We're still alive!

I suppose it's time for me to come out from behind my mountain of boxes and make contact with the outside world. :) I can't believe how fast time has flown since I last posted here, sorry about that. But the good news is that we've been real busy just trying to get unpacked, get organized, clean our old place, and feel like we're actually 'home' when we come back to the new house. That is something that will probably take a little time to get used to.

Eli is doing great with the move. We got him a new bed (which I'm still searching for the perfect bedspread for, so no pictures yet, sorry) and he's transitioning fairly well. I think he's still getting used to being in his own big room with a door, heehee. But he does love having room to roam and just play, plus a great backyard and sandbox to keep him occupied.

We haven't gotten TV yet, so things are a little interesting, but I think it's good for us. Although it does make you feel a little more isolated than normal, but we're adapting. Besides, you can get lots of shows online nowadays anyway, right? As long as I can keep up with the Amazing Race, I'm good. :)

Okay, well, I didn't think it would be fair to post again with NO pictures, so here are some recent ones to enjoy. Nathan's birthday was on Sunday and he turned the big 2-8! Wow, he's almost 30! :) We had a fun day together and I surprised him with tickets to see the Smashing Pumpkins, which is something on his life list that he's always wanted to do. I was pretty proud of myself that I could keep the secret from him and that he had NO CLUE that I was even thinking about it. Score. :)

I was just happy to get them both wearing the party hats! :) That's the one good thing about always being behind the camera -- no one can see how I look in a party hat, LOL.



Nathan opening my surprise present. I was so excited to see his excitement! :)
(And you can see our unfinished tile project in the background....don't worry, we're getting it fixed soon, I hope!)



Comprehension.....



We got a great cake from Baskin Robbins and of course Eli had to pick the dinosaur one with the blue and green frostings. Of course. :)



Then later, we made my dad's famous shishkabobs! Yumm-O! We hadn't had those in a while and they were great.



Eli sort of helped, by trying to stay out of the way and just watch while Dada threaded the meat. He did a pretty good job. :)

And don't worry, I'll be posting more soon as we've got Thanksgiving coming up with my best friend and her hubby, and Nathan has this entire week off! So we're looking forward to doing some fun things together as a family. That sure is precious time lately.

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

Hey all, I know I've been MIA for the last week or so. It's for good reason, I promise! :) We're finally moving to our new house tomorrow, and I'm psyched. Last week was all about cleaning and painting, and this week is all about new appliances, new carpet, and packing. So things are moving along nicely, and we're getting ready to head on out.

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has already helped with watching Eli, covering for me in Primary, donating boxes, and using their Tetris-styled mind to help me pack! Throughout this experience (being 7 months pregnant), I've realized that I can't do everything on my own, and I know that we are completely blessed with amazing friends and family who are willing to help us out with whatever we need. So thank you to all of you who have helped so far, and especially those who are going to be helping us tomorrow. We really need it and really appreciate it!! :)

Okay, well, since my blog has been pretty picture-less for a while, I thought I'd share some recent Eli-related goodness. :) He was rough housing with Nathan the other night and this is what happened:

The best part is that he decided that he needed to then go outside and head to the park dressed like this. Don't know why, but I guess the park is better when you've got a shirt over your head! :)



And then you just gotta love this little goofy face. Or at least, I do. :) Maybe I'm biased just a little, lol.

UGH.

Man, we are sick. And I mean the 'lay in bed wishing you could take your head off because it's basically just a big stuffed organ' kind of sick. Eli had it last week, and of course that means Nathan came down with it yesterday, and I developed it last night. Yeehaw. Of all weeks, it had to be this week that we got sick. :(

But we have been downing orange juice and cough drops and hoping that it doesn't last as long as Eli's did. (He's still got a little lingering cough from last week.) So if you feel so inclined, prayers would be great and appreciated.

And yes, we'll still be voting -- that's one job that won't be missed today. :)

Blogging may be taking a ride on the back burner for a little while in the next couple of weeks. We're crazy-busy with packing, moving, cleaning, more packing, more moving, more cleaning, etc.

I'm also trying to figure out the color scheme for every room in our house so that we can paint everything before the new carpet comes in. Yeah, that's a big headache for me because I want the colors to be PERFECT and I'm having a hard time making up my mind. I like having Nathan's help with it, but he definitely has his own opinions about the colors in our house. :) So cute.

So yeah, that's what's going on. If I'm not here a lot, that's why. :) Wish us luck!

And I'll try to post some pictures as the process goes on -- I keep forgetting to take any while we're out there, but I know I will want to have the 'before' pictures to show how far we had to go! :)

PS: Just wanted to also add a little Prop 8 something. Honestly, I will be so glad when this election process is over, and it's decided. I don't know about you, but I am tired of hearing all of the negative ads and just twisted logic that has been splashed around. I found this article on a friend of a friend's blog, and thought it was so poignant to the situation we're in right now. And it explains a lot of why I choose to follow the prophet and listen to his words and counsel.

