Good, Bad, Ugly

So I haven't written much in the last week or more because my father was in India and me and my family were staying with my mom so she wasn't alone. Our days were mostly enjoying the fire and Levi chasing the cats. We didn't get out and do much because Justin had to take the car since we were at my parents and he was too far to take the bus anywhere. While there one night I twisted one of my knees and slept on it wrong. I woke up at 4 AM to excruciating pain and throbbing. It hurt like the dickens the whole next day. Unfortunately Tylenol and heat did nothing to help. It is still a little sore, and my mom and I don't think it will fully heal with the extra baby weight I have. I am somewhat used to sore knees, since both of my knees have had issues since high school... but nothing like this. Alas, somehow I'll manage. Levi did some cute things while there, but one that I'll mention is when we got too close the the fireplace (no fire going). He got soot and ash all over him, and he looked like our little Indian Warrior!

However, this week, when my dad returned from India (for those wondering, my brother was in India for two months on business, and my dad was visiting him and returned with him) we came back home. Unfortunately I had let our food run out before we left, and didn't take much time to pick up, so we came home to a messy house with an empty fridge. All has been remedied and we are getting back into our normal groove. Here is Levi loving being home again!

With Halloween drawing near Levi has taken a liking to ghosts. He is constantly talking about them and points one out whenever he can. He also loves pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. I'm glad he is old enough to get into the spirit of things. Well on Friday, Justin didn't have work, so we went to a local pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins. Levi had a blast! They had duck races where you got a little duck and tried to race it down a trough with a hand pumped water spout. He loved every minute and did it several times. He also enjoyed the pumpkin patch and couldn't decide on just one, so we had to for him. I was taking a picture of him at one point and stepped backward, slipping on a pumpkin. I tried to regain my balance and stepped onto another pumpkin. Needless to say I fell flat on my back. Justin and my mom immediately came to see if I was okay and needed help. I assured them I was fine but wanted to lay there for a moment. Of course this meant it was okay for them to take a picture of my silliness. Justin did help me up, and I am suffering from the fall since. When we got back to the farm from the patch Levi played in a corn box, ran through a hay maze (which he went straight through without trouble... leaving my mom still trying to find her way out), and Justin and I shot a corn cannon and flung apples in a sling. We all had loads of fun, despite my fall.

Later that evening we gathered in our kitchen and carved pumpkins. Mine, as you will see, is a scene from the movie 'Nightmare Before Christmas', which is my favorite Halloween movie of all time. Justin went with a Batman logo, and Levi's is, of course, a ghost! My mom bought us some nice color-changing lights to go inside, which makes them all the more cool!

Saturday my mom and I were going to host a Fall Festival for family and friends. However, it had to be postponed for about a month (that is the next available time), due to me being in a lot of pain, and several people calling to say they couldn't make it that day. I am still excited for it, and I hope we do get the chance to throw it! For those wondering, we are looking at Saturday, November 22nd to do it. Instead I rested most of the day, and finished reading Eragon for the first time.

Our Sunday was spent at Stake Conference, relaxing, Justin going to work, and the rest of us saying good bye to my mom. She is leaving for a couple weeks to go to Peru with her mom and siblings. And so I embark on the next two weeks without her wonderful help... and an aching back and bum knee. Bring it on!

We hope this finds you all well and happy! And Happy Halloween!

Potty Training

So quite a few things going on... Justin getting adjusted to school and work-load, fun with Levi and potty time, and the joys of cell phone companies.

First off, Justin is settling in to school and realizing more and more how much is expected of him. Although it is a little more than what his first thoughts were, it isn't any more than I had anticipated. He is trying to find his balance with school and work, but that will come with time and it will probably be a week to week thing. Luckily, and unluckily, his schedule is so weird this term that he can find random days off here and there. Mostly he is trying to pick up extra shifts, but come midterms and finals he won't be able to do that. I suppose we should get used to this though, it will be this way all year long.

