their lives now. Three out of the four were divorced, two of us had re-married (only I had married the same man! Yea for me!). The fourth was still happily married after almost five years. Three of us had one or more kids and were stay-at-home moms. It is just interesting to look at our paths a few years ago and now.

Friday was BUSY! I went to garage sales in the morning with my mom, and packed for the weekend while Levi napped. Then when he woke up and Justin was home, we headed to a park to meet some friends that were visiting from out of town. We only see them once a year, so it is always a priority when they visit. However we did have to cut the fun short because we had to carpool with my parents up to Portland for my cousins wedding events. So off we went to check in at our hotel and then head to a rehearsal dinner at my Uncle's home. That night I don't think anyone in that hotel room slept well... except my dad who seemed to sleep through any and everything.

Saturday morning we were up and off to the temple for my cousin's sealing. Afterward we sat through over an hour and a half of pictures (longest photo session I've ever had, including my own). We then went to Olive Garden for lunch, a great reward post-photos. I really wish we had an Olive Garden closer (although then we would really be broke). Then came relaxing somewhat for Justin and I as he sat and watched football while Levi and I slept. Following that was the ring ceremony, reception, and then we headed home. It was a long day, I'm sure for everyone. Except a couple break-downs around nap time for Levi, he was a *SUPER TROOPER* through it all. We even had our hotel right by an expensive car dealer so I got a picture with an Orange Lamborghini and my mom next to a black Lotus. We also stopped at a dahlia farm and took some photos. We got some great family pictures, and I even got a belly shot for those wanting it. Keep in mind I am only 6 months pregnant, and I do tend to do most of my growing in the last month and a half.

Sunday should have been more relaxing but my stomach didn't agree and I ending up losing my lunch a couple times. You would think I would be past all this by now! But we were still able to have a good day and share it with family. I did learn that the complex Justin and I were looking at is going to have an opening at the end of October, so in a week or so I can put in my application (I have to wait for the tenant to actually put in there 30-day notice), and hopefully Justin and I will be accepted and able to move!

We are doing well, and we hope you all are too!

Missing Camera

I wrote this on Monday, but I couldn't find my camera to send out pictures, that's why its late!

So most of last week we spent hauling logs from a neighbor of my parents, to my parents house. It was just down the street, but it still took 7.5 car loads full (My mom drives a Jeep Cherokee, and the back end was full) to haul it all. They rented a splitter and we got all of those logs split on Friday night. Saturday my dad took out the chain saw and cut up a few trees that fell in their backyard, and we were at the splitter again. I mostly sat there manning the splitter, my mom loaded logs into the splitter, and my dad and Justin did the grunt work (well my mom did grunt work too.. she had to lift the logs into the splitter). My sister-in-law Katie helped on Saturday as well. We seemed to have a good system going. My two nephews we cute, Robert even helped stack wood for a time. Calvin loved to watch the splitter, but Levi hates loud noises so he kept his distance most of the time.

On Saturday he played in the sandbox most of the time, where he could see us but not be involved. That was Ducks game day (since the Beavs played on Thursday), and Levi didn't have a yellow and green shirt. So Justin printed the Duck logo out and taped it to a yellow shirt Levi had. It was cute, but still doesn't motivate me to buy Levi a Duck shirt. I'm insistent he'll be a Beaver fan! His aunts and uncles graduated from there, and his dad will graduate from there, so it would only make sense he would be an OSU fan, right?

On Thursday I celebrated my 26th birthday. Turns out I was 26 weeks pregnant too, so cool! I started the day by being woke up by Levi and Hazel (kicking her heart out) at 6 AM, so no sleeping in on my birthday! My mom took me out to breakfast at a really good restaurant here in town, great food! We then did some shopping and then she had to go to work. Later that evening my mom, dad, Justin, Levi, and I went mini-golfing. My mom won, and I came in second. In reality we probably were closer in score to Justin and my dad, but we fudged a little. After that was pizza and the OSU football game at my apartment. My family came, and Justin's little sister and mom came. It was a full house. I had fun, but it would have been better if OSU had actually played and won a good game of football.

Speaking of which, college football has begun which means my husband's brain will be gone every Saturday. Don't get me wrong, I still love watching college football, but I will never be as "into it" as he is. I would say its a guy thing, but I've known too many guys who really don't care about sports, so I think its more a Justin thing. At least he doesn't have a brother playing high profile high school football as well. Then I would lose him most of the weekend.

One problem Justin and I have been dealing with lately is our downstairs neighbor (again, but different tenant). They smoke inside their apartment and it seeps in through our vents. So periodically during the day it smells like someone is smoking in our apartment. We've talked to the managers and sent a letter to the tenant, but to no avail. So we are looking to move out. We've been looking around Corvallis and think we may have found a great place. They are a larger complex with very similar amenities. They have a pool, sauna, clubhouse, no smoking inside the apartments, and washer/dryer hook-ups. They are townhouses, and have a little bit more space than what we have here (but some of that is used up in the stairs and laundry area). They have 1.5 baths, so that would be nice too. They are really close to shopping (as in right behind), and within walking distance to church if we wanted. They are a little more a month in rent, but we are hoping that the student loans and grants we are getting will help cover this cost. That and we are getting a nice neighborhood, a washer and dryer, and a smoke free home... so its worth it! For those wondering where I am talking about it is called Forest Green Townhouses, right behind/beside the WinCo complex. The only catch is there are currently no openings or prospects for openings. So we'll check back about once a month, save our money, look for a washer and dryer, and say some prayers that we can get one soon. We would have to make the move in one weekend since Justin would only be able to help move Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. We have great home teachers that I know would help, and our families are great when it comes to moving, so I am sure we could get all the big and major stuff moved in one day, and then spend the next day cleaning the old apartment. So another adventure awaits us ahead!