Our Weekend

We had a good one..

In Boise, there is a place called the MK Nature Center. It had a cool visitor's center. Joseph had a great time looking at the stuffed animals, skins, and other stuff. There was a nice nature walk outside, and the weather was beautiful!

James and I went on a date to our stake's monthly date night. There was a lot of good food, so I stuffed my face. Who can resist a chocolate fountain? There was dancing too, but we were mostly busy eating. :) Joseph was really good for our neighbors. He didn't even cry when we left. So far, this ward/stake has been awesome activity-wise. There are tons of activities to go to! I love that.

Sacked out in the car. Little stinker refused a
nap before we left home!

Hawk puppet. He thought it was real!

up close to some deer

salamander

a park we stopped at on the way home

Our 5th Sunday meeting was about family history. I know I have an overwhelming amount of work to do; I'm just not sure what I should be working on. 1 hour a week isn't a whole lot to give, but at least it's something.

This Week in Nampa

There isn't a whole lot to report. It's been rainy and a little gloomy, but I really love the sound of the rain on the roof (or dripping down the roof, since we're on the first floor.) I find it soothing, because it takes me back to the days of growing up in Florida, where rain is abundant.

I'm getting even more excited about baby Kenny's arrival in about 10 weeks. That doesn't seem like much time, and I'm sure that it will fly by. He's starting to run out of room already, but I still feel surprisingly good and get pretty good sleep. I wake up at least once, but I fall back asleep quickly. I passed my glucose test - hallelujah! I really didn't want to do the 3 hour test.

It's a good day. There's another Relief Society meeting tonight, a service project to get lots of invitations ready for, you guessed it, another R.S. meeting. I love Relief Society. It feels like home, no matter how different the sisters are from each other. I'm grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where such a wonderful organization was truly inspired by God. I truly believe that the Lord answers prayers through other people, and Relief Society is a wonderful way for that to happen.

Happy Ending

Despite a rotten beginning to last week, it ended quite well. I'm so glad!

I found a grain mill at Goodwill for only 12.99. It works great, doesn't look too used, and saved me about 200 bucks since I don't have to buy a new one. I didn't think I'd find one so soon. I was going to look for a year to get a used one before taking the plunge to buy a new one. I guess I don't have to!

Joseph said, "I love you," for the first time last week. It was beyond adorable and accompanied by a big hug. I love that little guy. He's such a good "helper" and likes to put dishes away for me. He also reminds to practice my keyboard by insisting, "Don!" (song) until I pull it out and play some songs for him, giving him some opportunities to hit the demo button, of course.

The laundry got done early, thanks to Mr. Pukey earlier in the week.

The weather has been awesome. It's above freezing, and the snow we got last week was basically melted within 24 hours. I could get used to that. We've also had a lot of sunny days, great for walks!

Sleep. After one horrible night, thanks to the glucose test, I've resumed sleeping like a rock. I literally don't have time to worry about having trouble falling asleep, because I'm out and wake up 8 hours later. I can't sleep longer than that, but I don't seem to need it. It's so nice! Being 30 weeks pregnant doesn't usually guarantee any good sleep, but so far, I've been really lucky. I love it.

Exploring. We found an awesome park in Meridian for Joseph. It's the best park I've ever seen that doesn't cost money to get into. We also went to a little "hole in the wall" Mexican place for dinner one night, and it was delicious. I love real Mexican food. Joseph gobbled all the extra tortillas. Lengua is even pretty good.

at the lake

Nature. There is a gorgeous lake not far from our house. We went to the visitor's center and were pleasantly surprised at how awesome it was. There was a cool kids' room with lots of hands-on stuff. Joseph loves birds. We've seen a huge variety here, thanks to James's binoculars and ornithology class last semester.

sleeping on the floor when he was sick

making a fort with Daddy

Life is really good! It's definitely easier when everyone is feeling well. :)

Not the Best Day

Yesterday, Wednesday, was not a great day. Somehow, it decided to snow. A lot. No one plowed anything either, at least not by early afternoon. I had to take my glucose test, so I ended up carrying Joseph to the doctor's office and back. It's not a long trip, but it seemed like 10 miles. I couldn't even see any of the sidewalks.

