Moved In

Well, you're getting two posts today. :) Lucky for you, this is the only one that requires much reading :)

We moved into our apartment a week or so before we had expected to, which is a good thing! :) We're back on our own! It was so great to spend so much time with Grammy and Grampy, but it's nice to be back on our own schedule and in our own place! We are so grateful for family that has the means and ability to help us out when we need it. We are so blessed!

I don't have any photos of the new apartment since we've moved in. We only have pics of the empty apartment before the move, but it's been a great fit. The kitchen is small, and that's no big surprise, but the rest of the apartment fits us just fine. :) We live LITERALLY 50 yards from the playground equipment (I can see it out my bedroom window), and when it's not raining we get to go play outside. The kids have even been riding their tricycles and bikes in the parking lot (since we're the last apartment on the street, there isn't much traffic). :) It's really been a positive change.

Work, for me, is going well. I am working about 4 days a week and am really loving it. It's harder now with the overlap time, but we're making it work. The kids still spend a bit of time with Grammy and Grampy, there's just a lot of vehicle changing we have to do. :) I usually get home after the kids are in bed, but I get to spend all day with them, so I don't feel too horrible about it. JJ gets a little extra daddy time, too, so that's nice. The kids really love having some one-on-one time with their daddy. JJ is really good to them. :)

JJ is still working with Terminix, and doesn't hate it yet. He's working really long days, usually about 10-12 hours, and we expect it to slow down, but we're not sure how much it will. The nice thing is that they are compensating him for his extra time, and he's earning a production percentage from each job he does, which adds up since he's doing about 13 - 15 jobs per day. I hope he can still keep this up. I know it's not ideal, and he doesn't get much time at home, but we each have Sunday off and he'll be off 3 out of 4 Saturdays. It's just hard work, and a lot of driving in Seattle traffic. :( Ugh.

On a brighter note, we're on to Thanksgiving, and then to Christmas! I LOVE the Holidays! xoxo Love to all!

Just Photos

This is the Halloween cake I made this year. It was SO fun!

This is Mason at Grammy and Grampy's house. :) Apparently he got really tired!

Andrew and Me playing on the rocking chair

Andrew at the park

Mason sliding head first! He loves slides!

"Uncle" KC, "Uncle" Heath and Daddy when the Huskies got slaughtered by Nebraska

"Uncle" Heath's Seahawks birthday cake

Mason and Mommy play Go Fish

Wrestling boys - Andrew and Mason - Still having fun!

All of the cousins on this side of the family -- Andrew, Mason, Cate and Lilah

Andrew's birthday present - a Basketball Hoop!

Andrew opening birthday gifts! I can't believe he's 4!

Andrew opening a gift from Grandma and Grandpa! He was so excited!

Doing what they do best - Running in circles!

Grammy's 60th Birthday cake. :) Dark Chocolate with Raspberry filling

Andrew and Mason in the culdesac with our caution buddy. :)

In Limbo

Well, we've been moved in with JJ's parents for about a month now. It's been difficult in some ways, but overall has been relatively easy to adjust to. JJ got a job pretty quickly with Terminix and has been working with them for about 3 weeks now. This week he is spending most of his time in Phoenix taking classes and getting his certification. He's had a series of tests he's had to study for and has passed 2/3 of them so far. One more to take next week in Olympia. So far this job seems like it will be good. I found a job working at the local Denny's. I loved waitressing when JJ and I were first married, so I figured I could give it a go again. It works out nicely because I don't start work until JJ's parents are home from work, so they are able to watch the kids during our overlap time. JJ usually gets home around 7 or so from work. He's working 12-hour days again, which isn't great fun, but should slow down when Winter gets here.

The boys have LOVED being with Grammy and Grampy. They have fun outings to the park with Grampy and the dogs and Grammy is a great book reader! They have really enjoyed being here and have adjusted well. They still don't understand why we're not going back to our house in Wenatchee, but hopefully they'll get it soon. Mason said last night "Mommy, I want to go home." I didn't know how to get it across to him that this is our home for now... oh well. They have been so good and have been such a joy for all of us.

I'll be posting lots of pictures as another post. Just some things that have been happening and all. Andrew's birthday will be one of those. He was so cute! I can't believe he's already 4! I forgot to take a picture of his birthday cake, so you probably won't see that, but it was fun to make it. He wanted a Mario cake just like uncle Ben's and was a little bummed when it wasn't 2 feet tall. I had to scale it down for the 8 people who were here :) A little different story than when I made the cake in Utah for Ben!

Anyway, sorry about the length of time it took me to get back on here. I'll get pics up soon!

It's official...

well, to those of you who haven't heard yet, JJ got a job in Clearview, near Snohomish. We will officially be moving August 21st. That's 3 weeks from yesterday.

I'll be honest. I'm totally bummed. I'm also really excited! We'll be moving in with JJ's parents (who I LOVE!) and getting adjusted for a couple of months, and then we'll take off to a new apartment, probably. After about a year, we'll start looking at buying a place.

JJ got a job at a Mechanic shop called Hilltop Automotive with some really good guys. Turns out that his mom and his aunt both know this guy pretty well, and he's really super decent. We're glad that things are working out. JJ had been out of work since the 1st of June (his birthday, what a bummer!) and hadn't started this new job until the last week of July. It has been a really rough patch, but we have a lot of support over here, so we're doing alright. :) John also passed his Police Department Testing, so we're just waiting to hear back from PDs about when they want to continue testing with polygraphs and background checks and oral boards. Ugh. It could be weeks or a matter of months. We'll see how it goes.

I started packing this week and only have 3 more weeks to get it all done. It should be pretty easy, and really basic. Not like I've never done this before! The boys don't really seem to understand what we're saying, though I think Andrew is starting to catch on, what with all the boxes everywhere and half of his toys being thrown away or given away. Mason is just content knowing that we're going to go live at Grammy and Grampy's for a while. :) They're pretty reasonable when it comes to all this stuff. :)

Honestly, the hardest part of this move for me is going to be leaving this amazing ward! I have never felt so at home with any ward (aside from Fernley, where I hadn't known any different)! There has been a big change in who I am and the things that I feel are most important since living here. I have never felt such an outpouring of love, concern, support and kindness. What a wonderful and exceptional place to be! I have had so many wonderful opportunities and have met some really terrific and amazing people. It's like I'm leaving another family! I just hope that my next ward is half as phenomenal as this ward has been. I know that my testimony has been strengthened just by the company I keep here in E. Wenatchee. I wish everyone could have a glimpse of what I get to take in every single week! Thank you to all of you who have made this the best home I've ever had. I'm going to miss you all so much!

Caught in the Act

-isms

Mason: "owie owie owie!"
Me: "Mason, what happened to your finger?"
Mason: "A Monster got me!"

Andrew: "Mommy, you must be a genius!"
Me: "Why?!"
Andrew: "That's because you're soooo smart!"


I love my children!

Potty Party

Yesterday was a big day for Mason!

I took the kids to Paxton's house while I went to have my hair cut. I totally forgot that I had Mason in underwear, but Andrea noticed and kept asking him if he needed to go. At one point he started to go in his underwear, but Andrea took him into the bathroom really fast and he actually WENT in the potty! Of course he's going to do it somewhere else first!

After being at Andrea's house, he went potty on the toilet (without wetting his pants) 3 times yesterday, and only had 2 accidents! Hooray Mason! You're doing great!

So far today... no accidents! Here's to a swift and *hopefully* easy potty training adventure!