It's from Neal A. Maxwell's talk, "A More Determined Discipleship" from the Feb. 1979 Ensign.

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions."

"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened....Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was,till then, unconscious of itself."

"It may well be that as our time comes to “suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41), some of that special stress will grow out of that portion of discipleship which involves citizenship. Remember, as Nephi and Jacob said, we must learn to endure “the crosses of the world” and yet to despise “the shame of it” (2 Ne. 9: 18; Jacob 1:8). To go on clinging to the iron rod in spite of the mockery and scorn that flow at us from the multitudes in that great and spacious building seen by Father Lehi, which is the “pride of the world” (1 Ne. 11:36)—is to disregard the shame of the world. Parenthetically, why, really why, do the disbelievers who line that spacious building watch so intently what the believers are doing? (See 1 Ne. 8:33.) Surely there must be other things for the scorners to do. Unless deep within their seeming disinterest. … Unless. … "

I Got Tagged...

10 years ago I . . .
1. ...had my driver's permit.
2. ...worked as a lifeguard
3. ...was dreaming about getting my license
4. ...had a best friend named Summer (still do, yippee!)
5. ...loved 'NSync. (Don't pretend you didn't!)

5 things on my "to do list" today . . .

1. ...catch up on dishes and laundry
2. ..."officially" change our address
3. ...get a glucose test for gestational diabetes
4. ...take Eli trick or treating
5. ...work on packing up some more of this house

5 snacks I like . . .

1. ...pretzel sticks
2. ...apple slices
3. ...tomatoes with salt
4. ...cheesy Doritos
5. ...cheese cubes

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire . . .

1. ...remodel my house's kitchen
2. ...take a dream trip to New Zealand, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, England, etc.
3. ...probably save some to live off the interest :)
4. ...buy my parents a house near us so they could live closer
5. ...put some away for future college expenses (because I just know Eli's gonna be some smartie who has to go to Harvard or something, LOL)

5 places I have lived . . .

1. ...San Antonio, TX
2. ...Provo, UT
3. ...Mission Viejo, CA
4. ...Union City, CA
5. ...Chicago, IL

5 jobs that I have had . . .

1. ...lifeguard
2. ...custodian at the Clyde building (at BYU)
3. ...Sonic waitress
4. ...Layout Artist
5. ...photographer

8 favorite TV shows I love to watch...

1. ...Project Runway
2. ...LOST
3. ...America's Next Top Model
4. ...House
5. ...Color Splash
6. ...The Office
7. ...The Amazing Race
8. ...Alias (even though I only watch it on DVD now)

8 things I did yesterday...
1. ...went to the park with Eli
2. ...picked up boxes from Marisol
3. ...answered about 50 emails
4. ...looked for paint inspiration for the new house
5. ...ate too much chocolate
6. ...read too much about No on Proposition 8. It makes me sad.
7. ...plucked my eyebrows
8. ...watched Dinner Impossible

8 favorite places to eat . . .

1. ...Riptide!!!
2. ...Benihana
3. ...Mongolian Barbecue
4. ...Alamo Cafe (in SA)
5. ...Kneaders (in Provo)
6. ...Chick-fil-A
7. ...Golden Corral (for the rolls)
8. ...Stone Ground Bread Company (sniff, sniff, so sad it's gone)

8 things I am looking forward to . . .

1. ...picking out paint for my new house
2. ...getting new carpet for my new house
3. ...having friends over at my new house
4. ...going Trick or Treating with Eli
5. ...having my mom visit in January
6. ...adding a new baby to the family
7. ...being done with Primary for a while :)
8. ...when the election is over and Proposition 8 has passed

8 things on my wish list . . .

1. ...new door handles for the house
2. ...more time to do all the projects floating around in my brain
3. ...a Macbook Pro
4. ...a piano
5. ...an interior design service for our house :)
6. ...for Proposition 8 to pass so I don't have to homeschool my children
7. ...patio furniture
8. ...a healthy little brother for Eli

8 people I tag . . .

1. Emily M.
2. Jessica P.
3. Launa V.
4. Debbie L.
5. Kylie H. (I know it's not H anymore, but that's how I know you, LOL)
6. Tawni F.
7. Caroline K.
8. Amy L.

Yee-HAW!

Friday night was our ward's Trunk or Treat and we had a blast! Eli was our little cowboy (gotta represent!) and he had a great time going around saying, "Yee-HAW!" It was adorable. They had some games that he played, his favorite being the bob for apples. You should have seen how excited he was to get an apple! Silly boy. :)

Then we went around and had him practice his "Trick or Treat" beg for candy. He's getting pretty good at it! I'm excited that he's old enough to really know what is going on and that he likes dressing up for it. There were a ton of kids at the party and we ran out of candy almost 2/3's of the way through! It certainly was a great night of family fun.

And our chili, sadly, did not win the grand prize. But at least I know it was amazing! :) And congratulations, Porters, for your chili domination.