We made it in one piece. I don't know if I passed the test or not (yet), but I felt completely rotten for the rest of the day: sluggish, nauseated, and irritable. I slept horribly as well. Somehow, I feel like a normal person today! Still, it's time for a nap...

We Had Plans...

...for this 3-day weekend, but they've changed. Joseph made a little cry at 9:00 last night, but I figured he'd been dreaming and woke up for a second. It's been known to happen. I went into his room this morning to get him up and found him covered in puke. Apparently, he slept in it all night, even though it meant he was wet and cold. Poor little guy. We gave him a bath and tried to feed him some bland food, but no luck. He threw up most of it and hasn't really eaten since then. Now, he's just sitting there in a daze on James's lap while we watch Star Trek. I hope he gets better soon! It's no fun to have a sick little boy.

Thoughts

The Church really knows how to make good lesson manuals. I loved every lesson in Gospel Principles, and I’m already excited about the new manual for this year, Teachings of George Albert Smith. I can already see why this man was called to be a prophet. It’s apparent that he led an exemplary life.

The first two lessons have already given me time to reflect on myself a little bit.

Do I always have time to help those that need me the most? I thought about that this morning when I was getting impatient with Joseph. Nothing seemed to make him happy, and the times when I have to tell him “no” are getting annoying because he has mini tantrums. I could always be better at paying attention to him in the first place and not causing difficult situations where I’ll have to tell him “no” (like eating something in front of him that I don’t want to share)!

Am I trying to do better than I’ve ever done before? I wonder what it’ll be like to be the mom of two boys pretty soon. Am I cut out for that job? Do I have enough patience, or is it going to wear thinner with each child that comes to my family? In order to fulfill my role as a mom, I’m going to have to be twice as good as I am now.

Am I doing as much as I should? I have moments when I have time for leisure. Am I really spending enough time nurturing and teaching Joseph, not just entertaining him?

Is my life evidence of my testimony of Christ? There are definitely times when I could be kinder, more patient, and more charitable. I judge people too quickly just by appearances.

Do I have charity for the weaknesses of others? I know for sure that I don’t much of the time. I think this is the most difficult application of charity. I can easily justify my own weaknesses, but then I turn around and condemn others for having different ones.

I need to change myself. Perhaps it’s a good thing that we get two of these lessons a month, because I have a long way to go.

This week, I finally feel like I'm "home". James's student teaching is going well, I'm settled into my routine, and we're having lots of fun exploring the area some more. Pictures to come soon...I hope! I also found a doctor from a very good recommendation at church. I'll actually be seeing an OB/GYN that's a woman. Imagine that! I'm excited. Only 11 weeks left till baby boy comes.

Hello Again + Pics!

As the new year and my last trimester begin, I can’t help but be grateful for how awesome it’s been. I have my days when I’m uncomfortable, but it’s nothing compared to my first pregnancy (which really wasn’t bad either). 90% of the time, I somehow manage to sleep well, avoid aches and pains, and overall feel really good. There’s nothing that can be done about the waddling, but I’ve only got three months left (minus a few days). J

I feel accomplished this week, because I managed to give both James and Joseph haircuts with my very own clippers and new, sharp scissors. I’m so glad that James trusts me to cut his hair. This is about his 4^th haircut from me, and it turned out great! Joseph looks like a little boy, and it’s crazy how much hair I cut off of him. It’s his 3^rd since he turned 1. He actually laughed for the first half of the haircut. I wouldn’t know; I’ve never used clippers on my head!

Before I go into the last week, I want to share some of my New Year goals. I have a 12 for 2012, but I will just share a few that have already blessed my life.

1.      Drinking green smoothies. I realize that this puts me in the “weird health nut” category, but I am really loving these smoothies. I make them with spinach, fruit juice, frozen fruit, and bananas with some milk, since our water is a little gross. They are amazing! I’ve never been good at eating greens, but a big glass of smoothie every other day really makes me feel good, gives me more energy, and provides 4 servings of fruits/veggies. Joseph loves them too, and it makes me feel good that I can get him to eat spinach without his realizing it. J

2.      Spending more time outside. The weather here has been nice, and I’ve loved walking the green belt that we have near our house. We live close enough to a park that I’ve got no excuse not to go outside! It’s cold, but there is no ice or snow to slip on either.

