birthday and conference

Last Friday was my birthday, and it was so much fun. It was really relaxing and just perfect.  I didn’t think I would enjoy it much being away from most of our family, but I was wrong. Darrin cooked me an omelet for breakfast and we mostly hung around the house in the morning. Right after lunch we went to Walmart so I could buy a few favorite snacks with my birthday money. With our budget so tight lately these snacks were a real treat!

My sister, Mindy was so kind and gave me a gift certificate for a pedicure so I got that done while Logan was napping at home with Darrin.  The lady was so cute and very relaxing.  My first pedicure, I think it turned out cute—Thanks, Mindy!

It was also General Conference weekend for our church.  Since we don’t have internet or cable, we went to the stake center for the sessions.

Of the talks I heard (Darrin and I took turns going to the afternoon sessions because it was during Logan’s nap time and we would have been miserable taking him) my favorite was probably M. Russel Ballard’s talk on service. Usually he is a little hard for me to listen to without getting sleepy…but he really wowed me this time.  I think it was just what I needed to hear. He challenged us to ask in our morning prayer to recognize opportunities to serve others.  If we do that we will be able to be truly converted and make service and charity a part of our natures.  I’m taking his challenge, and I hope you will too!

sundays

Hard to get pictures of toddlers running away. First Sunday wearing a bow tie (it was Darrin's when he was little) how cute.

My boys. I'm in love.

finally on to spokane

Over that last year or so we have been asking for camping equipment for birthdays, Christmas, etc. We have finally acquired all the things we needed so we went camping on Labor Day weekend for one night.  It was sort of funny because it was like camping in a park, but it was still fun.

Logan loved playing in the dirt and ashes (before the fire was built). Poor little guy took a tumble and it looked like he had a tiny black eye that night.  It was gone the next morning.

Using Darrin's new lantern.

The first week we were there we decided to give Logan a haircut because his hair was looking terrible.  Fruit snacks and licorice were very helpful in the process.

Darrin did a good job.

The back of his hair before.

And the after pictures! Kind of hard to see in the pictures, but it turned out cute. Now it has grown back considerably.

He sure loves his bellybutton! 

catch up 2

Last catch up from Portland! The week before we left, some of my family came to visit.  My parents have been visiting Portland during August for the last while and this time my sister's family came too.  We got to spend a little time with them and it was such a good change of routine for me, plus it was great to see them.

We went to the Rose garden with them.  Here is Matthew playing in the water fountain thing.  He picked a few coins out and was excited he "found" some money :)

Here's Rose sitting by the fountain. She loved the water.

Hannah and Hailey loved running around and smelling different roses.  We discovered how different roses can smell if they are different types. 

We also went to the beach. We got up pretty early so while the kids played in the sand, dad took a nap on the beach blanket.

Angela didn't want me to take her picture, but I think it turned out cute.

Here's Matthew playing in the sand.  The kids all took their pants off because they got wet? I'm sure it made the playing more fun!

The girls digging holes that Logan loved to fill back in.

I love this picture of Hailey.  She thought it was so funny how Logan loved to fill in the holes.

catch up 1

I still have some catch up from our last bit in Portland. We did some fun things that I didn't want to forget to document. 

First, a hike that I remember doing at least a few times growing up visiting family. It's called Multnomah Falls.  It is paved all the way up so we (Darrin) pushed Logan all the way up in his stroller. Here's a picture--we hiked to the top of the falls.

Logan relaxing in comfort...he didn't mind! :)

At the top

I took Logan to the Lloyd Center, a mall in Portland.  There was a mini splash pad there and although I forgot swim trunks for Logan, I let him play a little in the water.  He was very disappointed when we left.

One time I left a bag of cheerios on the couch. I didn't realize Logan could reach that far and this is what I found about a minute later. Oops

We went to a Koi fish festival.  Darrin likes these fish a lot and these ones were HUGE! He was quite impressed.

We went on an aerial tram over downtown Portland. It wasn't quite what I was expecting but the view was cool.  Looking out from the tram:

Another tram about to pass us:

Right before we left we went to a blueberry farm and picked 8 pounds of blueberries.  They were only $1 a pound since we picked them.  They were huge and delicious.  We froze most of them and we are about halfway done with our last bag :(

Delicious!

well...

change is the name of our game lately. We have moved yet again (the 3rd time in the last 8 months or so). Am I tired of packing and moving? Yes, definitely. But, I'm glad we are where we are (after some big attitude adjustments on my part). I feel like this is right for our family right now, but I am grateful it is temporary...wait, we have to move again?! Luckily this is a year-long residence. We moved from Portland, knowing we would only be there for 8 weeks for Darrin's internship.  Now, Darrin is officially a....

BULLDOG!!

He started his Master's of Accountancy at...

Many may wonder where?! It is in Spokane, Washington (on the east side of the state). It seems as though he likes it. His classes are much smaller here than they were at BYU. There are even a few other former BYU students in his classes. Our apartment was a little shocking at first, but it feels much more like home now.  I  had to find an apartment online and I guess the pictures didn't exactly show its true colors. (it especially didn't show that all our neighbors smoke and we would be suffocated if we open the windows at night). But, after cleaning it up a bit and getting our things settled, things are looking up.  All I need is a friend or two :) 

Why Gonzaga you may ask?  

Anyone remember this guy?

Well, I guess he's a small part :) Also, Gonzaga's Accounting school is in the top 25, so it will be great for Darrin for jobs and such. 

One more exciting thing...Darrin officially has a REAL job! (not that his others weren't real, this one is just more permanent?) Starting NEXT fall, he'll be an accountant for...

WAY TO GO DARRIN!!! This is where he did his internship. So, come next fall we will be packing our things once again to go back to Portland. I really am proud of him!

Well, we don't currently have internet, but I'll still be posting, so see you soon!

Rockaway Beach and Tillamook

Maybe the 3rd weekend we were here we heard the temperature was supposed to be in the 90s.  That's not common for Portland in June, or July for that matter. We decided it would be a great Saturday to get away to the beach, since it is always at least 10 degrees cooler there. We went to Rockaway Beach, a quaint little beach town and to the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Logan LOVED the sand.  He couldn't get enough of how it felt, even in his mouth.  We think maybe he ate more sand than lunch that day :) It may have been one of the first times he was more interested in something other than food during meal time. Here he is holding a roll in one hand while feeling the sand with the other.

Sand all over his mouth!

We had a picnic on the sand when we first got there.

Right as we arrived at the beach.  It was perfect weather, although a little chilly with the wind right next to the water.

Logan also loved walking on the sand.  He couldn't quite get the hang of it when the sand was dry and squishy, but where the water and salt had hardened it from high tide, he was a pro.

Here Darrin and Logan are at a junk shop by the beach. Really, it was full of absolute junk. I don't know how that store survived.

After the beach, we headed about 20 minutes inland to Tillamook city where the cheese factory resides. they let you walk through a self-guided tour, sample cheese, and read things about cows.

Logan as we wait in line for Tillamook's famous ice cream. Do you think he knows what he is about to get a taste of?

Still in line...

This is how excited Darrin was to get cheese curds. One of his favorite things in life.

It was a long but perfect day. I could spend a lot of time on the Oregon coast.