Here's Eli all dressed up and ready to go!

(don't know what he's doing with that smile, lol)



(so excited to go get some candy!)



(what a cutie patootie!)

Furthermore...

So, the house is still empty (luckily) and we have all the keys to it. I went up there yesterday to just check in and clean a little. I think we're on the road to closing early next week, which means we can get stuff moved in on time. I want to get our new carpet and paint in so that it will feel a little fresher and newer when we start moving our actual furniture and stuff in.

I'm gearing up for a lot of packing, work, and most of all, FREEDOM from condo life! :)

In the meantime, I haven't been doing too much besides signing documents, getting deposit stuff squared away, trying to keep up with Eli as he destroys the house, etc. This week I have been TIRED and the baby is forcing me to take it slower. So I have been napping during the day and just trying to not overdo things.

Tonight is our ward's Trunk or Treat party, and we're bringing some award-winning chili to share and compete with. (At least, it will be award-winning after tonight!) Eli will be dressing up as a cowboy (and yes, I'll get plenty of photos!!) and he's going to be just the cutest thing ever. Can't wait to see it all together.

Sorry it's a no-picture post, I know I hate those. But at least I'm posting, lol.

Squatters? Seriously??

[Wish I had a good picture of some squatters to post, but that might be gross....so maybe it's better that I don't, lol.]

Oh, and this is a pretty long post, but it's a great story, let me tell ya! :)

Okay, so Nathan, Eli and I went out to our new house on Saturday to take some measurements for carpet and various other things. We were in the kitchen with the front door open when we heard, "Excuse me?" and saw a lady on the front porch. So we went over and said hi, and she introduced herself as our neighbor across the street, and asked if we were moving in. We told her we were, but not for a few more weeks. She then told us this:

"Well, I don't want to be a bother or a nosy neighbor or anything, but I wanted to let you know that we have had about 9 houses targeted in this neighborhood by squatters. There is a family on this street that are the 'masterminds' behind it all -- they go through and find vacant houses that have been foreclosed on, then they break into the house, move in their furniture, and create a fake deed for the house. Then they change the locks, and when the new owners come to occupy the house, it's a huge legal battle trying to get them out. Usually it's been taking anywhere from 9 months to a year to get these people out."

Uh, seriously? I just about died. Who knew that we would even have to WORRY about things like this! And then she says this:

"And I just wanted you to know that we saw someone trying to break into your side door to the garage a few days ago. So we called the police and let them know what was going on, then we called the listing agent for this house to tell them as well. It looks like they had someone come out and change the locks on that side door."

AAAAACCKK! Our new house is under attack by squatters! I'm sure you can only imagine how grateful we were to this kind neighbor for telling us all about this. I can't imagine what we would have had to do to take these people to court if they did get into the house and started 'living' there. Gross!! And the worst part would be that we haven't officially closed on the house yet, so we would have no claim to the house, it would be a fight between the bank who owns the house and the squatters, and we would be stuck in the middle, waiting to see what happens. I'm just PRAYING that this doesn't happen to our house and that everything will be okay with our closing. I have half a mind to drive up there every day and just hang out at the house to protect it, LOL.

She went on to tell us that she was really good friends with the family that used to live in our house and she was really glad to see a new family taking up residence. She was like, "despite what I just told you, we have a really great neighborhood with tons of kids and lots of friendly people." Ha. That made me laugh. Poor woman, trying to warn us and yet not scare us off at the same time, LOL. :) But I am sure she's right about the neighborhood, we've seen lots of kids out and about whenever we've gone out there, and there are a lot of Yes on Prop 8 signs scattered around the area, so that makes me feel better. :)

So here's the question -- have any of you ever had to deal with ANYTHING like this? Or know someone who has? What advice do you have? Because right now, we don't officially own the house, so it's not like we can move in some of our own stuff or anything. We did take the key to the house that was in the lockbox, because the neighbor told us that she saw a lady over there trying to break into the lockbox and get the keys. GOSH! This is crazy.

So yeah, any prayers or good thoughts that you can throw our way regarding this would be awesome. I just want to know that 'our' house is safe while we wait for our closing date! Wish us luck. :)

I have beautiful friends!

Last week, while I was attending the Scrap Girls Digital Scrapbooking Convention (which was a blast, by the way), I had the opportunity to meet and photograph two of our Layout Artists. Now, these women are just so sweet and genuine and I was SO glad that I got to meet them in person and really get to know their personalities and hear the way they talk. Now I'm glad to be able to put a face to an email when I get them! :)

So anyways, they asked me to take some shots for them, and so we did a quick mini-session for each, which was a lot of fun! You can just see that they both exude happiness. It certainly is contagious! :) Enjoy!

And thanks, Christy and Caroline, for giving me some great practice and a great time! :)

Thanks again! :)

The candidates actually agree on something!

Believe it or not, all four running candidates agree on this issue (which is a direct link to Proposition 8 being voted on here in California in November):