James looked around for Internet for a while before finally deciding on Century Link (Qwest). They are the only ones who won’t charge an arm and a leg for setup, don’t require a contract for 6 or 12 months, and have a decent price for plain old internet when you don’t want phone and cable. We should have it soon.  If I’ve published this, then we probably already do!

This last week flew by, but in a different way than the last. We went out a little to two malls, one in Boise and one in Nampa. I’m not a big mall-goer, but it was good to see what stores were available. I used my Kohl’s gift card to get a cute nursing nightgown. I can’t wait to use it!

We walked the green belt one day, went to capitol, and went to BSU/the zoo. James has officially applied for grad school there.  It’s a nice campus. I’m always amazed by how old other campuses look compared to BYU-I.

James started his student teaching (a teacher work day) on Friday. School officially started on Monday, the 9^th. I’m excited for him. I loved student teaching, even though it was terrifying at first. It was a great experience for me.

I pulled out my sewing machine Friday afternoon while Joseph was sleeping to make a few repairs, etc. It’s not easy to do hems on baby clothes! I pulled through anyway and made Joseph a bag to keep his Legoes in that will attach to his Lego table. It was nice to do a little sewing, even though I ran into a multitude of problems.

We picked up Dad on Friday night at the Boise airport and went to Red Lobster for dinner. I think it’s been fifteen years since I ate there. Our gift cards were well-spent, needless to say. I love seafood.

Saturday, the boys went to Nampa’s three thrift stores (D.I., Goodwill, and Idaho Youth Ranch) in search of luggage for Dad. No luck there, but James ended up getting a bike so I can use the car while he’s at school. I stocked up on some things at Walmart that we were out of. Some things are cheaper there, some more expensive, and many about the same as Winco. Still, I think Winco will be my favorite place to shop. I always get through the checkout line fast, and I actually like to bag my own groceries. I never have to worry about leaving anything behind.

Saturday afternoon, James went to the library to use the internet. I relaxed a bit while Dad & Jojo took naps. I love peaceful afternoons when I have time to think.

We decided to celebrate James’s birthday a little early with cake and ice cream. I made chocolate pound cake (what else?) and got butter pecan ice cream. As for gifts, James is difficult to buy for! I never know what to get him. He’s one of those people that has everything, literally.

We won’t really see our neighbors much, but we definitely hear this one dog from the next complex over. I hate dogs. I’m never getting one. It barks in the middle of the night sometimes. Luckily, it’s not usually a bother. When it is, my opinion of dogs does not improve.

Joseph was so excited for Grandpa to come. He kept exclaiming, “Papa!” and giving him high fives. We have to be careful around that little guy, because he picks up on everything. We make sure to never mention cookies or ice cream, because he immediately wants some. He knows which bowl we use for popcorn and gets it out of the cupboard while the popcorn’s popping. He also knows how to do the puzzles that he got for Christmas and load bullets in a Nerf gun. It’s cute to watch.

This week was my first time every watching Star Trek. I like it. It’s about as cheesy as Star Wars, interesting, and has great theme music. The library has an awesome selection of movies and TV shows. Who needs cable?

We went to our ward (the Nampa 19^th) on Sunday. I love having church at 9:00. I’m usually up by 7:30 anyway, and I felt like I was wasting my morning before having church at 1:00. I like that Joseph can take his normal nap. He went to nursery just fine. I looked through the peephole and saw him eating his goldfish with all the other kids. What a cutie pie!

We spent Sunday afternoon on the phone talking to family: James’s, mine, and then Uncle Joe in Florida. It was great. I can’t wait to have Skype again, even though our webcam is lame.

Monday, Dad gave us a Christmas present by fixing the car. It had been leaking oil and needed a new gasket of sorts. The tire place said that it’d cost 120 or more dollars, but Dad was able to fix it for much less than that and in less time. I’m so glad that it was an easy thing to fix (for him, not for me, since I’d have no clue what was going on)!