Levi and I were able to enjoy some fun times on the bus again this week, and on Tuesday as we boarded the bus we noticed it was "free" day. We then realized it was "Transit Week" in Corvallis and the bus was free all week long. So we hitched a ride to bagels Thursday morning as well. Levi is becoming more accustomed to the bus and more prone to misbehaving, so I may have to keep it a special once in a while treat.

Justin decided to give taking the bus for school a try this week as well. He leaves about forty minutes earlier and heads out on his bike. He parks at the downtown station and takes a bus to Linn-Benton. The bus is free with his student ID, so it is saving us good money for him to do this. He would normally drive the car five days out of the week, to and from Albany (24 miles round trip), which adds up quickly. If he did this we would be filling up the car about every 8 - 9 days. However, if he rides his bike like this four of the five days (one day the bus doesn't work with his schedule), we would only be filling up once every two weeks (and we wouldn't be on complete empty when filling up). So I figure it is saving us roughly $50-60 a month in gas. Justin also discovered he is biking a lot more than he originally thought. It is 2.5 miles one way to work, and a little more than that to downtown. With him biking to work five days this week, and downtown three days, he went about 35 miles total! Next week I'm sure the total will be closer to 45 miles, which is great to do every week!

Well on Wednesday since we had the car in the morning, I decided to head out and get gas at the same time Justin would be getting in to the downtown station. I gave us a little too much time, so I had over half an hour to waste. I decided to take Levi to the Corvallis airport and let him watch the planes. He has taken to Jeremy the Jet plane on Thomas, so he was loving every minute! He saw helicopters of all sorts, and a few types of jet and prop planes. He also saw many take off, but no landings. As I said, he loved every minute of it, and sooner than he wanted we had to go pick up daddy. As we were leaving one of the jets was prepping for take off, and we had to hurry to the car because Levi thought it was too loud.

Thursday was my adventure with my cell phone company. I am with Verizon, and I qualified for my new phone discount (new every two thing). So I looked online but couldn't decide. I finally decided to go to the Verizon store in Albany and have them help me as well as transfer all my data. I shouldn't have gone without Justin, but for whatever reason I did. Poor choice on my part. I actually got an old co-worker of Justin's to assist me, but even that did not help my situation. I told him I wanted a free phone. First he showed me a phone that I loved and even went and got it and assured me it was free... well it wasn't... so then I picked a lesser model that I only so-so liked compared to the first. Again he assured me my phone was free. So he transferred all my data to the new phone, and had me sign my two year contract. Then he asked how I would be paying. I was stumped. Then he let me know that there was a $50 mail-in rebate that would make the phone free, but that I had to pay the $50 up front. Well, me not knowing I had a choice, and feeling somewhat trapped since I signed my contract and all my data was on the new phone... I gave him my debit card (knowing that once all my bills were paid I would not have the $50 in that account... leaving me in the red). I had a horrible feeling in my stomach the whole time and left feeling like I was cheated. I immediately called Justin who was horrified by how I was treated, especially by this old friend. He was upset and angry, yet he also knew that all of the above was more likely to happen than not. He knows the business very well and knows that most places expect this sort of behavior to make the sale. He gave me some advice and we had a few different game plans in mind of what to do next. So, following his advice, I called the manager of that branch I was at and told her what happened. I also explained that I wouldn't have the money in my account for a $50 phone. She was apologetic for how I was treated and the lack of communication on her employee's part. She then explained that all phones in their store have mail-in rebates and none are free up front. So I went back and returned my phone and had all my data restored to my old one. Then as soon as I got home I went back online and ordered the same exact phone they wanted to charge me the $50, for free and free shipping. So much less hassle... and actually free! Justin agrees I should have done that to begin with, and we both agree we will never again go to that or any Verizon store!

Now on to Levi's potty time! I have decided to take a very laid back and casual approach to the matter. I had Levi sit on his potty for an hour or so for the first few days, but now he seems to be catching on by himself and I usually wait for him to ask. He isn't using it every time he needs to pee, but it is about twice a day he asks. For now, I am satisfied with that. I want him to learn at his pace, not mine. I'm hoping that this way he will have less accidents. We have had no luck training him to go #2 yet, and I know that is a daunting task ahead. But on the pee front he is really doing great! Yesterday he really showed he knew what to do because he kept asking to use the potty chair, he'd go a very little bit and then ask for his reward (a sucker)... and then repeat the process about every five minutes. I let him do this about four times before the fifth when I told him he couldn't have the sucker until he was all done peeing. I told him to keep going and try to push out all he could. So, he did, and he received his final sucker for the day. Then today he asked his daddy after church to use the potty, and he went a whole lot. So, as I said he is catching on okay for now. I figured in a couple weeks I would try to pick up the training a little more, and within a month or so move him into the bathroom and have him use the real toilet. Like I said, relaxed and casual. I just don't want to push the issue, make him do things he's not ready for, and have him relapse back to not using the potty chair at all. My ideal is to have him completely potty trained (except #2, since that IS going to take some time and energy) before Hazel is born. I know that will help me a great deal.

Justin and I also received new callings this week, we have been called to be Ward Missionaries. Justin is very excited about this as he loved his mission immensely. I on the other hand I am worried with all that we already have going on, if we will have the adequate time to offer to the call. Justin is busy almost non-stop with school and work, and I will soon have a newborn baby and a 3-year-old to handle while he is away. The Lord called us for a reason, so I know it'll all work out, but I am just worried right now.

(As for this picture... we got this hat at a garage sale on Saturday. Levi loved it and thought he was a dinosaur wearing it, he even roared for us!)

That is all from us for this week. Busy and full. Hope yours is wonderful!

Milestones

So last week we celebrated Justin's 26th birthday with a little football and a little conference (church). He got a lot of gifts, all of which he loved! He received some parts for his bike, which he was so excited he put them on right away. I gave him an Oregon Ducks shirt for him and Levi (he also put those on right away), and I gave him a BYU shirt too. He also received a nice new shirt to wear to work. Every gift has already been used. So he was thrilled. His birthday dinner of choice was chicken nuggets and tater tots, so at least that was easy for me to make. His cake didn't come out exactly how I wanted it to because I kept running out of frosting, but you can still tell what it is, and Justin liked it anyway.

Last week also started classes for Justin. Due to much prayer we were able to get Justin in all the classes he needed. We are so grateful that we did because if not it could have thrown a lot of things off. But he is still on track and good to go. He is taking Principles of Bio, General Chem, and General Physics. All 200-level courses, so nothing too familiar. He is excited, he has been waiting to start all his science classes, and this year will be those three classes the whole time. All his labs are on Tuesday, so he is gone on that day from 7:30 AM until 5:30 PM. Long day, but at least he doesn't have work on top of that. Speaking of work for him, he is cutting way back in hours now. He is only working part time (24+ hours a week). So we are actually going to really utilize the student loan and grant money. Also, when we were so excited about moving we forgot that Justin would not be making as much this next term, so in recalculating we realized we could not afford to move. We were a little disappointed, but moving will have to wait.

Also with Justin's classes started I am left without a car in the morning, and both Levi and I were used to having one. So now, when Levi wants an adventure I take him on the city bus up to my mom's work. He loves it! He is nothing but smiles and excitement the whole time. So its nice there is still something I can do with him that will keep us out of the rain and out of the house.

On another Levi note, we have begun potty training this week. Yesterday I sat with him twice on the potty chair (each time for almost an hour). He doesn't scream or complain like he used to, but just sits there and entertains himself. My mom got us an actual potty chair yesterday (we were just using the normal toilet), and I sat with Levi on it for an hour last night and an hour this morning. It is nice because he can be distracted by the TV while he is waiting to go pee-pee. Today it paid off as he actually went after the hour of sitting there. His reward is his ultimate joy, suckers! So I immediately gave him one and praised him, high fives and all! He seemed pretty pleased with himself too as he was bidding good-bye to his pee-pees. I have a feeling pooping might be far more challenging because he likes to be hidden in a corner when he is doing that. However, I do have bigger suckers for him doing that deed in the potty chair, so we'll see.

Well that's all from us. We've had a good week full of fun times and spiritual upliftment! Hope yours was wonderful too!

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!