Joseph and I took Dad back to the airport after lunch. Joseph slept in the car, which meant no nap once we got home. How does 45 minutes in the car make up for a two-hour nap? I’ll never know. Toddlers are just funny that way.

Here are some pics of the last week! Enjoy! :) Maybe I will post a belly pic when I get to 30 weeks. I feel huge, or at least bigger than last time. I guess that's pretty normal though, right?

He loves to wear Daddy's hat.

Monkeys!

The dishwasher is from the 70's. It works better
than any other dishwasher I've had!

What to do with all the space?

Food storage shelves, a necessity for every LDS home.

I love this room, because it's MINE.

(The egg carton is for my earrings.)

Nampa so Far

I can’t believe how fast the last week went by. It’s been one of those weeks where the days all ran together.

Monday and Tuesday, we packed. It took as much time as I thought it would, not longer or shorter. I guess that’s okay, but it was still a really long two days! We said goodbye to our friends the Baldwins. I’m still trying not to think about it.

Wednesday, we loaded up the truck and made the move. Last minute cleaning wasn’t bad, but I hate packing the last 10% of our stuff. It just doesn’t fit anywhere! We were blessed with perfectly rainy, cloudy weather, which meant it wasn’t hot and the sun wasn’t shining in my eyes. Joseph was an angel till 5:00, and we arrived at our new apartment at 5:40, just in time to sign the papers before the office closed. We unloaded and unpacked for a few hours before crashing.  I didn’t sleep well, because it felt too weird.

Thursday was spent unpacking as well. We finished, up to every last picture frame, at 9:30. What a relief! The only terrible part of the day was trying to take a shower with a broken shower head and then trying to take a bath, only to realize that the drain stopper was also broken. Epic fail. Five dollars at Walmart solved that, thankfully. We returned the moving truck and stocked up on groceries, which cost exactly the same as in Idaho Falls. It’s nice to know what to expect down to the last penny!

Friday, we relaxed a bit, got library cards, and watched a few episodes of the Cosby show. We also checked out the thrift stores for a lamp. No luck there, but I got two more exercise videos. Best of all, I found a double stroller for only 20 bucks! I wasn’t really looking for one (actively, anyway), but I was really grateful to find it. We need absolutely nothing for the new baby except diapers, and that’s still 3 months (give or take) away.

Saturday, we relaxed a little more and took a walk on a nature trail. Joseph loved the ducks. We also checked out the park that’s within walking distance of our house.

Sunday,  we went to church at the wrong time. The website said 11:30, but we showed up for the wrong ward because of meeting changes. I’m completely fine with that, because I don’t like 11:30. We will be meeting at 9! I couldn’t be happier, because it means Joseph will have a normal nap and this pregnant lady can have normal meals. J What can I say? I really am a creature of habit. We went to Aunt Jenny’s house for dinner, and it was delicious and fun.

This apartment feels like a mansion so far. Besides the dishwasher deciding to break today, everything is great. I’m not surprised, because I’m pretty sure that the dishwasher is 30+ years old. No joke. It’s a dinosaur. We literally have twice as much space as we did before. It’s a lot quieter and weird without the family downstairs. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet that we live on the other side of the state from them. I really like our location, because I can walk to the grocery store, the hospital, or the park. We are right at the edge of civilization and the country. The weather is 10-15 degrees warmer than Rexburg.

Joseph has adjusted, as far as I can tell. He had a little bit of a challenge with his new, big room compared to his tiny, dark closet, but he didn’t even cry a lot, just enough to break my heart for a few days. I think he is starting to understand that this is our new home.

We aren’t sure about internet, mainly because it’s so darn expensive. For now, it’s the library’s wireless that we’ll use. Yes, I'm at the library right now!

James has one more week until school even starts. We’re going to do some more exploring of the area, see the capitol, etc. I have some small things on my to-do list still, but nothing that will take too long. I’m really excited to get back to my “normal” schedule, even though my exercising will be alone and my piano practice will be on a little keyboard. Such is life.

I’m grateful that we were able to get settled in so fast. It looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.